One muscle at a time

Calf raises on the floor
Standing calf raises are a slightly tougher strengthening exercise than using resistance bands because you’re using your own body weight as resistance. Make sure you have a chair or countertop you can use for balance as you do this exercise.

• Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart, with your toes facing forward (not turned inward or outward). Slowly rise onto your toes, going as high as you can without pain. Feel your calf muscles contracting.
• Slowly lower yourself back down, taking care to control the movement — don’t just drop to your heels. l Complete this exercise 10 times, then rest for about 30 seconds before doing another set. Try to complete three sets if you can do so without pain.

Calves on a leg press machine
If you have access to a gym, the leg press machine is a good tool to isolate your calves and build strength if you’ve progressed beyond body-weight exercises. If you don’t have access to a gym, holding dumbbells in the hands or doing single leg calf raises greatly increases the resistance.

• Sit up straight on the machine with your body at a 90-degree angle. Move the platform into position and adjust it as needed until the balls of your feet are on the lowest edge of the platform and your heels are free.
• If you turn your toes inward, you can build your outer calf muscles, which can be difficult to strengthen otherwise. Turning your toes outward works the inner calf muscles.
• As you do calf raises on the machine, you can vary the angles of your toes to work the entirety of your calves evenly.

The barbell seated calf raise
It is a version of the standard calf raise that uses a block and barbell.

• Start off placing a block on the floor about one foot in front of a bench.
• Rest a barbell across your upper thighs and then sit on the bench with the balls of your feet placed upon the block.
• While keeping the barbell rested across your thighs, slowly raise and lower your toes up as high as possible without lifting your foot off the block.
• Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

Standing Calf Raise Machine

• Adjust the padded barbell of the smith machine to fit your height.
• Place your shoulders under the barbell and position your toes facing forward. Lift the barbell up by extending your hips and knees until your torso is standing erect.
• The knees should be kept with a slight bend; never locked. Toes should be facing forward. This will be your starting position.
• Raise your heels as you breathe out by extending your ankles as high as possible and flexing your calf. Ensure that the knee is kept stationary at all times. There should be no bending at any time. Hold the contracted position by a second before you start to go back down.
• Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in by lowering your heels as you bend the ankles until calves are stretched.Repeat for 12-15 reputations.

Calf raises on a step
Doing calf raises from a step is more challenging, and provides more resistance, than calf raises on a flat floor. Because your heels are dropped below the level of the rest of your foot, you’re working from a deficit.

• Stand on a step with the edge of the step at the middle of your foot. Your toes and the balls of your feet should be firmly on the step, your heels out over the edge.
• Making sure you have a railing or something to hold onto for balance, lower your heels below the level of the step, as far as you can comfortably go.
• Roll up onto your toes slowly, contracting your calves to raise your heel as high as you can go. Then lower back down in a slow, controlled movement.
• As with regular calf raises, you should do three sets of 10 repetitions, with a brief rest between sets.

Fredy francis
Calf exercises are a method of stretching the muscles of the lower leg.The movement performed to work on the calf is called ankle extension. Calf muscle comes in use while walking, running, or jumping. It helps pull up the heel to allow forward movement of the body. Here, are a few exercises that will help strengthen your calf muscle to have a toned and strong gripped legs.

—  The writer is the co-founder of a fitness studio.