Learn how your comment data is processed. Functional Training // Injury Rehabilitation // Running Analysis, If you look at the anatomy of the calf, you’ll easily notice there are two muscles. But, the walking nature allows a greater degree of challenge while absorbing force on each foot strike. Slowly lower the heel until the ankle is fully flexed. Use dumbbells to increase resistance. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There are several options to work your soleus using bands or weights. If your a running that wants to run faster, longer, or with less incidence of injury, click here to learn more about the Healthy Running Program. Soleus exercises include standing and seated heel raises, deep squats and calf flexion with a resistance band. Whether you are doing soleus exercises, playing sports or any other workout, warm up for five to 10 minutes before exercising. When considering the joint actions that these muscles create, the gastrocnemius plantarflexes the ankle AND flexes the knee, while the soleus muscle primarily plantarflexes the ankle since it only crosses one joint. Lower and raise your heel for 10 to 15 repetitions. Similar to the soleus wall sit, this is an isometric exercise where we are targeting strength/endurance without creating any motion at the ankle joint. If you experience pain in your calf, stop exercising and consult your doctor as more serious injuries may require additional treatment such as physical therapy or surgery. By no means are traditional calf raises wrong! Anatomy and location dictate function and this means they need to be targeted in different ways when looking to improve flexibility and/or build strength. The final exercise in this series is designed for a greater degree of loading. When completing this exercise, perform for 3 sets of 30-60sec and add additional resistance as needed. Try the wall stretching exercise described by the American Council on Exercise. The Soleus Stretch: Five exercises to stretch the soleus muscle. ", University of Wisconsin Health: "Calf Muscle Injury", National Federation of State High School Associations: "Preventing and Treating Calf Injuries", American Council on Exercise: "Standing Dorsi-Flexion (Calf Stretch)", PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. The calf contains a network of muscles and tendons on the back and sides of the lower leg. is the smaller of the two major calf muscles; the other muscle being the gastrocnemius (gastroc). The soleus, one of the major muscles of the lower leg, lies underneath the larger gastrocnemius. And, the soleus is more dominant during knee flexed, plantarflexion. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Tip toe walking is another exercise taught at the same seminar. Yes, these muscles comprise the calf complex but there is an anatomical difference that we need to consider. Relevant anatomy: The soleus muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle are plantar flexors, which means they bend the foot back. This is a functional exercise that allows the soleus to perform its function of supporting and controlling the bend of the ankle and knee. The soleus wall sit is an exercise I picked up from Chris Johnson in 2018 at one his running seminars. Then raise up onto your toes, keeping the knee straight. Walking or biking are good warm-up options. LIVESTRONG.com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Because the knee never extends and remains in some degree of flexion during initial contact, midstance, and toe off, the soleus becomes the more prominent player in the calf complex. Keeping the band taught and your knees straight, flex your toes back toward your body as far as you can, then point your toes to work both the soleus and gastrocnemius. The outermost muscle is called the gastrocnemius. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Now that we understand the difference between these muscles from an anatomical standpoint, we must also discuss why this matters for runners. In-person and remote options available to best fit your needs. The deep, pancake-like soleus muscle inserts through the Achilles tendon on the heel. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. Begin seated on a mat with both legs straight in front of you. There’s no better way to kill two birds with one stone. You can also wrap the leg with a bandage and elevate your leg to reduce swelling. This muscle also plays an important role in circulation. Read more: How to Help a Strained Soleus Muscle. Ultimately, this will provide the most carryover to running. ... You may also perform this exercise … A strong soleus helps to support the joints and prevent injuries. Start with one set of 10 to 15 repetitions and add additional sets as your strength increases. The soleus, which is the flatter, longer muscle running underneath the gastrocnemius and lower down your leg. If you do have a mild strain in your muscle, you can treat it with rest and ice to the injured area, advises the University of Wisconsin Health. Resistance bands also allow you to add additional resistance to strengthen the soleus muscle.