This tip
is a bit of a change of pace... no pictures...no video (this
one would be tough to show in a picture or video but is pretty
easy to explain).
If you're
looking to really build your calves, this one little piece
of advice will help TREMENDOUSLY. Yet you rarely, if ever,
see anybody mention this when you get instructions on calf
exercises.
So what
is this advice? It's a simple thing...when you do a calf raise
exercise and you're coming to the top of the movement, be
sure to COME UP ON THE BIG TOE KNUCKLES (on the bottoms of
your feet, of course).
This activates
the gastrocnemius (calf muscles) muscle bellies strongly.
The difference contraction and fiber activation will surprise
you!
Next time
you do calf raises, don't use this technique and just do them
as you regularly do them. Notice how your feet move as you
come. Chances are, as you do the calf raise, your feet roll
to the OUTSIDE.
This is
typical because this is the path of least resistance for the
biomechanics of your calves. If you look at how your feet
are shaped, the big toe is longest and furthest up. As you
move towards the outside of your feet, your toe knuckles slope
"downwards". Naturally, your feet will roll to this
side unless you force them not to.
This doesn't
need a picture because you can look down at your own foot
and see this sloping!
I want
you to stand up and try this right now doing just a bodyweight
calf raise on both feet just on the floor - you'll feel the
difference.
When you're
doing the regular calf raise, the body naturally wants to
follow that path of least resistance and will roll towards
the outside. Do a few reps of this, just letting your body
take the natural path when doing the calf raise. Look down
at your feet as you do it - you'll see even though your toes
are all pointing straight forward, the downward slope of your
toe knuckles make your ankles roll out to the sides.
Granted,
you can still get a LOT of tension on the calves even when
you roll out like this. And you can build good calves this
way.
Now to
use the big toe technique. (when you use this in training,
lighten the weight up so you get the form exactly right).
Now, when you come up, try to put ALL the pressure on the
big toe knuckles of your feet and push down hard with the
big toes.
Your goal
here is to try and put as much tension as possible on the
big toes rather than letting your feet roll out to the outside
as is the tendency. In fact, I want you to place NO tension
on the rest of your toe knuckles other than those big toes
as you come!
Come up
and squeeze hard. Feel the difference? MAJOR contraction in
the calves. Now imagine adding weight to this technique!
This is
the secret to getting those beautiful, just UGLY looking calves
that really stand out and mark you as a serious trainer! I
don't know about you, but my goal with my calves has always
been to have regular "non-training" people go "eww"
when they see them. :) That's when I'll know I've reached
my goal.
Honestly,
this big toe thing is one of the reasons ballet dancers get
such great calves. They dance on point, which is basically
on the big toes. The other toe knuckles don't play as big
a role.
So give
this technique a try in your next calf workout. Lighten the
weight and come up on your big toe knuckles. It'll make a
BIG difference!
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