How Foot Position Changes Calf Muscle Work
Medial and Lateral Gastrocnemius Activation Differences During Heel-Raise Exercise with Three Different Foot Positions
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Practical Takeaways
Use externally rotated feet to emphasize the inner calf and internally rotated feet to emphasize the outer calf during heel-raises, as the study provides initial objective evidence for exercise selection.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Practical Takeaways
Use externally rotated feet to emphasize the inner calf and internally rotated feet to emphasize the outer calf during heel-raises, as the study provides initial objective evidence for exercise selection.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2011
Authors
B. Riemann, G. K. Limbaugh, Jayme D. Eitner, R. Lefavi
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Claims (3)
Turning your feet outward while doing calf raises makes the inner part of your calf muscle work harder than the outer part. This shows that how you position your feet changes exactly which calf muscles get targeted during the exercise.
Turning your feet inward while doing calf raises makes the outer part of your calf work harder than the inner part. This shows that changing how you position your feet can specifically target different calf muscles during workouts.
Changing how you point your feet while doing calf raises changes which calf muscles work harder right away, but we don't actually know if this makes your calves grow bigger, stronger, or less prone to injury over time.