What is your go to calf excercise?

smith machine, standing on edge of a wood box.

leg press machine, just switch up angles and width etc.

I'll put two 45 pound plates on the ground and do calf raises with the straight bar. Usually about do two 45's and two 25's at about 30 reps, 3 sets.

Jump rope.

And then I'll usually do some machine that works calves.

It's the way you are performing calf raises not the exercise. Try it the doggcrapp training way

Sets-1 or max 2
Reps-15-20
Machine- any but standing and leg press are the easiest to start with

Now perform each rep as follows
Perform the raise and hold for a full 5 count
Now lower the way slowly and go into the bottom portion of the lift I.e. The stretch portion of the lift. Push your heal down well below parallel to where this portion of the lift is excruciating were you are almost in tears. Now hold this position and continue to push your heal down as hard as you can for a full 20 count. This is one rep.

Do this for 15-20 reps increasing the weight, the time under tension or the number of reps every week. Do this twice per week with at least 2 days rest between training sessions.


If you don't want to do the above, you could also try hundreds of bodyweights lifts through out the day, donkey calf positions so you are doing the lift while the muscle is in the stretch position, or you could get on treadmill set it to 15* incline and lean as far forward as possible and push down on the heel until it stretches the calf and then raise up on toes. Walk like this for 10-15 min per day.

All of these work but the first method is going to bring up the lagging muscle the fastest.

I play basketball, other sports, and do a BodyAttack class a couple of times per month. I'm getting older and starting to have achilles and calf issues here and there.

About a month ago, I strained my left achilles. Then, my right calf about a week later. They both appear to be getting better but I'm going to start focusing on exercises to get them stronger and more flexible.

For my calf strain, I think it's a grade 1 or 2. It swelled for a few days, then my shin was sore, and finally, there was bruising on my foot (bottom instep). I think all of these were related to the strain. I did a few things on it yesterday, including light jogging (with no pain). I'm crossing my fingers that I can play a full basketball game on it this weekend in our league. I'm like everyone else - I've got a plan but haven't gotten that punch in the mouth from father time quite yet (but it's coming).

i like to have the rounded portion of the block or the edge of the leg press machine about half way on my foot. At the top of the lift, doesn't matter which way toes point really as most of the shape of calfs is genetics.

on the stretch portion keep foot as I described and drive heal of the foot straight down and hold.

I need to try some of these. I dont skip leg day, but my calves are thin af. I blame genetics.