Different Exercises Make Different Parts of Your Legs Bigger
Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The soleus muscle didn’t grow more with either calf exercise—despite being a single-joint muscle.
Most trainers assume soleus responds best to bent-knee exercises, but this study found no difference—challenging decades of conventional wisdom.
Practical Takeaways
If you want a fuller front thigh, prioritize leg extensions; if you want outer quad sweep, prioritize leg presses.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The soleus muscle didn’t grow more with either calf exercise—despite being a single-joint muscle.
Most trainers assume soleus responds best to bent-knee exercises, but this study found no difference—challenging decades of conventional wisdom.
Practical Takeaways
If you want a fuller front thigh, prioritize leg extensions; if you want outer quad sweep, prioritize leg presses.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise
Year
2024
Authors
Ryan Burke, A. Piñero, Adam E. Mohan, Thomas Hermann, M. Sapuppo, Francesca Augustin, Max Coleman, P. Korakakis, Milo Wolf, P. Swinton, B. Schoenfeld
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Claims (6)
Doing calf raises with your knees straight (standing on toes) makes the inner part of your calf muscle grow more than doing them with your knees bent (seated), because the muscle is stretched more.
Doing leg extensions (kicking your leg out while sitting) makes the front thigh muscle right above your knee grow more than doing leg presses (pushing a heavy platform with both legs).
Pushing a heavy leg press machine makes the outer part of your thigh muscle grow more than doing leg extensions, because it puts more overall stress on that part of the muscle.
Not all parts of your thigh and calf muscles grow the same way — some parts grow better with certain exercises, so doing different types of lifts can help you build muscle more evenly.
The outer part of your calf and the deeper calf muscle don’t grow better with either straight-knee or bent-knee calf raises — they respond similarly to both.