Sometimes referred to as “the peripheral heart” by medical professionals, the calf is one of the most important muscles in the body as far as proper circulation is concerned. When they contract, the veins in them compress and pump blood towards the heart. Then, when the muscles relax, blood from nearby vessels is collected, completing the loop.
For this reason, it’s important to ensure that your calves get proper exercise on the regular. It’s not even necessary to bulk them up, but rather help them stay fit with a spinning routine.
Spinning for Great Looking Calves
An offbeat alternative to regular exercising is indoor spinning. Signing up for a spin class at your local gym is a viable option, but if you’ve got the budget for it, you can even buy your own stationary bicycle and all the other necessary spin bike products and perform this activity at home. Find more details on Exercise Bikes Expert.
If you’re an adept of expressing yourself creatively while breaking a sweat, spinning is an excellent activity to sustain your calves’ development. Many varieties will help, but by far the most suitable idea is pumping that adrenaline with your headsets on. Don’t forget about the upper body workout, as it’s important to keep all your muscled equally engaged.
Gym Workout
As for exercising at your local gym, here’s a 3-step plan for you to target.
Depending on the results you want to achieve, you can adjust the intensity and amount of exercise accordingly. Here are three extremely efficient steps towards the perfect workout routine for this.
1. Calf Raises
You might already know this by now, but the secret behind an efficient and targeted workout for your calves will always be represented by calf raises, and plenty of them! Still, training your calves isn’t time-consuming at all. It’s enough to allot fifteen minutes per day three to five days a week to achieve visible improvements with an indoor bike.
However, it’s important to spend this time fully focused on your goal. Doing just half a calf raise won’t get you anywhere. Thus, it’s better to start off slow and increase intensity when you’re ready. When you feel a slight stretch at the bottom, that’s when you know that you rep is complete. So, keep at it until it’s just right, then start on the next one.
Doing 15 to 30 reps of each type of exercise is ideal, and you need to have at most 30 to 60 seconds of recovery between them. This rapid pace increases the efficiency of the entire workout, which means that you will build both muscle mass and endurance in no time at all.
2. Varied Approach
There are three main types of calf raises that you need to incorporate into your routine. These are, as follows:
- double-leg calf raises;
- single-leg calf raises;
- and seated calf raises.
The double-leg calf raise is the classic standing variety which uses your body weight for toning and strengthening the gastrocnemius and soleus. Using a wall for support, spread your feet at hip-width and align your hips with your knees and ankles. This protects your joints during the workout.
Raise your body upwards by pressing down into the balls of your feet. By keeping your abdomen pulled in, you will ensure that the movement is correct and completely vertical, as opposed to a back and forth wobble. To add intensity to this exercise, you can add in a dumbbell. The ideal number of reps for it is 30 during one session.
To further intensify your training, do 15 reps of single-leg calf raises for each leg. The same rules apply as for the previous workout, with the exception that you are now standing on one leg only and keeping the other one bent behind you for support.
As for the seated calf raise, this is usually performed at the gym by using the dedicated machine, but you can also pull it off in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a sturdy and firm chair. Sit on it with your feet flat on the floor and your knees aligned directly over. Lean forward and put your hands on the thigh portion above your knees, adding resistance.
Then, all you have to do is use the balls of your feet to raise on your heels as much as possible, until you feel the aforementioned stretch. Slowly lower your heels, then repeat 15 times to conclude the session. Or alternatively raise your difficulty level using a stationary bike.
Conclusion
The centerfold of this exercise plan is certainly represented by calf raises. By allotting 15 minutes for them three to five times per week and varying their style and intensity, you are bound to achieve visible results. And to sustain them, picking up a sport that works on those muscles is also recommended. By doing this, you are bound to have strong calves in no time.
