Fitness
Zero in on those lower legs.
Having strong calves can alsohelp with balance and stability, Curry tells Bustle.
Whileisometric calf exercisesare always beneficial, doing them while holding a pair of dumbbells is even better.
To zero in on those lower legs, give these expert-approved calf exercises with dumbbells a try.
For seated calf raises, Wang recommends grabbing two heavier dumbbells.
Sit on a workout bench.
Remain tall through your spine with core engaged.
Balance the dumbbells on your thighs.
Keep your toes on the floor, heels high.
Raise and lower your heels repeatedly.
Feel your calves engage.
Do 12-15 reps, 3 to 4 times.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Lower into a squat with the dumbbells along the sides of your body.
Lift the other heel and then place it back down.
Stand back up to the starting position.
Point your toes slightly in towards the center.
Lift both your heels off the ground into a calf raise.
Gently lower back down.
Its also easy to feel like you dont have the right equipment to target the calves.
For this exercise, though,one dumbbell is all you need.
Stand on one leg with your other leg bent up behind you.
Hold the dumbbell in one hand on the same side as the raised leg.
Raise your body upward by pressing down through your toes until you reach the top of the raise.
Hold for a second, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
Do 3 rounds of 10 reps on each leg.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
Plant your left foot.
Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight as you lower the dumbbell to the floor.
Your right leg will lift back behind you.
Return to stand.
Aim for 3 rounds of 12 reps with both legs.
Anterior Step-Down From Box
Next, try this move from physical therapistAmy Graber PT, DPT.
This exercise works on eccentric control of the tibia moving over the fixed ankle, she tells Bustle.
This is a similar pattern to what our calf does in walking or going down stairs.
Stand firmly in the middle of an exercise step on one leg.
Bend the knee of your standing leg as you step off the box.
Continue to bend your knee as you raise and lower your lifted leg.
Do 10 reps for 3 rounds on each leg.
Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits.Frontiers in physiology,10, 536.https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00536.
InformedHealth.org [Internet].
Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.
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