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Many of you know the few “common” exercises for
calves and hamstrings all too well. If you train your calves
and hamstrings regularly, give some of these forgotten exercises
a try, they may be just the ticket to shock these stubborn
muscles groups into new growth. If you’ve been neglecting
these bodyparts, these exercises are a great way to incorporate
some unique, effective movements in your leg training. The
results you’ll see in balance and symmetry will make
you glad you did.
First, lets talk sets and reps. In many people, the calves
and hamstrings are primarily composed of slow-twitch muscle
fibers, which in my experience respond best to higher rep
range, somewhere between 15 and 20. Depending on your training
experience, choose anywhere from 2-4 exercises for each bodypart
and perform 2-4 sets per exercise. Always use a very controlled,
slow tempo and fully contract the muscle on every rep. You
must also properly warm up and after each movement
FORGOTTEN CALF EXERCISES
Leg-Press Calf Raise
This movement is an effective mass-builder because heavy weight
can be used. The exercise also eliminates the risk of neck
or back injuries that could occur with the traditional standing
calf raises with weight on your shoulders.
• Position yourself as you normally would in the leg-press
machine.
• Place only the balls of your feet on the foot plate.
• Keep the safety racks in place throughout the exercise
to prevent an injury should your feet slip off the foot plate.
(Some machines may not allow you to do so; if that’s
the case, have someone spot you.)
• Begin the exercise by pushing against the weight until
your legs are straight, but not locked. From this start position,
extend your feet and push against the weight with your toes
until you reach a peak contraction in your calf muscles.
• After a brief pause at the top, slowly return to the
starting position and allow for a good stretch.
Standing One-Legged Calf Raise With Dumbbell
If you rely too heavily on bilateral movements (using both
sides of the body at the same time), a lagging bodypart may
never catch up because of the overcompensation of the stronger
side. Incorporate unilateral (one-sided) movements to eliminate
this problem plus increase your focus and concentration on
one muscle rather than splitting your focus between two.
• Stand on one foot on a calf-raise block. Cross your
opposite foot behind your working foot at the ankle.
• With one hand, grasp a stationary object for support;
with the other, grasp a moderate-weight dumbbell for extra
resistance (if necessary).
• Slowly relax your ankle until you feel a stretch in
your calf muscle, then rise up on your toes until you feel
a peak contraction in your calf. Do reps, and then switch
sides.
Donkey Call Raise
Before a machine or apparatus existed for every single exercise
known to man, calf exercises were performed with a partner
to add extra resistance. The original donkey calf raise is
very effective for working the calves in a stretched position.
If you saw the movie “Pumping Iron,” you couldn’t
have missed Arnold Schwarzenegger doing donkey calf raises
with two women on his back. Now, I can’t promise that
you can get two women on your back every time you try this
exercise, but hey, it never hurts to ask.
• Place only the balls of both feet on the calf-raise
block.
• Lean forward at your hips to a 90-degree angle onto
a flat bench or any convenient object. Have a partner straddle
your hips for extra resistance.
• Lower your heels by relaxing your calves. After you
feel a frill stretch, rise up on your toes and flex your calves
until you feel a full contraction.
• For even more resistance, have your partner hold a
weight plate or dumbbells in each hand.
Squatting Calf Raise
You probably do concentration curls for biceps, kickbacks
for triceps and pec deck for chest, right? These exercises
work each muscle by allowing for a maximum peak contraction.
This is exactly what the squatting calf raise is all about.
It’s the only exercise I’ve ever seen that works
the calves in a shortened position yet allows for peak contraction.
• Do this exercise on a Smith machine for better balance.
• Start with just the bar to get a feel for the movement.
Place the bar on your shoulders behind your head as if you
were going to do a Smith-machine squat. Stand on a calf-raise
block like you would in a regular calf raise.
• Move into a full squat with your heels down as far
as possible; this is the starting position.
• Push against the calf block with the balls of your
feet until your calves contract maximally. Hold for a second,
and then return to the full-squat position. Repeat for reps.
• If you have bad knees, this probably isn’t the
ideal exercise to add to your program. If not, go ahead and
experiment with this movement, it will definitely shock your
calves into new growth!
FORGOTTEN HAMSTRING EXERCISES
Decline Bench Dumbbell Leg Curl
This exercise gives you a good stretch at the start and an
extremely powerful contraction at the top. Because you don’t
use a machine, it also allows you to move through your most
natural range of motion.
• lie facedown on a decline bench. Grasp the front of
the bench for stability.
• Extend your legs and have your partner place a dumbbell
between your feet.
• Bend your knees and slowly lift your feet up until
your lower legs are perpendicular to the floor; going past
this point will cause you to lose the contraction and will
actually recruit your quads a little.
• After briefly squeezing hard at the top, lower the
weight back to the start position and repeat.
Romanian Deadlift
This exercise works the hamstrings from the top down instead
of from the bottom up. Similar to the back extension, movement
should primarily take place at your hip joint, not your lower
back. If you do only exercises like the traditional leg curl
for your hamstrings, you’re missing out on the benefits
of working the muscles from another direction.
• While standing, grasp a barbell with a shoulder-width,
overhand grip.
• Lean forward at your hips, push your glutes back and
feel your hamstrings stretch. Remember to keep your hack arched,
shoulders back and chest out throughout the exercise.
• While descending, keep the bar in contact with your
thighs and shins by shifting your weight hack on your heels.
You may have to take a step back from time to time to keep
yourself from falling back. That’s an indication that
you’re doing this exercise right. After 2-3 sessions,
you’ll learn how to keep your balance.
• Return to a standing position. Concentrate on flexing
the hamstrings and allowing them, not your lower back, to
pull your torso up.
Weighted Back Extension
Most exercises for the hamstrings involve moving your legs.
This exercise actually involves stabilizing your legs, with
movement at your hips. Because the hamstrings cross two joints,
they can be and should be worked from the bottom up, as in
traditional leg curls, and from the top down, as in back extensions
and Rumanian deadlifts.
• Face forward on the back-extension apparatus so that
the hip pad is just below your hips. Place your lower legs
firmly against the supporting pads at the bottom of the machine.
• Hold a weight plate across your chest with crossed
arms.
• Keep your back arched, shoulders back and chest out
throughout the exercise.
• Limit movement to your hip joint only don’t
move your lower back. This takes practice and is essential
to the exercise.
• Bend at your hips to lower your torso toward the floor
until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings.
• When you reach the bottom of the movement, contract
your hamstrings and push your lower legs back against the
pads to return to the start position (where your body is in
a straight line). Don’t go past this point. Repeat for
reps.
Duck Press
Slight variations in foot placement on the leg press might
help some people emphasize different muscle groups. With the
duck press, you re not talking about the single best exercise
to develop your hamstrings, but hey we’re discussing
forgotten exercises that just might “shock” you
into growth because of their novelty.
• Place your feet high and wide on the leg-press foot
plate. Your toes should be placed at the corners of the foot
plate. Because foot-plate angles and sizes may vary, be sure
that your knees remain over the bridge of your foot when you
perform this exercise. You don’t want to experience
any undue stress on your knees.
• Slowly lower the weight as low as possible without
having your hips come off the seat (which can cause excessive
strain on your lower back).
• Do the exercise slowly and under control to avoid
injury and prevent momentum from taking over.
Related Articles
Calf Training and
Exercises
Hamstring Development
Hamstring
Exercises - Hamstring Training
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