Nothing says a strong specimen and a healthy person more than healthy calves and I cannot argue with it, when you see someone with a powerful set of calves, you know that he or she often goes to workout one way or another, and you want to be someone just like that don’t you? Well then this is the perfect blog post for you my friend. Let’s make you into one of those people who easily show off powerful calves anywhere they go and you can be known as a workout aficionado as well. I will share with you some great workout routines in order to shape up those calves of yours, and I won’t only give a couple, I’ll give you 5 options to choose from so we can sculpt those bad boys into stuff that gods and goddesses alike have. Prepare your calves for the workout of their lives!

Jump rope – Yes that awesome cut scene from that boxing movie where the hero starts to jump some rope, preparing for the fight of his life, yes that exercise is what you need. The great thing about this workout is that all you need is some jump rope and a ton of rhythm. Now I’m not expecting you to go at it from the get-go, after all jump rope takes a lot of practice and is a wonderful cardio workout for pretty much the entire body. Aside from giving you stronger calves at the end of a grueling workout, jump rope will also increase your stamina for other cardio needs. And let’s face it, when you really get into the rhythm and you start doing some tricks here and there, it is a pretty cool workout to see in the mirror, don’t you agree?

Sometimes a jump rope and a ton of rhythm is all you need to tone strong calves.

Sled drag – This is an awesome workout that really gives you stronger and more shapely calves, aside from working out a ton of other muscles. This workout requires some equipment however, a harness and some weights in fact. Place the harness on your back and then connect it to the weights, from there begin to run or jog while the weights get dragged behind you. The weights will drag and your muscles will work overtime in order to pull the additional weight that you included for the workout. Give this workout a try but make sure you take it easy, after pulling it a few meters you tend to get really proud of yourself and want to take it further, make sure to take your time and build up the proper drag weight resistance otherwise you may be prone to injuries. After a few weeks of this workout you are sure to have strong calves pretty much bursting with pride.

Standing barbell calf raise – Wow that was a mouthful, but any workout with the word calf in it, is sure to give you the goal you wanted of strong calves. This one will need access to a barbell and some free weights, plus ideally a spotter just in case. With free weights it is possible to hurt yourself if you aren’t doing correctly or you are a little careless, so as always practice safety first and have a spotter or use lighter weights until you get the form correct. Anyhow place the barbell at your feet with the appropriate amount of weights for this workout, then slowly bend your knees and pick it up, make sure your back is straight to avoid injuries and gently stand up with barbell in your hands, dangling as low as you can get it without bending your knees or back. Now gently balance yourself on the balls of your feet and raise yourself a couple of inches off the floor, the resistance in this workout will make sure to strengthen your calves and give you a good sweat going. Go back to the standing position you started with and repeat the workout until you do a few reps, I suggest maybe around 15 – 20 reps, then gently place the barbell down. Some people suggest placing the barbell on your shoulders for extra support but I believe either or is a good option. This workout will definitely give you strong calves if you keep doing it on a weekly basis.

Leg press calf raises – This workout is in need of gym access or maybe just the machine if you have it at home for whatever reason. The machine needed is the leg raise sled, usually it is composed of a “chair” and a sled that is connected to weights. The leg press calf raise workout or otherwise known as the donkey raise, is one that has been done time and time again, and quite frankly if the kitchen sink ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Sit down and place your feet on the sled, now focus all your strength on the toes and ball of your feet, use that to push the sled while focusing all the strength and force on your ankles, this will cause the focus of this exercise to mainly workout your calves. As you can guess by doing this repeatedly for a set amount of time, you will be able to achieve strong calves in a few months if done religiously. Again make sure to have a spotter just in case and don’t go gun-ho by putting all the weights you can muster, build up to it so that you can slowly strengthen your calves in order to take larger loads during your workout sessions.

If the gym is your constant hangout for your workout, make sure to include leg raise in your fitness routine to strengthen those calves.

Box jump – Well this workout had to be on the list in my humble opinion as it does wonders for your calves. The box jump requires a box of sturdy material set in front of you at an appropriate height, again make sure your safety is secured and you don’t place it too high. Now stand with as much comfortable space between you and the box, keep your feet about hip-width apart, stand on the balls of your feet and toes. When you are ready to jump on top of the box, bend your knees and position yourself as a half squat and jump on top of the box, make sure to balance yourself as well as you can and as soon as you land, give it a second and jump back down, immediately readying to jump again. Do this in a rep of 15 – 20 and you’ll really feel that your calves will grow stronger and the goal of strong calves is just a few more jumps away. Strong word of advise though, avoid using dumbbells or weights as you may need your hands to steady yourself or catch yourself after you jump, again safety first.

These are some of the best calf workouts out there, these will really give you strong calves as long as you repeat the workout on a weekly basis plus maybe add a healtjh diet or two. Since you are working on your calves, maybe you might be interested in getting rid of some unwanted thigh fats as well! Stay healthy!