BENT KNEE CALF RAISE (EXTRA VARIATION)

The bent knee calf raise will bias more load to the soleus (deep calf muscle). This is because the gastrocnemius is placed in more of a shortened position and can’t contribute as much to the movement. This variation is one you can use without the bent knee machine. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 4-8 reps each […]

WALKING LUNGE

A classic single leg exercise that can be biased slightly towards more quad or glute loading. It is great for hip mobility, stability and overall leg strength and endurance. A staple in most of my programs at one point or another. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 5-20 reps each side.

TIBIALIS RAISE

The tibialis anterior muscle is commonly undertrained, but is an important muscle (especially for runners and athletes) that supports ankle mobility, stability, strength and endurance. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 5-25 reps.

TOE WALKING

Toe walking is a great low-load exercise that will help improve ankle stiffness (crucial for plyometrics) and begin to load the achilles. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 10-30 steps.

HEEL WALKING

Heel walking is a great way to load the ankle and improve dorsiflexion strength and endurance at a low intensity. These are useful in early-mid ankle rehab, prior to impact and plyometrics. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 10-30 steps.

FRONT FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT (ISO)

The front foot split squat hold will help improve lower limb endurance and tissue tolerance. The isometric hold will increase strength and endurance of the ankle/calf complex, quad and glute without creating excess metabolic stress or muscle damage. It is ideal for runners and athletes. General prescription: 4-6 sets, 10-30s each side.

HAMSTRING BRIDGE (FOAM ROLLER)

This exercise will train the help isolate the hamstrings without compensation via the glutes and lower back. If you were to view the exercise by tilting your head, you would see it is a very similar position to ground strike in running/sprinting and as a result can be beneficial in improving the capacity of the […]

BENT KNEE CALF RAISE

The bent knee calf raise will bias more load to the soleus (deep calf muscle). This is because the gastrocnemius is placed in more of a shortened position and can’t contribute as much to the movement. General prescription: 3-5 sets, 4-8 reps each side for SL, 5-10 reps for DL.

STANDING CALF RAISE

The straight leg calf raise will bias more load to the gastrocnemius (superficial calf muscle). This is because it crosses the knee and is placed in a better position to produce force than its deeper calf counterpart, the soleus (which only attaches below the knee). This demonstration is movement pattern based, and the principles would […]