The Claim
Modifying foot alignment during unilateral calf raises selectively stimulates specific heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, with outward positioning preferentially enhancing medial head hypertrophy and inward positioning preferentially enhancing lateral head hypertrophy, thereby enabling region-specific muscle growth in resistance training.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
Changing the way you point your feet while doing calf raises can target different parts of your calf muscle. Pointing your toes outward mainly builds the inner part of your calf, while pointing them inward mainly builds the outer part. This gives you a simple way to shape your calves exactly how you want them.
See the scientific wording
Adjusting foot alignment during unilateral calf raises allows for selective stimulation of specific gastrocnemius muscle heads, as outward positioning preferentially enhances medial head growth while inward positioning preferentially enhances lateral head growth, providing a practical method for region-specific hypertrophy training in resistance exercise programs.
What the research says
1 studyChanging the direction your feet point while doing calf raises can actually target different parts of your calf muscle. Pointing them out grows the inner calf more, while pointing them in grows the outer calf more.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.