How to Do Calf Raises

The gastrocnemius muscles (calves) are powerful, because they are used to push the feet off the ground during walking. They are targeted with calf raises that have several variations. Using free weights will allow calf raises to be performed anywhere with a flat surface. The following steps will show how to do calf raises.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Assume your starting position. Hold an equal-sized free weight in each hand. The arms should hang straight down by the sides of your body in a natural relaxed position throughout the movement. Stand with your heels at hip-width position.
2. Raise your heels off the ground until you are standing on your tip-toes and hold this fully extended position for a moment. Lower your heels until they are just about to touch the floor and immediately begin your second repetition.
3. Perform about 15 reps. Calf muscles benefit more from reps than any part of the body other than the abdominals, because they are well designed for frequent use.
4. Do calf raises with your feet at different angles. You easily target a specific area of the calves by moving your toes away from each other to form at least a right angle (or more) to target the inner part of the calf. The outer part of the calf will be emphasized if you move your toes toward each other so that you look pigeon-toed.
5. Execute calf raises with the balls of your feet on a raised surface so that your heels are unsupported. This allows you to perform calf raises throughout the entire range of motion for your calves.