Performing calf raises while in a seated position
works the soleus muscle of the lower leg. Concentrate
on getting as good of a stretch as possible in the
bottom position and then rise up as high as you can
with the weight being predominantly over your big toe.
For many years it was thought that angling the toes
in or out while performing calf work would place more
stress on the inner or outer portion of the muscle.
New evidence suggest that it is the distance your feet
are apart that varies the area being worked. Some
lifters will vary their stance, performing some sets
with the feet close together and others with the feet
shoulder width or wider, in their quest for equal
development.
The seated calf raise is also an efficient exercise to
develop the hard to reach muscles on the front of the
shin (tibialis anterior). Shin splints is a condition
that affects many runners and while there are many
possible causes for this condition, one theory is that
it is caused by unequal development between the calf
muscles and the shin muscles.
Performing calf raises
with your heels on the platform and raising and
lowering your toes, is one way to strengthen the shin
muscles.