calf raises.... Standing or seated?

[Schutzhund1]

If you could only do one type of calf raise would it be seated or standing? Why?

Thanks.

 

[guldukat]

If you could only do one type of calf raise would it be seated or standing? Why?

Thanks.

Neither: donkey calf raises are my favorite

They're closer to a standing raise, so if you had to pick, go with the standing. Seated raises are mostly a soleus movement.

 

[Scotsman]

Seated. You still get standing work from climing stairs and walking. Still it is better to do both or seated and donkey.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[liftingfreak1983]

both my calfs get sore as fuck from both, the key is going real heavy and do them nice and concentrated

 

[Scotsman]

both my calfs get sore as fuck from both, the key is going real heavy and do them nice and concentrated

good poing on lifting heavy and with purpose.

Are you really in Colorado? if so where at?

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[liftingfreak1983]

good poing on lifting heavy and with purpose.

Are you really in Colorado? if so where at?

Cheers,
Scotsman

ya i attend school in fort collins but im originally from south of denver, and you?

 

[Buddy_Christ]

i do both seated and standing. what's the donkey ones?

when i started 5x5 i was doing seated and standing calf raises 5x15. this past week i've gone down to 5x12. going pretty heavy too, at least i think it's heavy. after each set i have difficulty walking for a minute or so. then i feel good again and i do another set.

the reason i went down to 5x12 was because i've been adding 5lbs a week to calf raises.

 

[PinkPanther]

bump for more info on the donkey calf raises...

 

[Schutzhund1]

Donkey calf raises are when you are standing but bent over. Usually somebody (or a machine) rests on your hips/lumbar area and you do calf raises that way. They best example is in Pumping Iron when Arnold has people on his back when he is doing them.

Back to the question at hand....

If you could only buy one type of calf machine would it be a standing or a seated calf raise unit? I'm leaning towards the seated because you could always to standing calf raises in the squat rack with a block of wood.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Scotsman]

ya i attend school in fort collins but im originally from south of denver, and you?

I live and work in Arvada but am originally frome Loveland.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[Schutzhund1]

You guys from Colorado probably have huge calves just from walking up all the mountains.

 

[Bulldog_10]

Seated works the soleus, standing works the gastrocnemius. They isolate two different muscles. It's like asking whether you do tricep pushdowns or curls.

(OK...so maybe it's more like asking whether you do regular curls or hammer curls...)

 

[strongsmartsexy]

Seated works the soleus, standing works the gastrocnemius. They isolate two different muscles. It's like asking whether you do tricep pushdowns or curls.

(OK...so maybe it's more like asking whether you do regular curls or hammer curls...)

Likely the latter. I couldn't imagine only hitting my calf with standing/donkey and not doing seated any more than I could see hitting my bi's with only regular curls.

 

[Griz1]

Seated works the soleus, standing works the gastrocnemius. They isolate two different muscles. It's like asking whether you do tricep pushdowns or curls.

(OK...so maybe it's more like asking whether you do regular curls or hammer curls...)

I agree! I think it really depends on which of the 3 major calf muscles your trying to hit wouldn't it?

 

[Schutzhund1]

Can anyone explain in layman's terms which calf excercise works each part of the calf? (ie. does seated calf raises work the 'inside of the calf' versus the 'outside'?)

 

[Bulldog_10]

Can anyone explain in layman's terms which calf excercise works each part of the calf? (ie. does seated calf raises work the 'inside of the calf' versus the 'outside'?)

Seated calf raises work the soleus (the deeper of the two muscles). It is able to isolate this muscle because the gastrocnemius is a bi-articular muscle, so when the knee is bent, it has too much slack in order to generate force across the ankle.

When standing, however, the gastrocnemius (the more superficial muscle) is pulled taught, and able to generate torque about the ankle.

 

[Whiskey]

Good explanation Bulldog, right on the money

Whiskey

 

[string_bean00]

I do both, each 1x a week. I wish my gym had a donkey calf raise machine though.

 

[Bulldog_10]

I do both, each 1x a week. I wish my gym had a donkey calf raise machine though.

They're no different from standing calf raises. (I think). Can someone tell me why they think they're different?

 

[strongsmartsexy]

They're no different from standing calf raises. (I think). Can someone tell me why they think they're different?

I don't think they work the calf any different. I think for those who's core isn't as strong, donkey's allow for greater working weight.

 

[Bulldog_10]

I don't think they work the calf any different. I think for those who's core isn't as strong, donkey's allow for greater working weight.

That makes sense...thanks bro.

But for those people with the weak cores...work the damn core, don't work around it!

 

[strongsmartsexy]

That makes sense...thanks bro.

But for those people with the weak cores...work the damn core, don't work around it!

Absolutely!

 

[Schutzhund1]

But for those people with the weak cores...work the damn core, don't work around it!

Amen. Everyone can learn/benefit from that quote.

 

[string_bean00]

They're no different from standing calf raises. (I think). Can someone tell me why they think they're different?

Yeah, but the variety would be nice.

 

[Schutzhund1]

I shy away from donkey calf raises because I don't have the flexibility to really keep my back parallel to the ground while getting a deep stretch in my calf.

 

[Bulldog_10]

Yeah, but the variety would be nice.

It's not really a variation though. It doesn't change anything in the lower body...It's kinda like doing curls seated as opposed to doing them standing. Same movement.

 

[strongsmartsexy]

Yeah, but the variety would be nice.

If you want some variation on calves, try running on the dry sandy part of a beach. THAT will hit your calves in ways you're not doing now. Don't run on the wet easy part, run in the dry, shifting part.

 

[Bulldog_10]

If you want some variation on calves, try running on the dry sandy part of a beach. THAT will hit your calves in ways you're not doing now. Don't run on the wet easy part, run in the dry, shifting part.

NO THANKS! LOL...I have a hard enough time running on solid ground.

Plyo's and shit like that, I do like though...jumping rope, etc.

 

[strongsmartsexy]

NO THANKS! LOL...I have a hard enough time running on solid ground.

Plyo's and shit like that, I do like though...jumping rope, etc.

Let me tell you. People only THINK they hit calves hard until they've run in soft sand as a part of an aerobics day. Their calves will be sore in ways they've never dreamed. They have to constantly adapt to the changes in foot position to keep you upright!

 

[Bulldog_10]

Let me tell you. People only THINK they hit calves hard until they've run in soft sand as a part of an aerobics day. Their calves will be sore in ways they've never dreamed. They have to constantly adapt to the changes in foot position to keep you upright!

I do something similar...You know those half-physioballs? It's like a physioball cut in half, with a platform on one side? I just stand on one foot on one of those things for as long as I can balance, do each foot like 3 times. Very good for ankle stabilization.

 

[strongsmartsexy]

I do something similar...You know those half-physioballs? It's like a physioball cut in half, with a platform on one side? I just stand on one foot on one of those things for as long as I can balance, do each foot like 3 times. Very good for ankle stabilization.

I would imagine that would do the similar kind of thing. I've seen people at the gym use something like that for curls and overhead tri-presses.