To make the body look fit, it is important to train not only the torso, hips and arms, but also not to forget about your lower legs. For this, exercises have been developed in which the emphasis is on the calves of the legs. The most effective load, allowing you to pump up the legs, include lifting on toes while standing. There are also other techniques that train the lower legs.
Performing such exercises in physical education, each pursues its own goal - someone seeks to pump up the calf muscles, while others plan to lose weight in these places. How can everyone achieve exactly the results for which he is engaged, and what kind of loads will lead to the goal? This issue will be considered below.
Features of the calf muscles
Usually, the tibia should not lag behind the biceps in its development. The uniqueness of this muscle group lies in their ability to rapidly recover. In addition, calves are very strong and able to work, such characteristics allow you to carry loads of varying severity. But therein lies the difficulty: because of its endurance, this muscle group is considered the most “tight” for development. To make the legs tucked up and even pumped up, you will have to show persistence.
The importance of warming up
First of all, you need to learn how to pump up the calf muscles, but so as not to harm your health. For safe workouts, every session is worth
do warm up. This simple procedure will increase blood flow, increase the elasticity of the ligaments and increase the production of synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant for the joints. In this case,
stretching exercises can serve as a warm-up
. Prepared muscles will subsequently recover faster after exertion.
Some recommendations
If you are just starting to perform physical education exercises that train the muscles of the legs, then these tips will be relevant.
- It is advisable to give a load on the calves no more than once a week, and this is usually enough. It is also better for beginners to focus on two basic exercises, and only after a while it is recommended to start isolating. For calf muscles, standing upright toes are basic.
- The muscles on the legs quickly adapt to the loads, which is why it is better to train using various methods, such as negative repetitions, supersets and others.
- The calf muscles begin to respond to training for only 13-15 reps in the approach, while the hips only need 8-10.
Exercise technique
If you want to build muscle in your legs, the easiest way to do this is in the gym, where there are special simulators. When lifting toes while standing, you must adhere to an already proven technique.
- Approaching the simulator, legs are placed on the platform so that the heel and midfoot “hang down”. Between them there should be a distance of no more than the width of the shoulders. Socks can be turned a little to the sides, if convenient, leave them parallel to each other. The back and legs should be kept straight, and the shoulders should rest against the rollers onsimulator.
- Exercise begins with lowering the heels as low as possible.
- When you inhale, breathing is held, and at this moment we quickly rise, stretching the ankle joint as high as possible. At the top, a short pause is made, while the calf muscles must tighten.
- With an exhale, the heels descend to the original.
- Do the required number of repetitions.
Nuances to consider
In order to make standing toe lifts more effective, the following aspects should be taken into account during their execution:
- To study this muscle group, you will need to perform from 3 to 5 approaches, which include 15-20 repetitions.
- It is recommended to use average weight, because if you overload yourself,it will not be possible to make a sufficient number of repetitions, and it is precisely on them that the effectiveness of the exercise depends. But even underweight will not load the muscles as needed.
- Ensure that the back does not bend, while the shoulders, pelvis and heels remain in line. Also, the head should not "nod." All movements are concentrated in the ankle region.
- Muscles will get an even greater load if the amplitude is maximum. One must strive to lower the heels as low as possible, and rise as high.
- It is important to monitor proper breathing, if you forget about it, the spine will be more difficult to keep straightened.
- In order not to damage the tendons, it is necessary to lower smoothly, and the heavier the load, the more careful the downward movement should be. Lifting up can be more powerful and even sharp, most importantly, stronger shin muscles.
- Take a short pause every time you find yourself at the highest point. Such a stop creates additional stress.
- It is not necessary to linger at the bottom, but this can be done if at the same time you are trying to stretch your muscles. You should not stop below if you train with a lot of weight.
Sitting exercise
The following technique is also considered basic and allows you to train the soleus muscle. So, the second way to pump up your calves is lifting on toes while sitting. First, you need to prepare a bar, on which we put the legs. It should be about 5 or 7 centimeters, but not lower. You will also need a barbell and a tall bench, but one that fits your height.
In the starting position you are sitting on a bench, toes are on the bar. Your partner will put the barbell on his knees. It must be firmly held so that it does not spin around the legs. Feel the calf muscles under this weight.
Rises on socks with a barbell need to be performed smoothly, and at the same time, the shins should strain. Raising your heels up, hold the movement for a moment. Get down calmly, feel how the calf muscles work. At maximum stretch, linger again for a second, then understand the weight up. Strive to exercise so that there is a burning sensation in the legs. The lifts are repeated as many times as necessary for you.
In the process of training, it is important to monitor breathing. Inhalation is done to lower, and exhale - when lifting weight.
Instead of the bar you can perform lifts on socks with dumbbells, but they also need to be held with your hands. In addition, the exercise is suitable for training on a specific simulator. Socks can be positioned in different ways, let them look inward, apart or stand in parallel.
We train at home
Unable to attend the “rocking chair”, you can train in your room. To do this, we will discuss how to pump up the calf muscles without using sports equipment. First, we need to replace the bar, which is placed under socks, with another
subject. These can be books of a good size or wooden scraps that were lying on the balcony. Next, a stable chair of a convenient size is selected, as well as a weighting material instead of a bar. As extra weight, you can use large bottles of water or boxes filled with books or tools. Having picked up equipment for exercises, you are ready to start training. Lifting on socks while sitting can be done using the technique described above.
We train thin legs
For too thin legs, you can add the following lesson to other exercises, which will help you gain the necessary muscle mass while exercising at home.
Having stood up straight and with your hands down, you need to raise your toes, remaining only on your heels. We transfer weight smoothly and stand on socks. Then this movement is repeated only on one leg, then on the other. This exercise is performed about 15 times for each approach. So do three repetitions. You can take dumbbells in your hands.
Reduce calves
Wanting to get rid of large shafts, you can perform home exercises for weight loss . If you comprehensively approach this problem, gradually the calf volume will decrease, and the body will look more taut. An important condition remains the regularity of classes, which is not recommended to be missed.
- Jumping rope is an effective way to pull your calves and legs intowhole. For exercise, you need to jump on both legs for 15 minutes. After the time has elapsed, the jumps continue first on one, then on the other foot for another five minutes.
- Next, you need an ordinary chair with a back so that you can lean on it. Approaching the inventory, we place the feet in parallel. Pull one leg forward, trying to pull the sock as far as possible, after which a sharp swing back. The system is repeated for the second leg. During the lesson, you need to focus on keeping the calves tense. A good workout requires approximately forty repetitions.
- This exercise is usually performed by ballerinas, but they are famous for their slender legs. It is better to perform the following actions near the wall, so that it is easier to maintain balance. The back is flat, the feet are parallel to the shoulders. Squats start 20 times. The foot should stand firmly on the floor. During the next 20 squats, while bending the knees, the legs are lifted to the toes.
- Ankle rotation. For the exercise you need to become straight. In order not to interfere with the hands, we remove them to the belt. We withdraw and raise the leg forward. In the air, draw a medium-sized circle 20 times with your fingertips. There are three approaches for each leg.
How to finish the workout correctly
Having completed the exercises for weight loss calves , it is important to conduct a small stretch. This helps lunges, which can be done as follows. The foot takes a deep step, the palms rest on the knee, and the leg left behind should feel a stretch in the lower leg. In this state, a small delay is made. We return to the original position, the action is repeated for the other leg. So you can follow a few steps.
Also home exercises for legs
allow after a workout to do a small massage of the legs. Having finished massaging the eggs, we proceed to rub them with a simple dry towel. Such a simple action will improve blood flow, which will beneficially affect muscle tissue.
Useful Tips
In addition to exercises that allow you to make calves smaller, it’s nice to listen to the tips that experienced athletes give.
- If you play sports in equipped halls and at the same time strive for more slim and toned legs, it would be better not to give them a lot of work. Pumped eggs look three-dimensional.
- In order to reduce the tibia in volume, it is better to pay special attention to their stretching. Such a result is given by sports such as Pilates, gymnastics or yoga.
- Aerobic exercise and jumping rope will also help to correct the calf muscles.
- Also, home exercises for losing weight in the legs will be more effective if you control the diet. It is not necessary to resort to radical changes in the diet, but it is advisable to adjust your habits. You need to think through the menu for the day to make it balanced, and also not allow yourself to eat at night.
- The main rule is to strive for regularity and to observe the correct technique when doing exercises. Following this advice, after a month you can notice a change for the better.