The Full-Range Calf Raise
by Nick Nilsson, C.P.T.
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The standing calf-raise machine is taken. So is the seated one. Oh yeah, and the leg press is also occupied (so you can't do calf work there-bouncing 30 sloppy reps off your toes). Too bad, you say-might as well go home now, right? Wrong. Not when you can get a great calf workout without any equipment at all.
HOW TO DO IT
Stand on one foot, balancing on a stair, box, or step, as if you were about to do a single-leg calf raise. Lower your heel until your calf is stretched, then, holding on to something for support, bend over at the waist as if you were trying to touch your toe [1]. Staying in the bentover position, perform a calf raise [2], then use the support you're holding to help "walk" your body back upright. Now use the support to help you contract your calf harder, coming up as high onto the ball of your foot as possible [3]. Hold the position for a few seconds, squeezing your calf hard. That's one rep. Perform three sets of four to six reps on each leg, resting 60 seconds between sets.
Aptly named the full-range calf raise, this move takes your calves through their entire range of motion, alternating a full stretch with a full contraction while keeping constant tension on them. With only a few reps, your calves will be pumped and hard, proving once again that the only machine you need is yourself.
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