The seated calf machine is exercise equipment used to strengthen the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf. It is popular with athletes and is an important component of a balanced lower-body workout. The machine is designed to work both muscles simultaneously and is used towards the end of a lower body strength workout. It is recommended to perform at least three sets of calf exercises with up to 50 repetitions per set.
A seated calf machine is exercise equipment designed to strengthen the calf muscles, which primarily includes the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. It is found in health club weight rooms, home gyms, and other strength-training facilities, and is popular with athletes looking to achieve hypertrophy, or mass gains in the calf muscles. Seated calf machine exercises, while intended to work two of the smaller muscle groups in the body, are generally an important component of a balanced lower-body workout.
The muscles that the seated calf machine targets are the gastrocnemius and soleus. Visible at the back of the lower leg, the gastrocnemius is the larger and more superficial of the two, meaning it lies closer to the surface than the soleus. The gastrocnemius has two heads or sections, which originate at the back of the knee and extend downward, joining the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle. Similarly, the soleus inserts on the Achilles, but starts almost directly below the knee and runs below the gastrocnemius, so very little is seen in calf flexion.
Available from a variety of exercise equipment manufacturers, the Seated Calf Machine exercises the gastrocnemius and soleus at the same time. Both muscles are responsible for plantarflexion, which is the ball of the foot bending the ankle joint downward, such as when standing on your toes. However, the soleus is only involved when the knee is bent; therefore, the sitting position is ideal for working both muscles. To use the seated calf machine, which typically requires loading heavy plates onto a bar that extends in front of the user, one sits on the seat with knees bent 90 degrees, toes planted on a foot plate, and the heels dangling from the back of the platform. A knee pad is lowered onto each knee, and the user lifts the pads, and therefore the weight, by raising and lowering the heels of the feet.
It is often recommended to use the seated calf machine towards the end of a lower body strength workout, after all of the larger muscle groups have been exhausted. At this point, the calves will be pre-exhausted, meaning they have been worked during large muscle group exercises, such as hamstring curls, but have not yet reached complete fatigue. General recommendations for achieving calf muscle hypertrophy include performing at least three sets of calf exercises, aiming for up to 50 repetitions per set. It can also be vital for a person to work the ankle through a full range of motion during seated calf exercises, raising and lowering the heel all the way in each direction rather than bouncing or not fully dropping the heel toward the floor.
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