Do you want impressive calves? Follow scientific fitness guidelines to develop your triceps surae

What is the calf?… The triceps surae

The triceps surae or calf is a muscle group that is made up of three muscles; the twins or lateral and medial gastrocnemius (which are the highest part of your calf and most prominent visually) and finally the soleus that is located under the twins. The main function of these muscles is plantar flexion, the balance of your ankle and participation in knee flexion.

How should I efficiently train my calves?

Well, first we are going to need to distribute the training volume efficiently where for beginners we recommend doing 6 weekly series as a minimum volume to a maximum of 9 weekly series, while for advanced people we could have a minimum of 10 weekly series and 14 series maximum recoverable volume (Schoenfeld, 2022). The next thing we need to bake our huge calves is the selection of exercises, remember that to work the gastrocnemius we are going to need to work with the knees extended and for the soleus work, where the gastrocnemius are not going to participate, we are going to work with the knees in flexion , for example, sitting on the sewing machine.

Where is the secret to calf development?

The secret is to understand that since we are so accustomed to the stimulation of the plantar reflex of our foot in the simple act of walking, we need to train the calf as a priority. If we want them to look good, it will be decisive to leave them at the beginning of our training and not at the end. of your training when fatigue has accumulated (Marchante, 2022). He also remembers that you should train them at least 2-3 times a week using the full spectrum of reps; from 6 to 15 repetitions , heavy enough to notice the stimulus , allowing us to generate a maximum contraction in the concentric/eccentric phase, close to failure and progress over time They will be key and decisive factors that will make the difference in good development.

Is time under tension important for my calf development?

The time of each phase when performing both flexion and extension exercises will also be a decisive factor. For example, some authors such as (Thibaudeau, 2007) suggest avoiding momentum (which is the physical capacity that a tissue has). soft to bounce, in simple words) and hold for 1 to 2 seconds in each phase , the above means that you should pause both at the top of the exercise and at the bottom to maximize the gains of this muscle.

Keys that you should not forget about the triceps surae:

• Genetics is decisive, yes, but remember gene is not destiny, therefore prioritize your triceps surae, do not leave it at the end of your training, think about the fact that if your biceps or your shoulders have been able to develop it is because you have paid attention to them. So try to give it your attention if it is a muscle group that you consider to be lagging behind.
• Train with both options, both knee flexion and extension (Remember to keep your leg really extended) to get the maximum benefit from both movements.
• Some athletes respond better to high repetitions and others to low repetitions, here the important thing is to review what works for you or what you tend to feel most comfortable with and what you are progressing better with, but it is important that you prioritize technique, train with good loads, close to or reaching failure and progress over time either in repetitions, series or kilos of the exercise.
• Some authors such as (Helms,2023) have identified that training in both partial and full ranges in total knee flexion has similar benefits. Here we recommend a session with full ranges of motion and another session where you stimulate from a partial range to the top of motion.
• Do not bounce, control both phases of movement and squeeze your calves to the maximum, remember mind-muscle connection.
• If you would like to improve your triceps surae at home, I highly recommend this video to complement your knowledge about this complicated but interesting muscle group.