Polish Ankles
often referred to as "cankles." According to my boyfriend, I had them when we first started dating. Two years later I’ve managed to chisel away the difference between the ankle and the calf, but I still lack that beautiful diamond I lust after.
I’ve done thousands (literally) of calf raises standing, sitting, upside down but I can’t seem to develop my gastrocnemius. I wonder if calves are in general harder to develop. I also have a harder time with abs and triceps, both of which are stabilizers.
I notice other peoples’ calves, people who are skinny, heavy, skinny fat, etc…and I wonder how those people get the line and I can’t! I want to ask them what their "secret" is, but I’m afraid they’d say doughnuts and pizza. OH THE IRONY!
if any one has any ‘non traditional’ calf exercises they would like to share, it would be greatly appreciated!
March 10, 2008 at 8:29 am
I started doing two things that seem to have made a difference.
(1) Higher reps. You might already be doing this, but I’ve gone from approx 12 reps to 25+. I’ve also finished calve workouts with one big set of standing raises starting as heavy as I can go for 25 reps and the taking off about 1/4 of the weight, 25 more (no rest), repeat until I’ve done 100.
(2) Focus on the angle - primarily on standing, 1-leg raises with a dumbell. With my free hand, I’ll hold onto an anchor (squat cage of other heavy equipment) and let my body hang off to one side (switching dumbbell from one hand to the other while doing raises on the same foot allows for angles 20-30 degress to one side or the other). Try to really lock in on that conscious connection of visualizing how each rep is affecting the muscle. By altering the angle you can really feel that you’re targeting one part of the calve or the other.
As an aside, your new photos look fantastic. I understand the desire to focus on one thing or another, but you’re already aces in my book.