If you add a quick 20-second stretch with some weight between your sets of leg exercises, you might build bigger calf muscles without making your workout longer. This works because you're stretching during your normal rest time, so it's a quick way to get more out of your training.

Adding a short, weighted stretch between your workout sets can make your calf muscles grow bigger over two months. This happens because the stretch keeps the muscle working longer, which helps it build more size than just resting normally.

Adding a short, weighted stretch between workout sets might help build a bit more calf muscle in beginners compared to just resting. This quick stretch could specifically target the slow-twitch muscle fibers without making your workout take longer.

If you swap out your usual rest breaks between weightlifting sets for stretches that include light weights, this claim says it will help your calf muscle grow bigger and get stronger. It suggests that active stretching beats just sitting still when trying to build calf size and power.

Adding a short, weighted stretch between your workout sets won't make your gym session take longer because you're doing it during your normal rest breaks. This means you can potentially build more muscle without having to spend extra time at the gym.

If you want to build calf muscle and strength, doing standard weight training is much faster than just holding static stretches. You only need about 45 minutes of lifting per week to get similar results, whereas stretching would take up to seven hours every single day.