Having a bit of trouble with my calves. The regular running sessions are taking a toll and they’re tightening up and becoming increasingly painful. What’s the best calf muscle exercise you can do from home, without any gym equipment?
I don’t know what’s best, but I do single leg calf raises on stairs. It seems to work.
3 Likes
Is this where you stand on the ball of your foot and raise your body?
Heel dips, as well
1 Like
Are you stretching? Soccer foot behind other Achilles stretch is good. Calf pain maybe from a switch between high drop to no drop shoes and vice versa
1 Like
Yes. I also drop down a bit, to stretch and to add to the range of motion.
Eccentric calf raises
Do some (mostly) straight-legged and some with your knee bent as well so you get the gastro and soleus.!
I know you mentioned “w/o gym equipment” but the only calf work I do is jump-rope. Started in 9th grade PE class 1977, and have never stopped.
Get a lacrosse ball and massage them until you find the spot, you’ll know when you do. When you do find it, apply pressure and rotate your foot a few times in each direction, then apply a bit more pressure, and so on, it’ll loosen them up nicely.
Try shallow water plyometrics.
I found this interesting info on the soleus muscle (below calf). Turns out it provides the highest forces of all muscle for running. Fredrik provides a couple exercises to target this muscle and his other videos have helped improve my running tremendously.
1 Like
I get the tight caves when I am in my peak run training. I stretch and drink pickle juice when the calves get time. I have got leg cramps in the middle of the night in the calves on a multiple occasions when they get tight from running. calf muscle exercises don’t help with the tightness or cramps but pickle juice does. Changing the heel toe drop in your should should help too.
Aren’t calf raises concentric? A heel drop (as suggested above), e.g. on a stair, would be eccentric.
Tomayto, tomahto
Funny you mention this. I just saved this video as I was curious to give it a try. Tom Archer on Instagram: "The best calf stretch in the world from Katy Bowman. I can’t find a better one. #calfstretch #backpain #katybowman #stretch"