What you’re targeting:
- Elevated extremity: soleus (calf muscle and the powerhouse of distance running)
- Grounded extremity: gastrocnemius (calf muscle)
What you need:
- Chair and a weight
How to perform:
- Position:
- Place one foot up on a chair while keeping your opposite lower extremity straight and on the ground
- Maintain upright posture and place a weight over the top of the bent knee
- Movement:
- Alternate raising up onto your toes beginning with the front leg (flexed knee foot on chair) and ending with your grounded (straight) leg
- Perform each position on both sides
- Tips:
- Raise up through your entire range of motion and focus on lifting your heel straight up towards the ceiling
What you should feel:
- Muscle fatigue in the calf
How many repetitions and how much weight?
- Perform 20-30 repetitions on each leg for a total of 2-5 sets
- Start with about 20 lbs of weight on your front leg and progressively increase per the general guidelines*