Calf Building 101: A Guide on Building Massive Calves
Are you trying to put some mass on your calves? Calf building can be difficult if you don’t know how to properly train them. Here is your guide to gaining the mass you desire.
Anatomy Of The Calf
Gastrocnemius:
The gastrocnemius is also called the calf muscle. The muscle itself is one that is visible on the body (meaning it doesn’t lie underneath any other muscles and therefore is not visible to the eye). The gastrocnemius attaches to the heel (at the Achilles Tendon) and originates on the femur (behind the knee). The calf muscle has two heads (the medial and lateral heads).
Soleus:
Unlike the gastrocnemius, this is one of those muscles that I mentioned above that are not visible because it lies underneath another muscle. It is for this reason that the muscle isn’t very well known among those just starting out. The medial head originates on the posterior tibia and the lateral head on the posterior fibula. These two heads unite and insert into the calcaneal tendon.
Plantaris:
The plantaris is a very small muscle. The long tendon of the plantaris passes between the gastrocnemius and soleus and inserts into the calcaneus. It originates at the lateral epicondyle of the femur, just above the origin of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius.
Different Parts Of The Calf
Gastrocnemius:
The function of this muscle is plantar flexion (elevating the heel). Without this muscle, it would be very hard to walk normally since you would not be able to push off the ball of your foot.
Soleus:
The function of this muscle is basically the same as the gastrocnemius in that its job is to raise the heel.
The only real difference between the two is that the soleus comes into play when the knee is bent (for example during seated calf raises).
Plantaris:
This is a very weak muscle but does help aid in raising the heel (plantar flexion).
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