Q: What are the best exercises for women over 55 to do for the calf muscles? Mine seem to have suddenly turned to flab.
– Charlotte Miller,
Lancaster, Pa.
A: If you dig up early pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger posing outdoors, he is often standing calf-high in water. Why? Because he was not satisfied with the development of his calf muscles. He remedied this through excruciating, rigorous and dedicated training.
Because we use them every day during our most basic life activities (walking, running, sitting and standing), calf muscles are notoriously stubborn when it comes to change and, therefore, need to be challenged. Fortunately, they can handle tough training.
The calf muscles make up two primary groups: the gastrocnemius (the heart-shaped muscles that give the calves their shape) and the soleus (a wide, flat muscle that lies beneath it). These muscles come into play anytime we point or push from our toes. (The soleus muscle contracts only when the leg is bent by at least 30 degrees.) Therefore, all of the most effective calf exercises will involve lifting and lowering the heels up from the ground by pushing from the ball of the foot.
The easiest calf exercise can be done anywhere simply by repeatedly standing on tippy toes. Just lift your heels and repeatedly, but briefly, balance on the ball of the foot to flex the calf muscles. More intense calf-muscle exercises will involve the use of weights and specifically designed machines.
The most popular and common exercises are performed from either a standing or seated position. Many fitness facilities have machines designed to allow you to select light to heavyweight resistance from stacks built into them.
With the machine, you stand under shoulder pads on a narrow step and perform the same tippy-toes exercise with greater intensity by adding various weight loads. Similar machines are operated from a sitting position with the weight born by the knees instead of the shoulders. The seated machines keep the legs at a 90-degree angle, which means the soleus muscle is the primary muscle worked; the larger gastrocnemius muscle is secondary. If machine aren’t accessible or available, place weights on the thighs for a seated exercise or hold weights with your hands for a standing exercise.
When working with the standing machine, the legs should remain straight without bent knees. Lower the heels for a second to stretch the muscle, then push up as high as you can to the tippy-toes position. Hold this for a second and repeat. Start with lighter weights and 15 or more repetitions per set for three sets. Increase both weight and repetitions as you improve your strength. Full range of motion for both the stretch and flex of the muscle is the key.
Send questions to Body Language, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202, or e-mail Linda at LJBalance@aol.com.
