ESSENCE OF CALF FLEXIBILITY

Could you recall the last time you tried catching up with a bus to your workplace running for minutes, or the day you resumed your football exercise after a long time break? The soreness that you felt could be so much that even doing basic things would be problematic. Were you wobbly down your body part for some moment, rendering you inclined to the nearby surface? If you really felt fatigue in your legs, it's certain you've been skipping the calf exercises. No doubt!
What are your Calves like?
Take a look at this. Bend your back a bit and look at the hind of your lower leg just below the knee, there sits a chunk of flesh and muscle. That's it! Tell me, is it jacked up or sagging like a forlorn puppy?
Your calves contain two muscles which are the “soleus” and the “gastrocnemius”. They aid your dexterity in motions. Defection in both muscles affects, negetively, your leg stamina. See the difference. The gastrocnemius is the projected muscle you see on someone’s calves, thick and jacked up, if well developed. The soleus, however, is inward, deeply seated below the gastrocnemius.
A jacked-up calf muscle move you up toward any direction swiftly and aid your explosiveness. By explosiveness, it is the ability to produce maximum force in minimal time. Imagine being able to simultaneously sprint, bounce, jump, ride, hop, leap, bend, kick, even catch your dropping cell phone and etcetera in a single move without exhaustion. What makes you do a hard-leg workout without having a sore calf afterward is a healthy, strong calf. “A good education is usually harmful to a dancer. A good calf is better than a good head.”, Agnes de Miller, an American dancer and choreographer, says. I seem that sounds pretty interesting to you? Here are some of the calf muscle exercises;
1. Standing Plate Weight Raise
2. Pulse Raise
3. Seated Calf Raises
4. Single Leg Seated Calf Raise
5. Jump Rope
6. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise
7. Calf Raise
8. Standing Wall Calf Stretch
9. Downward Dog
10. Calf Rolling On A Foam Roller

Benefits of Having a Strong Calf?
At first, muscle cramps often occur as a result of overuse, and fatigue of your muscle. For example, if you start a new exercise regimen, or increase your exercises and actively involve the legs, the muscle can be strained. Exercises like biking, leaping, swimming, running, and powerlifting are usually exhausting for a starter. At times, it might not even come due to exhaustion but nature. To fight against this challenges (spasms) consider the below.
Did you know that there are many ways you can actually build a strong calf in the gym? No less, all the methods are intended to build your gastrocnemius and soleus. Cody Braun, a fitness specialist at Openfit, adds, “the two main muscles you’re trying to build when doing calf exercises are the soleus and the gastrocnemius,”. Is that okay? Strong calves don’t give you only physical appearance like an athlete, but also crucial in gaining power and explosiveness. Your calf muscles help propel you forward and up in explosive movements (Braun). This makes them very useful for plyometrics, and other activities that need leg impulse or foot propulsive force upon landing, like running, sprinting, kicking, riding and sport activities.
Did you know that tight calf muscles can restrain your ankle mobility and potentially render the shin splints or Achilles tendonitis injured? Usually, if you've ever had an extra-hard leg workout, or get your feet cramped up in new pair of shoes, no need to talk about what the aftermath looks like. So, it’s essential to train your calves to have flexibility in movement.
“Daily calf stretching is a good habit to get into for greater calf extensibility, which will help with ankle mobility and more complex leg exercises, such as the squat.” Kelley says. Did you ever attempt doing waited squats but failed at intervals? Perhaps, you once tried attempt a cardio but left with a muscular seizure in the legs? Calf exercises can help you exert your lower body performance extensively. No doubt, it's the only remedy to this ailment.
Calf raises are good for your joints. Mostly, people report aching knees, joint pains, especially after being engaged in a set of burpee. And, guess what? Your weak calves are the main cause for this. Kelley, C.S.C.S., ACT,  says, the gastrocnemius assists acceleration, explosive speed, power lifting and jumping, while the soleus eases mobility endurance. For those with arthritis, when you jump up and lands at any point, it can impact your knee joints badly, especially if you don't land properly. The same is applicable to running on a treadmill. Doing calf raises, no less, rectifies this. A study published in PM & R: The Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation argues that “calf exercises can make your joints work like a well-oiled machine.”. Because, it allows rapid flow of blood vessels
Finally, you would agree with me that an athlete sustains himself with his feet. No man with a weak joint is welcome in this sport. Runners, if you are passionate about running, then do calf raises. It will fix you up. You know, follow your passion. How light you are on your feet, how long your strides are, and how your foot lands on the ground–all these things are critical to your career.
It doesn't really matter whether or not your calf muscles are massive, jacked or projected. It could be flat with subtle strength. The visibility is determined by your genetics.

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1. Standing Plate Weight Raise
i. Stand upright holding two dumbbells by your sides.
ii. Place your feet balls on a weight plate with your heels touching the floor.
iii. With your toes pointing ahead, raise your heels off the floor and contract your calves.
iv. Slowly return to the starting position.
v. And, go over it.

2. Pulse Raise
i. Stand astride with your shoulder apart.
ii. Keep your upper body part leaned forward and prevent your knees from bending, keep your gaze downward of you.
iii. Lower your hips, and let your thighs align with the ground.
iv. Squeeze your glutes, and press your heels to gain stamina.
v. While rising up, raise your tiptoes and flex the calf muscles
vi. Try squatting slowly.
vii. You should never be on your toes while performing a squat.

3. Seated Calf Raises
i. Sit up in your chair,
ii. Let your feet and hip be wide apart.
iii. Bring your feet backward, so your heels are behind your knees.
iv. From this position, elevate your heels from the floor, coming up on your toes.
v. Hold, and gently lower your heels back down.
vi. Repeat these steps over.

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4. Single Leg Seated Calf Raise
i. While in a chair, let your leg be stretched straight before you. 
ii. Sit up straight.
iii. Place a towel or belt around your foot's ball and hold the towel's both ends.
iv. Pull the towards till your ankle and toes stretch in your calves
v. Repeat for the desired times.

5. Jump Rope
i. Hold the handles of a jump rope , jump with both feet as you spin the rope under you and over your head.
ii. Keep your core engaged and your shoulders lowered.
iii. Repeat for the desired times.

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6. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise
i. Stand against the wall with your left foot.
ii. Let only your left foot's ball be on the ground raising four heel.
iii. Hook your right ankle around your left ankle.
iv. Slowly let the heel drop, and raise the heel up.
v. Pause, and then slowly lower the heel down.
vi. Repeat this movements for desired times.

7. Calf Raise
i. Get your foot's balls on a block or step.
ii. Keep the balls of your feet on the edge of the block/step.
iii. Raise your feet steadily as far as possible then pause and squeeze for a count of 1-2 at the top of the move.
iv. Avoid stopping while at the bottom of the move.
v. Once your heel is down, start the next repeat.
vi. Let the heel drop slowly, and then raising it as high as possible.
vii. If you allow the balls of your feet to come in more, the exercise becomes easier.
viii. Don't allow your knees to bend.

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8. Standing Wall Calf Stretch
i. Stand before a wall
ii. Put a foot forward on the wall, such that the heal seats on the ground and the ball against the wall.
iii. Then, incline your hands on the wall gently, straighten your front leg
iv. Tilt forward till you feel a stretch in your calf.
v. Switch legs and repeat.

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9. Downward Dog
i. While on mat, push into your hands, spreading fingers wide, tuck your toes, then lift your knees as you lift your hips up.
ii. Apply balance to your legs until you form a triangle shape with the mat.
iii. Keep the glute strong and engaged as you lengthen the spine, keeping the hips as high as you can.
iv. Press the heels to the floor to fully stretch the calves.

10. Calf Rolling On A Foam Roller
i. While on the floor, put the foam roller under your right ankle.
ii. Keep your foot flexed, and the toes pointing upward.
iii. Overlap your left ankle on the right.
iv. Now, press your hands on either side of your hips.
v. Lift your hips and slowly roll your lower leg over the roller from the ankle to the knee.
vi. After a couple of rolls up, switch legs and rotate to target the inside of the calf.

Important to mention, again, is the need to have a workout routine, diet, and recovery plan. They help you build stronger, more athletic calves and stamina.
Now that you know the essence of calf muscle exercises, get on your toes, and let it begin!