Holiday Fitness - How to Sculpt Your Calf Muscles Without Equipment

Ho Ho how in the world do you grow bigger calves?

Welcome back to the Tactile Training Newsletter. No one wants to be called chicken legs during the holiday season. Lucky for you, I’m going to teach you how to upgrade those poultry sized calves into beautifully sculpted, holiday ham hocks! This week we are learning how to perform the calf raise exercise using tactile verbal descriptions. This exercise will then be added to the Tactile Training Functional Workout Plan, where we combine the exercises and stretches into a workout program you can use.

Tactile Training: Standing Calf Raise

• The “calf muscles” are made up of two primary muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscle. The gastrocnemius is the larger of these two muscles and is the one that most individuals think of when referring to the calf. The soleus is a smaller muscles that lies underneath the gastrocnemius, making it harder to palpate with your hand. The two of these muscles originate at the femur and top of your tibia and run downwards, where they connect to form the Achilles tendon, just above the heel.

• To feel the gastrocnemius, place a hand immediately underneath your knee joint. Begin to squeeze the muscle tissue immediately below and work your hand down the backside of your lower leg until it reaches the heel. The bulk of the muscle tissue you can feel is the gastrocnemius. The thick cord like tissue you feel just above the heel is the Achilles tendon.

• The calf muscles are responsible for helping you walk, run, jump, balance, maintain proper posture, look great in your favorite shoes, and more. Like most muscles in the body, calf size is partially determined by genetics. However, it is possible to improve muscle tone, appearance, endurance, and size through regular training.

• My mission is to make exercise accessible. Today, we are going to use tactile cues to build better calf muscles!

  1. Step One: Stand on the first step of a set of stairs

     • To start, you will need access to a set of stairs with a railing for safety and balance. Make sure the steps are clear of debris and that you are wearing proper athletic footwear.

     • Step up and onto the first step with both feet. Place whichever hand is closest on the railing for balance and support.

  2. Step Two: Bring feet hips-width apart

     • Now that we are on the step we can align our feet properly. Your feet need to be hips-width distance apart or roughly two hand spans apart. I recommend performing a heel to toe movement to separate your feet without needing to bend over and use your hands to check the distance.

     • To do a heel to toe movement, bring both feet together so your big toes are side by side and the inseam of your feet are next to one another. Next, you will keep your heels on the floor but flex your toes up and off the ground. Externally rotate your feet away from each other as far as you can while keeping your heels planted. Once you’ve rotated as far as you can, plant your toes and feet down on the ground. Your heels should still be together but now your toes are pointed away from each other and no longer side by side.

     • Next, you will do the same with your heels to bring our feet into a neutral position. Shift your weight forward on to the balls of your toes and externally rotate your heels away from each other until you feel as though your feet are in a neutral position pointing straight in front of you. Your feet are now roughly hips-width apart.

     • I recommend practicing this motion on the ground first and verifying that your feet are roughly two hand spans apart. Once you get a hang of the movement, you can reproduce it with confidence to quickly get your feet hips-width apart.

  3. Step Three: Bring the back half of your feet off of the step

     • Now that our feet are hips-width apart, we are ready to get in position for our exercise. Slowly slide the back half of your feet to hang off the edge of the step. Your heel and mid foot arch should be floating off of the edge with your weight shifted to balance on the ball of your feet with toes and forefoot remaining on the edge of the step.

     • You should literally feel that only half of each foot is resting on the edge of the step with the weight balancing on the balls of your feet.

     • Be sure to have your hands on the railing and wall for additional balance and support.

  4. Step Four: Perform the calf raise

     • Raise your heels vertically upwards as high as you can by lifting yourself up and on to the tips of your toes. You should feel your calf muscles contracting and your bodyweight being supported on your toes and forefeet.

     • Once you have vertically shifted your weight as high up as you can, slowly allow your heels to drop back downwards towards your starting position.

     • Instead of stopping at a neutral position, allow your heels to drop below the step. You should feel a stretch in your calves as they lengthen while your heels drop lower and lower. Once you have reached a maximal stretch in your calves, you have completed your first repetition.

  5. Step Five: Repeat

     • Repeat this exercise for 10 repetitions before resting. Every repetition you can challenge yourself to lift higher upwards and relax deeper between each repetition.

     • Do not force this exercise to a range of motion that creates discomfort. Be patient with yourself as you improve your calf muscle strength and range of motion.

  6. Step Six: (Optional Progression) Hold a weight

     • If you have access to dumbbells, kettlebells, or any similar weight that can be held in one hand; there is an optional progression you can perform.

     • Hold the weight in one hand and bring it to your center of mass in front of your pelvis. This should be right below where your belt would buckle on your pants. Bring the weight to touch your body.

     • You should feel that the weight is evenly distributed between feet even though it is held by one hand. Your other hand should be supporting your balance on the railing.

     • Perform the exercise exactly the same with the additional weight and you will feel the added challenge. Again, do not force this exercise to a range of motion that creates discomfort and be patient with yourself.

Tactile cues and descriptive movements such as this can be used to help make fitness more accessible. If you are interested in learning other exercises and ways to describe movements, let me know!

Weekly Challenge: Tactile Training Workout

Now its time to include today’s exercise into the Tactile Training Functional Workout Plan. In previous newsletters we learned how to perform the squat, plank, glute bridge, bird dog, and hamstring stretch. With every newsletter, we will continue building a progressive and functional workout challenge you can use at home or in the classroom. If you are an educator or parent of an individual who is blind or visually impaired, try this routine out for yourself!

If you’d like to revisit tactile cueing instructions covered in previous newsletters, you can find them at the following link: https://tactiletraining.beehiiv.com/

As always, please consult a physician’s approval before beginning any new exercise program.

• The workout is the following:

  • Perform 10 bodyweight squats

  • Perform 10 calf raises (Option to perform weighted progression)

  • Perform a fifteen to thirty second plank hold based on your ability. (Option to perform a kneeling plank regression if needed).

  • Perform 10 Glute Bridges (Option to perform single-leg progression if desired).

  • Perform 10 Bird Dogs (Option to perform knee to elbow progression if desired).

  • Rest 30 seconds and repeat for three rounds total.  

• The cooldown stretching routine is the following:

  • Perform a supine hamstring stretch for thirty to sixty seconds and repeat on the other side.

  • (Option to repeat for up to three rounds)

If you enjoy this content or want a specific exercise described in a future post, respond to this email and let me know!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter and workout program! If you have questions or suggestions for future newsletters; contact me at [email protected]. Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

- Coach Brandon