The triceps surae, or gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf, are important for walking and running. Exercises such as calf raises and explosive jumping movements can strengthen and tone them. These muscles are responsible for ankle plantarflexion, and can be toned through exercises such as calf raises and explosive jumping movements.
Triceps surae is another name for the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf. Exercises that strengthen and tone the triceps surae involve plantarflexion against resistance, such as standing and seated calf raises and explosive jumping movements. These muscles are used a lot every day because they are important for actions like walking and running. Therefore, they must be trained in excess of their normal load, either through additional weight or repetitions, to see improvements in strength and tone.
The triceps surae is sometimes referred to as a single muscle, the triceps surae, because the gastrocnemius features two separate heads, and thus three separate muscle bellies are found in this group. Located at the back of the lower leg, the muscles of the triceps surae group are also classified as one for their shared function. These muscles are responsible for ankle plantarflexion, which is the action of pointing the foot down.
Originating from the back of the knee, the triceps surae muscles run down the back of the lower leg to attach to the heel bone, or calcaneus, via a shared tendon known as the calcaneal or Achilles tendon. When they contract, they pull up on the back of the heel bone, which shortens the back of the lower leg and articulates the foot down at the ankle joint. This movement is common to all forms of walking, from walking, running, climbing.
One exercise that tones the triceps sura by loading the muscles with weight is the calf raise. Performed while standing on a machine with the shoulders pressing up against padded weights, or alternatively holding weights in the hands or placing a barbell across the shoulders, the athlete stands on a step or platform with the heels dangling over the edge. He then rises onto the balls of his feet contracting the triceps surae and slowly lowers himself until his heels drop below the edge of the step and the muscles are stretched. This exercise can also be performed without additional weight by standing on one foot and loading the muscles with repetitions.
Another variation on the standing calf raise is the seated calf raise. To perform this exercise, one sits on the calf machine with the knees at hip level and flexed to 90 degrees and the balls of the feet resting on top of a platform below. With the knees pressing up against the padded weights, the athlete contracts the triceps surae, lifts the heels and pushes the weight up, then slowly lowers the heels below the height of the platform until the muscles feel a stretch.
The triceps surae can also be effectively toned by incorporating explosive jumping movements into your strength training routine. An example is the squat jump, in which the athlete squats and explodes upward, pointing the toes into the air, and lands softly with the knees bent. A lower impact version of this move can be performed by beginners with professional supervision. Another example is jumping rope, which, while a cardiovascular exercise, can improve calf tone through the high number of repetitions required.
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