Legs 18 Jun 2007 11:48 pm
June 19, 2007 (Posting #62) - Calf Raises
This week I want to answer some of the fitness and nutrition questions that I have received recently. Please continue to post your questions and comments; and I will get back to you.
Question:
How can I work my calf muscles?
Answer part 1:
The standard calf raise is excellent for working your calves and simple to do: stand with your feet no more than about 9 inches apart and raise yourself to the balls of your feet. You should feel your calves doing the work to move your body up and down. As you come down, do not let your heels touch the ground; keep them no less than about 1/2 inch (13 mm) above the ground. By doing so, you keep tension on your calf muscles forcing them to work harder. To add variety to this exercise and to focus on different parts of the muscle, adjust the position of your feet.
To focus on the inside of your calves, put your heels together (or up to 2 inches/5 cm apart) and point your toes outward so that your feet form about a 90 degree angle. Now do your calf raises. If you spread your feet too wide, you might loose your balance.
To focus on the outside of your calves, reverse the position of your feet by putting you toes together (or up to 2 inches/5 cm apart) forming about a 90 degree angle with your feet. Now do your calf raises.
As always, stretch and warm-up before you exercise. Rememer to drink pleny of water.
Answer part 2:
DO SOMETHIN’!
on 19 Jun 2007 at 7:48 am 1.savie said …
thanks martin!
on 19 Jun 2007 at 8:14 pm 2.Chris said …
Very nice, I didn’t know that you could adjust your feet to work different parts of your calves *slaps forehead*
Very nice, I have bookmarked you; thanks for your dedication Martin, and happy late b-day.
on 19 Jun 2007 at 10:09 pm 3.Martin said …
Hello Savie,
you are welcome! Hope the exercise works for you. Take care.
Martin
on 19 Jun 2007 at 10:13 pm 4.Martin said …
Hello Chris,
glad that you like the posting. thanks for bookmarking my blog and for the birthday wishes! Take care.
Martin
on 22 Jun 2007 at 8:19 am 5.Gavin said …
Nice one martin!very help full! just wondering would this workout improve my jumping?and what exercise would i do to improve my running???
on 23 Jun 2007 at 3:43 pm 6.Martin said …
Thanks Gavin!
Yes, strengthening your calves will help with your jumping ability. Some other exercises that you mighte want to consider to improve your jumping (if you are not doing these already) are jump rope, jumping squats, lunges and calf raises. I have posts on jumping squats and lunges under the legs section if you haven’t seen these already.
What aspect of your running are you looking to improve? In general, if you want to improve your running, there are different kinds of track/running workouts you can do and you should go for some longer runs as well. Weight training can also help. Once you give me more specifics on what you are looking to improve, I’ll give you more specific suggestions.
Take care.
Martin
on 23 Jun 2007 at 7:21 pm 7.Gavin said …
Thanks for them help full exercises on jumping.
I think the biggest part of running i would like to work on would be my sprinting and power because i play a lot of football.
How often should i do Weight training and when im working with Weights should i do the workouts slow or fast?
I drink a lot of water but im not to sure what foods i should be eating for proper energy?
Thanks
Gavin
on 26 Jun 2007 at 12:06 am 8.Martin said …
Hello Gavin,
one of the best ways to improve your sprinting is to do a lot of sprints. If you can get to a track, do an interval work out where you do 4 x 50m sprints, 4 x 100m sprints and 2 x 150m sprints. The idea is to repeat several sprints of varying distances and allow about 2 minutes rest in between each sprint; during this time, stay loose and stretch if you feel the need. Make sure to get in a good stretch and warm-up jog before you hit the track so that your muscles will be ready for a hard workout. If you need suggestions on other sprint workouts, let me know.
Sprints will help you improve your ability to accelerate and make quick movements. As for power, the weight training will help there. See my leg exercises and leg routine for tips on how to develop more poweful legs. Some of the key power buidling exercises for football players are squats, bench press, power cleans. If you can’t get to a bench for bench press, push-up will make a decent substitute. If you are not familar with power cleans, I can shoot a video to show you how to do them; let me know.
Since this is the offseason for football, now is a good time to hit the weights hard. Aim for at least 3 times/week but not more than 5 times/week. You don’t want to overtrain and risk an injury. I am a fan of medium to slow pace weight training because the muscle does more work by being forced to expend more energy to control the weight. Fast movements can lead to injury especially if one is doing heavy weight or has improper form while moving fast.
The body’s prefered energy source is carbohydrates. But for proper nutrition, you need a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and good fats (like omega-3 fatty acids). If you count calories, 45% of your calories should come from carbs, 35% from protein and 20 % from fat. If you are not a counter, think of having some carbs and protein at each meal with minimal fat. Please see my posts on nutrition for more details and examples of what kind of foods to eat for good sources of carbs, protein and fat.
If you have further questions, let me know. I wish you well with your training.
Martin
on 27 Jun 2007 at 8:40 am 9.Gavin said …
Thanks Martin!
How long have you this site up?
Because its really good for info on Fitness and Nutrition!fair play to ye!
Im 17 and don’t want to over do my weights!because i hear you shouldnt do weights to young!
yes if its not to much trouble it would be great if you could put up a video of power cleans!
Thanks
Gavin
on 27 Jun 2007 at 5:16 pm 10.ChrisH said …
Hey Martin,
I would also appreciate any posts of yours which can improve our running ability.
I also wonder if you know of any running exercises which may increase your running speed, I have heard that ‘Hill Running’ can increase your running speed but I don’t know whether that is an exercise myth.
Thanks again, keep up the good work.
ChrisH
P.S DO SOMETHIN’! haha
on 29 Jun 2007 at 7:33 am 11.Martin said …
Hello Gavin,
glad to hear that you find my blog useful and I respect your choice to monitor your weight lifting.
I’ve been doing this for about 3.5 months and it’s been nothing but fun.
Ok, I’ll work on that power clean video.
Thanks.
Martin
on 30 Jun 2007 at 6:23 pm 12.Gilbert said …
Hi, As you may already know, my name is Gilbert. I am 14. This is my first time posting. If I may say, I love what you have done and what you are doing to help others with their fitness. I looked at your profile and I was surprised because I also ran track. I also value your commitment to push your body to it’s limits. Well, The reason I am contacting you, is because I would very deeply appreciate it, if you could post more oblique exercises and love-handle toning videos. I have been focusing on these annoying love handles that never seem to disappear. So, I’m looking forward to your reply. Well, That’s about it. T’ill next time. Thanks for your time.
on 01 Jul 2007 at 6:59 am 13.Martin said …
Hello Chris,
I’ll see what I can do for posts on running. In the mean time, one of the best ways to improve your speed is to do a lot of sprints. If you can get to a track, do an interval work out where you do 4 x 50m sprints, 4 x 100m sprints and 2 x 150m sprints. You can also do repeat 40 yd sprints (or 40 meter sprints, only about 10 ft long/305cm longer than 40 yd). The idea is to repeat several sprints of varying distances and allow about 2 minutes rest in between each sprint; during this time, stay loose (jog) and stretch if you feel the need. Make sure to get in a good stretch and warmup jog before you hit the track so that your muscles will be ready for a hard workout.
Yes, hill running is another way to develop speed. Find a steep hill and do repeat sprints up the hill. Use the walk back down as part of your rest between sprints.
Resistance training is also great for developing speed. Go to a swimming pool and try to run in the water. This will be very challenging but it is good training for your muscle and for practing your running form.
Yes, that’s right: DO SOMETHIN’!
Thanks. Take care.
Martin
on 01 Jul 2007 at 11:04 pm 14.Martin said …
Hello Gilbert,
always a pleasure to talk with a fellow track & field athlete and thanks for your kind words. What was your event?
I hear your requests and I’ll work on it. In addition to the oblique exercises that you currently do, keep in mind that your cardio and abdominal exercise also burn fat.
If you don’t mind me asking, what are your eating habits like? Nutrition might be an area you might want to consider as well to help make improvements if you have not already.
Take care.
Martin
on 02 Jul 2007 at 11:12 am 15.Gilbert said …
Well, to begin with, I want to thank you for taking the time to acknowledge my requests. I knew I could count on you. Oh, I ran track in 4th grade while I was a Midget. I ran the 100 meter dash in 13 and the 200 meter in 20 or 21 seconds. But I’m still faster now though. Oh yes, Nutrition… Well, I’m not going to lie.. My eating habits are not the best. I eat when I’m bored but then I exercise to burn (some) fat. I Usually eat whatever my family cooks. Whether its fatty steaks or healthy food. I weigh about 160 pounds. But it all seems fair because I’m muscular and plus I’m 5′7. Well, Looking forward to those videos. Thanks for your time once again.
on 02 Jul 2007 at 11:32 pm 16.Martin said …
Hello Gilbert,
sounds like you are quite a runner. With times like that, I hope you are still running.
Nutrition plays a critical role in your health and body composition. Please see my posts on nutrition for some perspective on what types of foods are best for you.
Thanks.
Martin
on 03 Jul 2007 at 9:38 am 17.Gilbert said …
Wow! Thanks for the posts. I heard poeople talking about how nutrition affects your body, but I never believed them. But, now that I heard it from you, I know it’s true. Well, thanks for the post, but let’s not forget the prior reason for me contacting you. I was still wondering - what’s the status of the oblique videos please? While watching my dietary input I think it would also be wise to do new exercises at the same time for more effective results. Well, Thanks!
on 03 Jul 2007 at 4:47 pm 18.Martin said …
Hello Gilbert,
glad that you found the post useful.
No worries; I haven’t forgotten your request. In honor of the 4th of July, I will not be posting any exercises for tomorow. So Thursday’s post will be an exercise to work the obliques.
Good luck with your nutrition and training.
Martin
on 03 Jul 2007 at 9:32 pm 19.Gilbert said …
Alright, I understand. I was just checking because I wasn’t sure. Thanks. Looking forward to it.
on 05 Jul 2007 at 7:57 am 20.Martin said …
Hey Gilbert,
the post for the oblique exercise is available. Let me know how it works for you after you view the video and try the exercise.
Take care.
Martin
on 05 Jul 2007 at 1:44 pm 21.Gilbert said …
Thanks! The trunk Twist proves for an effective stretch. Have you heard of the Ab Louge? Its a lean,mean, Ab-oblique toning machine. I just got one. Well It’s treating me well. Thanks sooooooooo much! You have been more help than you know. If there were more peole devoted to helping others like you, the world would be a better place. Thanks again and I’ll keep in touch.
on 05 Jul 2007 at 4:25 pm 22.Martin said …
Hello Gilbert,
thanks for the kind words, just trying to DO SOMETHIN’!
About the standing trunk twists, think of it as a hybrid movement: a stretch and an exercise at the same time. As your rotate to the left, your oblique and intercostal muscles on your right side are working to move your torso while your oblique and intercostal muscles on the leftt are being stretched. Then as you rotate to your right, the oblique and intercostals on the left are working to move your torso while those on the right are being stretched.
Enjoy.
Martin
on 07 Jul 2007 at 6:00 pm 23.Gilbert said …
Once Again, Thanks for everything.
on 03 Jan 2008 at 8:52 pm 24.Chris Flores said …
WOW!
I just tried these out and got the burning of my life!
I loved it!
I had no idea such a simple-looking routine could have such an effect.
It was also very hard to keep my own balance, especially that last variation with the fronts touching, I looked so drunk doing that stuff, but it felt well worth it.
I’m definitely gonna keep this in the arsenal.
Ya know, Martin, I’m really surprised you don’t have a blooper real of yourself on at least one of these exercises.
on 05 Jan 2008 at 2:31 pm 25.Martin said …
Hello Chris,
Glad that you liked the calf raises. When it comes to exercising, I am a fan of simple routines that are effective.
Actually, I’ve had some videos in the past that would have made a great blooper real; but I have deleted them. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll keep it in mind.
DO SOMETHIN’!
Martin
on 05 Jan 2008 at 8:22 pm 26.Chris Flores said …
Hey, sorry about the language, I was just really in a good mood, my bad, Martin, won’t happen again.
I’m also a fan of simple routines.
Well, you did say this website is for one reason only, and I don’t think bloopers is apart of that, but my question was answered.
on 06 Jan 2008 at 3:36 pm 27.Martin said …
No big deal. I appreciate the excitement.
I wish you well with your training. Drop me a line if you have any questions or suggestions.
Take care.
Martin