Treadmill workouts can develop calves
Treadmills allow fitness enthusiasts to run from the comfort of their home. Controls allow users to adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill running belt creating possibilities for a varied running workout to target the calves. Strengthening and conditioning your calf muscles will enhance power and acceleration, useful for sprint and jump-based athletes or fitness enthusiasts.
Sprinting
Running, by nature, targets the calves. The calf is activated as you extend your ankle to push off at the end of each stride. As you sprint, your calf is required to fire more vigorously to propel you forward at a quicker pace. Try cranking up the speed on the treadmill until it is close to your sprinting speed. Sprint for 20 seconds, then rest for 40. Repeat five times.
Incline
As you increase the incline, the force of gravity will place more emphasis on the calf muscles. Incline is the key here, so keep the speed at a steady walking pace and raise the incline as high as possible, being sure to work within your own capabilities. Keep your trunk straight and refrain from gripping the hand rails. Engage your calves with each step by pushing off from your toes and taking large strides.
Walking Backwards
Walking backwards on the treadmill can help develop the calves and strengthen the postural muscles throughout the body. This technique requires coordination and a little practice so start out slowly before building up the pace. Adding incline to your backwards walking workouts will also place more stress on the calf muscles.
Weighted running
Using ankle weights will increase the resistance when taking each stride, helping to further develop the calves. With the exception of sprinting, once mastered, the above exercises may be performed with ankle weights. Start light; two to five pound ankle weights on each leg will suffice. You may wish to increase the load to 10 pounds on each side as you progress.
Tags: ankle weights, calf muscles, develop calves, each stride, fitness enthusiasts