June 2003

The question-of-the-month for June comes from Mike in Louisiana, a 27 year old who wants to know which direction his toes should be pointed to best work his inner calves.  His question is:

Dear Mike:

I am confused about calf exercises.  In order to work my inner calves, should I turn my toes out and heels in or toes in and heels out?  I have seen web sites that claim both. 

Dear Mike: 

Thanks for the great question.  Calves can be a very difficult muscle for many people to develop.  Calves are, in fact, largely genetic, however there are definitely things you can do to add mass to this area of the leg, including varying your toe position. 

‘Toes out-heels in’ works the inner calf.  ‘Toes in-heels out’ puts more emphasis on the outer portion of the calf.  Although keeping the toes pointed straight ahead will work all areas of the calf, the toe positions mentioned above will put more emphasis on specific areas. 

In addition to changing your toe position, I also recommend changing the position of your knees.  For example, do some bent knee calf exercises to emphasize the soleus and some straight leg (no bent knee) exercises to emphasize the gastroc muscle of the calf.  

Try incorporating all three toe positions and both knee positions into your calf workout program and I’m sure you will see results.

Thanks again, Mike, for the great question.  As always, don't forget to visit the Past Qs & As and my Training Tips section for more great tips and training info.

Until next month, train hard and stay healthy.

Mike Francois

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Note: Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training program, consult with your physician or other licensed health-care professional.