The calf muscles are essential for runners, they support your load and can boost both cadence and explosiveness. Strengthening them is a must, and according to physical therapist Jimmy Pipe, who specializes in rehab and strength training for runners, there are three kinds of key calf exercises you should be doing to level up your training.
Although I’ve been running for years, I still struggle to keep up with regular strength training that supports my running. I hate to admit it, but my calves also often get neglected since they aren’t worked as much in standard lower body exercises like squats or deadlifts, where they aren’t the primary muscle being targeted.
So, when I stumbled across a video on Pipe’s Instagram where he explains why runners 'must' train their calves to help you 'run faster & more importantly prevent injuries,' he definitely had my attention.
Pipe explains that to be most effective, you should add weight to these exercises. The soleus, which is the deeper calf muscle located beneath the gastrocnemius (the chief muscle of the calf), can handle forces up to 6-8 times your body weight when running, "so only doing bodyweight exercises isn’t effective for getting the muscle stronger."
He personally incorporates at least one of these calf exercises into every session and makes sure to cover all three variations once a week to build balanced strength and help prevent injury. Below is a breakdown of the three variations.
1. Straight-Leg Variation
The gastrocnemius is the larger, more visible calf muscle, and it’s responsible for much of the power when running. It’s the muscle that helps you push through those fast strides. The first exercise in this variation has Pipe placing a barbell on his shoulders and resting one foot on a bench. He lifts the other leg slightly up and down, keeping his toes planted firmly on the ground.
In the second exercise, Pipe holds one of the best kettlebells in one hand for added resistance and performs one-legged calf raises on a stack of weight plates. He uses a pole for stability, making sure the focus stays on building strength in the calves.
2. Knee-Bent Variation
This variation targets the soleus, which as mentioned earlier is the deeper muscle beneath the gastrocnemius and plays a critical role in running, especially during the push-off phase.
In the first exercise, Pipe sits on a bench with a Smith machine bar just above his knees. His feet are placed on a plate, with his toes on the plate and heels moving up and down. As he lifts and lowers his heels, this works the soleus muscle directly.
In the second exercise, Pipe is in a deep lunge with his front foot’s toes resting on a weight plate. Holding dumbbells in each hand, he raises and lowers his toes and knee.
3. Plyometric Exercises
Pipe says too many runners overlook plyometric exercises, but these are key for building calf strength and power. Bonus, there are no weights needed here, just pure calf action.
The first one has Pipe's foot up on a bench as he bounces up and down on his standing leg, focusing on explosive power for running. Next, we’ve got bunny hops, where Pipe hops rapidly from both feet at the same time, moving forward and backward or side to side. This helps with coordination, agility, and calf explosiveness. Finally, he continues building on the latter with some jumps from one foot to the other.
The bottom line is, strong calves equal strong strides. Make them a priority, and your legs will thank you on race day. Pipe's variations will definitely be entering my marathon training.
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