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 up. 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!
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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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