It’s important to ensure that your lower legs are as strong as they should be before you start trying to lift heavier weights during your workouts. If your legs aren’t strong, then chances are pretty good that they won’t be able to support the weight you’re lifting for very long. Lifting weights has to be an all-body experience in many cases, especially when you’re standing in place and lifting a barbell with a lot of weight on it. The force of the weight transfers down through your arms and torso and ends up being supported by your lower leg muscles – your calves.

It’s also important to have strong abdominal and lower back muscles to aid in balance and positioning while working out, but it’s the lower legs that get all the force when you’re standing there with a heavy barbell full of weights. Some of the exercises will seem simple and you may already be using some of the others in your workout routines. The main thing to remember is that it’s important to take the time to develop your lower leg muscles while you’re developing other areas during your workout routines. The following exercise will help you to develop stronger muscles in your calves which will allow you to have a better and safer workout when you’re on your feet and trying to support a lot of weight. Standing Calf Raise This exercise is an especially good one for those of you who do a lot of running, whether on its own or during other sports. It works to help extend the ankle and calf muscles and adds flexibility to your lower leg areas. Many exercise routines seem to neglect the calf muscles in favor of working on the larger thigh muscles, but this will have a detrimental effect on an athlete’s ability to develop propulsive force for running and being able to change muscle positioning on the fly during high-agility sports. Start this exercise by standing at a workout isokinetic machine specifically set up for these exercises (such as at the gym) with a suitable weight chosen. Take hold of the grips, which are at shoulder height and remember to keep your elbows flexed. With your feet facing forwards and not spread to the sides, slowly contract your calf muscles and rise up onto your toes, extending your calf muscles as much as you comfortably can. Keep your eyes focused ahead and your back as straight as possible while performing this exercise. This exercise should be performed with your toes at the edge of a footplate that will allow your heel to lower past the level of your toes when you come down from your rising up. This will work the calf muscle over a greater range of movement during the exercise. Never force this position however if it causes you pain. For best results, raise and hold to a count of one and lower to a count of three, maintaining a slow and even movement throughout this exercise. A good workout session consists of four ten rep sets, with ninety seconds of muscle rest between sets. In order to balance muscle growth the upper portion of the legs must be worked. Often referred to as the power house of the body the upper legs can significantly help increase your body mass. Check out some power upper leg exercises here.