07/09/2020
𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃 - 𝐀 - 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐅
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Follow for daily fitness/nutrition tips!📚
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Lets dive into building a calf, just like any other muscle group they all take time. Even if the calf can be a stubborn body part for most.
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The calf is made up of two muscle groups the gastrocnemius and soleus. They can be broken down a bit further into other muscle groups but for simplistic sake the one that everyone cares about is the gastrocnemius (used for running and jump) and the soleus lies beneath the gastrocnemius (used for standing and walking).
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What makes the difference in targeting the two different muscle groups is whether the leg is in a straight position and our knees being in a bent position.
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When the knee is bent, as when doing seated calf raises, the gastroc is unable to fully stretch and, therefore, unable to strongly contract. In these bent-leg movements, only the soleus is targeted. When the leg is fully straightened, however, the gastroc is brought back into the action. Straight-legged calf exercises like the standing calf raise and donkey calf raise work both the gastroc and soleus.
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Also don't forget about working the angles on your calf raise, by having your foot position inward you can target more of the inner portion of the calf while having them outward will target more outside area of the calf muscle.
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Hope this helps!
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