Written by Shane Mclean | ACE CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Did you know that there are two calf muscles? They are called the soleus and the gastrocnemius. In this post, we are going to dig into the soleus, which is hidden underneath the gastrocnemius, yet is the larger and stronger of the two calf muscles.
Contents:
- What is the soleus muscle
- Soleus muscle functions
- The benefits of strengthening and stretching the soleus
- The 7 best exercises and stretches for the soleus
WHAT IS THE SOLEUS?
The soleus, which has a name that is derived from the Latin word "solea", meaning "sandal", is a large muscle on the back of the lower leg. It lies beneath the other calf muscle called the gastrocnemius.
It is a powerful muscle that originates from the back of the tibia (the larger, inner bone of the lower leg) and the smaller fibula (the smaller outer bone of the lower leg), and attaches to the heel bone via the Achilles tendon.
The soleus only crosses the ankle joint and it powers plantar flexion (pointing the toes down).
The soleus muscle assists the gastrocnemius during actives that require plantarflexion like walking, running, and jumping. But like the gastrocnemius, the soleus will benefit from a little extra love and attention.
WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE SOLEUS?
The calf muscles (soleus and the gastrocnemius) play an important part in locomotion activities. They move you forward, backward, and side to side, and absorb the impact of activities when you’re running, jumping, or training legs.
The soleus and gastrocnemius provide support for the lower body in terms of good ankle and knee stability, as well as ankle mobility. If they are weak or restricted this may affect the joints further up the body.
The soleus's main anatomical action is that of plantarflexion with the knee bent in flexion. The more the knee is in flexion, the more the soleus becomes the primary mover for plantarflexion because the gastrocnemius is being taken out of the equation. Put simply, the soleus is needed, and absolutely vital for, pushing your foot away from the ground, especially when doing so from a bent-knee position.
The soleus, along with the gastrocnemius, also plays important role in a muscular pump. When both muscles contract, they influence the venous return of blood up towards your heart. Because veins are passive compared to arteries, veins rely on muscular contractions to encourage venous flow.
GASTROCNEMIUS VS SOLEUS EXERCISES:
When considering its function for plantar flexion, we can say with certainty that the best exercises and stretches for the soleus will be ones with the knees bent to at least 80 degrees (i.e. seated, bent over, or from a squatting position), whereas the gastrocnemius is best targeted with the legs straight (i.e. standing no-knee-bend leg raises).
WHAT CAUSES TIGHT SOLEUS MUSCLES?
Tight calf muscles will restrict ankle and knee movement and will make things that require ankle mobility uncomfortable. The tighter the muscle the more likely the soleus will strain, even though it is rare. Here are a few causes of tight calf muscles
- Injury or previous injury.
- Intense workouts which cause delayed onset muscle soreness.
- Dehydration.
- Other muscle imbalances which cause a change in movement.
The two best things you can do to keep your soleus happy and healthy is strengthen it often and stretch it occasionally. The exercises further below are what you need.
BENEFITS OF STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING THE SOLEUS MUSCLE
Although the soleus and gastrocnemius are not as attractive a muscle to train as the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, spending some time training your calf muscles will provide you some important benefits, such as...
Note: Seeing as the soleus and gastrocnemius are so close together in action, their benefits are closely tied too.
- Better Ankle Stability: Ankle stabilization is important for gym activities and general health. Better ankle stability (and mobility) allow the knee and hip joints above to do their job better and help promote force absorption from high-impact activities.
- Explosiveness and Power: The soleus assists the gastrocnemius with movements that need rapid ankle plantarflexion.
- Injury Prevention: Stronger muscles and tendons are better able to absorb and produce force. Every time you train and strengthen the soleus you also strengthen the Achilles tendon too. The Achilles tendon is subject to the highest loads in the body, with tensile loads up to 10 times your body’s weight.
- Reduce Muscle Trigger Points: Foam rolling and stretching your soleus helps to reduce trigger points which are created as the result of collagen binding between layers of muscle. This will restrict the way the muscle moves reducing mobility and increasing your chances of pain.
- Helps To Reduce Tension And Tightness: Foam rolling, stretching, and strengthening the soleus can reduce muscular tension and tightness may help restore and improve ankle range of motion.
WHY THE SOLEUS IS HARD TO GROW
There are a couple of reasons why the calf muscles including the soleus are harder to grow and one of these reasons is likely not your fault:
- The Soleus is slow-twitch dominant: The soleus muscle has a muscle fiber composition that can be up to 90% slow-twitch dominant. This means it has more endurance, but it also means it is harder to grow. Slow-twitch dominant muscles are difficult to grow because they need a rich supply of oxygenated blood called Myoglobin. This means slow-twitch dominant muscles generate less power and strength than fast-twitch dominant muscles fibers but are slower to fatigue. For slow-twitch muscles like the soleus, you need high reps and high volume.
- It's Your Parent Fault: As a general rule, a longer tendon and shorter muscle belly makes the muscle harder to grow. Conversely, a shorter tendon and longer muscle belly makes it easier to grow. The long or short tendons will affect how big or small the calf muscles look. So, if you’ve been blessed with good genetics, short tendons and long muscle bellies take advantage of it. All in all, you can't change muscle insertions, you can only do the best you can with what you were born with. Nevertheless, the calves can grow with hard work, determination and plenty of time.
7 BEST SOLEUS EXERCISES & STRETCHES:
To start, we will provide you with the 4 best exercises to grow and strengthen your soleus muscle, which is so often neglected in training. And then we will provide you the 2 best soleus stretches and a great foam rolling exercise for the calves.
1. Soleus Bridge
By adjusting your normal hip extension exercise by raising your calf muscles on an elevated surface you will get to strengthen the soleus. Here’ you’ll do a traditional hip extension but with a heel raise at the top. You have the option of holding the hell raise or performing the heel raise with the hip extension each time.
How to do the Soleus Bridge:
- Lie supine on the floor and place the balls of your feet on an elevated surface like a foam roll or a weight plate.
- Perform a hip extension and squeeze your glutes at lockout (glute bridge position).
- While in the top position perform a calf raise and pause for a second.
- Reverse the movement and reset and repeat.
Form tips: You can hold an isometric calf raise throughout the entire movement for more time under tension. You can also do this exercise as a single leg variation.
Programming suggestions: Performing this as a warm-up exercise for one to two sets of 10-15 reps will add extra volume to your soleus.
2. Squat With Soleus Raise
Like with the soleus bridge exercise, the soleus is trained in concert with other leg muscles. By holding on to a squat rack and keeping a vertical torso and shin you’ll be able to perform a calf raise with a bent knee to strengthen the soleus further. You have the choice of holding a partner or thick mobilization band if the squat rack isn’t an option.
How to do the Squat With Soleus Raise:
- Hold a squat rack with both hands with an upright torso and feet hip-width apart and toes pointed forward. You can also hook a band to a pole or sturdy object and wrap it around your waste so you can lean back safely. This will allow you to keep your shins perpendicular with the floor when squatting down.
- Keeping your shoulder down and chest up perform a squat until your thighs are parallel with the ground.
- Perform a calf raise by raising up onto your toes.
- Pause for a second and return heels to the ground.
- Stand up from the squat and reset and repeat.
Form tip: Perform the whole movement with the calves contracted for more time under tension.
You can add resistance by using something like a loaded landmine:
Programming suggestions: Do instead of your usual calf exercise for sets of 15-20 reps.
3. Donkey Calf Raise
To develop the soleus, you need exercises that provide a stretch and take the soleus through a large range of motion and the ability to add weight for strength and muscle. The donkey calf raise fits this bill. Here you will bend the knees to focus on the soleus, making it an all-around calf developer.
How to do the Donkey Calf Raise:
- Set up in the donkey calf raise machine by securing your hands hinge back at the hips and placing the balls of your feet at the far edge of the step.
- Bend your knees as much as tolerated.
- Then lower your heels as far as possible to the floor pausing for 3-4 seconds.
- Then lift your heels up as far as possible, squeezing your calves at the top.
- Reset and repeat for reps.
Form tips: Using a lighter weight, more reps, and performing with tempo will have you feeling the burn.
If you don't have access to the above machine, you can also do them with just your bodyweight (have a friend hop on your back for added resistance or wear a weight belt)...
or...
Create a set up in the smith machine...
Programming suggestion: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps at the end of your training will work well.
4. Bent-Knee Calf Raises (Seated Calf Raises)
Unlike the donkey calf raises to perform this you don’t need a fancy machine to do the bent knee calf raise. This exercise is simple to load and perform and it can be set up in a few ways. For example, elevating the feet, performing in one leg at a time, or using dumbbells or weight plates for a load.
How to the Seated Bent Knee Calf Raises:
- Sit up straight with your legs bent at 90 degrees.
- Put the balls of your feet on a solid elevated surface and put the weight above the knee.
- Slowly lower your heels to the floor pausing for 3-4 seconds and feel the stretch.
- Then lift your heels up as far as possible, squeezing your calves at the lockout.
- Slowly lower down and reset and repeat.
Form tips: Keep an upright posture to put less stress on your lower back.
Of course, if you have access to a machine, use it for seated calf raises. It'll be much easier to create good resistance and progressive overload. Check out our post on the Best Calf Machines available today that will help you grow your calf muscles.
Programming suggestion: Attack this move with higher reps in the 20-25 rep range for two to three sets.
5. Soleus Seated Bent-Knee Stretch
Stretching the soleus is the same as strengthening it, you need to bend the knees: and stretch the way you usually stretch the calf muscle You’ll need a towel or a resistance band and maybe something underneath the knee for comfort. The beauty of this stretch is you will control the intensity of the stretch by how hard you pull on the towel or band.
How to do the Soleus Seated Bent Knee Stretch:
- Sit on the floor bend one knee and point your toes up towards the ceiling.
- Hook a band or towel around the middle of your foot.
- Pull on the band and towel to feel the stretch.
- Hold for the desired time and repeat on the other side.
Form tip: Perform up against a wall for extra support on your back.
If you don't have a band, you can still do this exercise as such...
Programming suggestion: Do for 30 to 60 seconds after you have trained your calf muscles to reduce tightness and promote recovery.
6. Soleus Bent Knee Standing Wall Stretch
Bending the knee like with the sitting soleus stretch with stretch the soleus and stretch the Achilles tendon from a different angle too. This is an intense stretch so please start slow and build up a tolerance for it before increasing the intensity by bending the knee more.
How to do the Soleus Bent Knee Standing Wall Stretch:
- Place both hands against the wall and take one leg back with the knee straight.
- Bend both knees until you feel a stretch in your back leg.
- Hold for the desired time and then switch sides and repeat.
Form tips: Push hands into the wall harder or bend the knee more for more of a stretch.
Programming suggestion: Do for 30 to 60 seconds after you have trained your calf muscles to reduce tightness and promote recovery.
7. Calf Foam Roll
Foam rolling the calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) is neglected because let’s face it, it hurts This area often gets tight, sore, and overworked. But when your calf muscles are sore and tight it may affect ankle mobility and calf strains if left unchecked. Pay attention to this area by sucking up the foam rolling pain for long term gain
How to foam roll the calf:
- Turn the roller horizontally and place one leg on the foam roller with the other leg being on the ground just behind the foam roller.
- Roll back and forth over calf muscle, keeping the toe pointed toward the sky.
- Push with your hands behind you and keep your glutes slightly off the ground while rolling back and forth.
Form tip: Place your non-working legs ankle on the working leg's knee for a more intense roll.
Programming suggestion: Apply light to moderate pressure and roll 30 seconds to a minute on each side.
Final Note on Programming:
Being that the soleus muscle is a slow-twitch dominant muscle, it can handle quite a bit of volume. This means you could do the exercises above around 3 times a week, spread out evenly.
As for the soleus stretches, we recommend doing them for one or two sets on days that you do calves exercises (or the following day) OR just once or twice a week when you have time (i.e. in the morning or night). Just avoid doing them directly before a workout. Stretches can be done before a workout, but make them dynamic - meaning don't hold them for extended periods of time, just move in and out of the stretch to create some laxity. Static stretches are best done after workouts or during times you don't plan to workout for a couple hours.
Related:
- Gastrocnemius Exercises (the superior calf muscle)
- Anterior Tibialis Exercises (the muscle located on the front part of shin bone)
- Dumbbell Calf Exercises
Shane Mclean
Author