How To Tone And Sculpt Your Calves

Using your elliptical machine can tone and sculpt your calves with its running motions. However, supplementing your elliptical workout with calf exercises and machines will help you to have incredible calves three times as fast.

There are two primary muscle groups on the back of the lower legs - the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles. The soleus is a wide, flat muscle that lies beneath the heart shaped gastrocnemius.

Both muscles contract to extend the feet and toes, but the soleus can only fully contract when your leg is bent to at least a thirty degree angle. There are several other smaller muscles in your lower legs, all of which will be developed by focusing on working the calves.

The only exception is the tibialis anterior muscle, which runs up the front of your shin and contracts to pull your foot and toes upward. The calf muscle is often neglected at the gym.

Very rarely you'll see people training their calves. When fully developed, the calves are eye-catching and you can actually see the separation between the outer and inner muscles.

The standing calf raise is a great tool for building quality calves. By using a pair of dumbbells to hold at your sides, you can create beautifully sculpted calves in the privacy of your home.

Of course, you'll want to get yourself a pair of dumbbells that you can add extra weight to. It is recommended to get a pair of dumbbells which are made to hold heavier weights.

If you are going to use a machine, set the weight to a resistance you can handle while practicing perfect form. Step on the platform and take hold of the grip bars on the slides of the shoulder harness.

With your feet pointing straight ahead, place your toes and the balls of your feet on the platform.
Set the shoulder pads so they will be slightly lower than your shoulders while you are in this position.

Bend at the knees and position your shoulders underneath the shoulder pads comfortably. Stand up straight so that your shoulders lift the shoulder pads, which will lift the weight plates up.

Keep your knees pointing straight ahead and keep bent very slightly during the exercise. The bent-knee position can help stretch the calves in the lower position and will save your lower back in the upper position.

Make sure to keep your body straight during the exercise. Be careful not to bend at the waist during any portion of the movement or hyperextend your back at the top of the movement.

Stick your chest out and keep your shoulders squared at all times during the exercise. Keep your head straight and level and look straight ahead at all times.

If you are going to use dumbbells, first, pick up the dumbbells and stand in front of a platform, which should be about one inch high. Step onto the platform and position your feet a couple of inches apart.

Bring the dumbbells to the sides of your body, with your palms facing each other. Place your toes and the balls of your feet on the platform.

Keep your knees pointing straight ahead and keep them bent very slightly during the exercise as the bent knee position can help stretch the calves in the lower position and will save your lower back in the upper position. You must make sure to keep your body straight during the exercise.

Stick your chest out and keep your shoulders squared at all times during the exercise. Keep your head straight and level and look straight ahead at all times.

The technique and form will be the same for both the standing machine and the standing dumbbell raise. Keeping your body as straight as possible, lower your heels toward the floor and slowly bring the calves to a full stretch.

Hold this position for a count of one second. From this position, without momentum, push off the balls of your feet and come up on to your tiptoes, pushing as high off the toes as possible.

Contract the calves as hard as you possibly can and concentrate all of your efforts on doing so. Hold this position for a one second count.

Slowly begin lowering your body to the stretch position, making sure you make the calf muscles endure the negative portion of the resistance. As you reach the bottom position, with the heels pointing to the floor, make sure you do not allow your heels to drop too fast.

Go slow and focus on the stretching of the calf muscles. As you can see, these exercises before or after your elliptical machine workout will help you to get calf muscles that will turn heads wherever you are.

Tom Selwick has worked as a personal trainer for the last 14 years and written hundreds of articles about personal fitness. He recommends (http://www.weslo.com) for your personal fitness needs.