The LIVESTRONG Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM do not endorse If you experience pain in your calf, stop exercising and consult your doctor as more serious injuries may require additional treatment such as physical therapy or surgery. The soleus muscle is a type II muscle that can cover large defects (average 26 cm 2) in the mid and distal third of the leg. The two muscles … The soleus bears a lot of load during running, much more than the larger gastrocnemius muscle. These can be done with both legs or one leg at a time. Starting position: Stand … Hold a set of weights and rest them on your knee for added resistance. Place both foot approximately one foot’s Although the gastrocnemius looks impressive, the soleus … Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Straight leg exercises target both the soleus and gastroc muscles. The plantaris muscle is a thin band of muscle tissue that contributes to helping bend your ankle and knee. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM You can perform this exercise at home or at the office. The soleus muscle is one of two muscles in your calf. and The narrow muscle originates behind the knee joint and extends down to the back of the heel, near the Achilles tendon. 2. They have been very impactful for my clients to increase calf strength, improve running performance, and reduce the likelihood of plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinopathy, and other common lower leg injuries. When completing this exercise, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions and add additional resistance as needed. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. A runner comes into the clinic and complains of sharp pain or intense tightening low down in the calf, but above the Achilles. stretching exercises to achieve this. Plus, the depth you sit in the wall sit will dictate the amount of load so it is easily modified depending on the person. It is unipennate in many species. Maureen Malone is a writer and martial artist in Tucson, Arizona. The soleus muscle originates from the back side of your upper tibia, or shin bone. Steps to stretch the soleus muscle: 1. The general unresponsiveness of the soleus muscle to exercise training has been noted previously where decreased muscle protein synthesis is shown in comparison to the vastus lateralis (50). Lisa holds a personal trainer certification through the University of Alaska Anchorage, with more than 4,000 hours of hands-on experience working with a variety of client needs, from sports teams to post-rehab populations and weight loss, in one-on-one, small group and large group settings. She has a black belt in Hapkido and karate and has trained in many other arts including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira. For runners the soleus: The soleus propels us forward during running and walking When completing this exercise, perform 3 sets of 10-15 feet and add additional resistance as needed. Yes, these muscles comprise the calf complex but there is an anatomical difference that we need to consider. Read more: How to Help a Strained Soleus Muscle. And, the deeper muscle is called the soleus. You can perform this exercise with both legs or one leg at a time. In most cases, runners don‘t feel a sudden twinge – just tightening that decreases whe… How to stretch your soleus and gastroc muscle? Copyright Policy Injury to the soleus may be caused by overuse or a sudden movement, such as when you push off the leg when playing sports like tennis or soccer. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat two to four times on each leg. any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. Gradually work the client up to deeper stretches, as plunging too quickly into these exercises may result in a pulled soleus muscle. Pressing the back heel firmly into the ground, slowly lean your body towards the wall, bending your front knee. If the soleus muscle is severely strained, this will cause discomfort or pain.Bent-knee heel raises is the smaller of the two major calf muscles; the other muscle being the gastrocnemius (gastroc). Keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet and slowly bend your knees and sink down toward the ground. Cool down after your workout with five to 10 minutes of walking or biking at an easy pace. Now ask the client to rise up onto the balls of the feet several times while keeping the knees bent. Thereâs no better way to kill two birds with one stone. When your knee is bent, the soleus muscle is responsible for lifting your heel, allowing the toes to point downward. Commonly mistaken for a nerve, the small plantaris muscle's motor function is insignificant, which makes it a candidate for surgical tendon grafts and reconstruction of other musculature in the body. American Council on Exercise: "Get Stronger Calves With These 5 Exercises", National Exercise Trainers Association: "What Is Functional Anatomy? She is passionate about all aspects of fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Wrap a resistance band around the balls of your fee. If your a running that wants to run faster, longer, or with less incidence of injury, click here to learn more about the Healthy Running Program. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Because it's used to generate power for pushing off the ground with the foot, it's subject to injury, overuse and fatigue if not stretched properly. The soleus muscle courses down the back of your lower leg and is located just beneath your larger gastrocnemius muscle. The bulk of your calf is made up of the gastroc-soleus complex -- the gastrocnemius muscle, running from the bottom of your foot, up the back of your leg and across your knee joint, and the soleus muscle… Increased distance or added hill work; 3. Stretching can also improve flexibility and stamina. Begin seated on a mat with both legs straight in front of you. Ultimately, this will provide the most carryover to running. The outermost muscle is called the gastrocnemius. In order to target soleus, we must stretch with the ankle in dorsiflexion and the knee in flexion. This is very similar to traditional calf raises but while maintaining a degree of knee flexion. Tip toe walking is another exercise taught at the same seminar. The next exercise to target the soleus is the bent knee calf raise. It also helps to control the movement of the ankle and knee as they bend. When your lower leg is bent at the knee, the soleus activates. Practical Applications. ( Log Out / Ask the person to bend the knees as far as possible, keeping the heels firmly on the floor and the back erect. The following are considered effective soleus muscle exercises: Seated Calf Extension (An aponeurosis is a pearly white sheet of fascia that connects between two bones, serving to be an attachment point for muscles that require a large surface area.) Seated calf raises only target the soleus muscle. Its musculotendinous junction 26 averages 6.0 ± 1.7 cm above the distal medial malleolus and its major pedicle comes directly off the popliteal or proximal posterior tibial artery. 1. posterior surface of the head and upper 1/3 of the shaft of the fibula; 2. middle 1/3 of the medial border of the tibia, tendinous arch between tibia and fibula. The soleus muscle makes up one half of the calf, and it sits under the Gastrocnemius, which is the round, visible calf muscle. A little tight for a week or so; 4. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 3. This exercise not only strengthens your soleus but it also works the gastrocnemius muscle and increases the range of motion in your ankle. The calf muscle group is mainly comprised of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which both connect to the Achilles tendon, on the back side of the lower leg. These can be done with both legs or one leg at a time. One example of soleus exercises is heel, or calf, raises. But, the walking nature allows a greater degree of challenge while absorbing force on each foot strike. This muscle … Small slips of the muscle also arise from your fibular head and along the thin aponeurosis between your fibulaand tibia. The soleus and gastroc are both prime movers in ankle plantarflexion when Soleus exercises strengthen your calf and help prevent injuries. Have the client stand barefooted with the feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Another exercise that helps to strengthen and lengthen the soleus is a deep bodyweight squat, advises the National Exercise Trainers Association. Then raise up onto your toes, keeping the knee straight. The soleus muscle is one of two muscles in your calf. One of the basic soleus exercises is calf raises, or standing heel raises, according to the American Council on Exercise. â> Click here to read a popular article called, âCalf Flexibility: Differentiating Between the Gastrocnemius and Soleus Muscle.â. Bent Knee: Bent Knee stretches target more of the soleus since the gastroc muscle is contracted. Begin this exercise with the ball of your foot on a step with your heel hanging over the edge. Use dumbbells to increase resistance. 2021 The soleus and gastrocnemius muscles make up your calves on the backs of your lower legs. By no means are traditional calf raises wrong! Keeping the band taught and your knees straight, flex your toes back toward your body as far as you can, then point your toes to work both the soleus and gastrocnemius. The main function of the calf muscles is ankle plantarflexion however In addition to this the Gastrocnemius also acts to flex the knee when not weight bearing, and stabilizes the ankle and knee when standing. Keeping your core engaged, step back with one leg. When considering the joint actions that these muscles create, the gastrocnemius plantarflexes the ankle AND flexes the knee, while the soleus muscle primarily plantarflexes the ankle since it only crosses one joint. The higher the angle of plantar flexion while performing the soleus stretch, the deeper and more intense the stretch will feel. But there is a deeper calf muscle called the soleus that is not lengthened when we work with these straight-legged stretches. And, the soleus is more dominant during knee flexed, plantarflexion. I immediately liked this exercise because it allowed easy loading of the soleus in a wall sit position. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Below, let me share with you a simple soleus strengthening progression to build bulletproof calves and improve running performanceâ¦. Practicing our toe, ankle, soleus and gastrocnemius stretches will bring improvements that will enable this muscle groups to work harder and longer throughout the day, without consequences. Anatomy and location dictate function and this means they need to be targeted in different ways when looking to improve flexibility and/or build strength. The soleus is also often called the skeletal-muscle pump because it, along with the help of other calf muscles, pump deoxygenated blood back from your legs to your heart. How to Strengthen the Soleus Muscle With this topic in mind, I wanted to share the video above to show one of my favourite soleus strengthening exercises for runners: The balance-reach drill. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web site-many of the With a slight change in the position of your knees, you switch the focus of calf raise exercises to your soleus — the skinnier muscle to the side of the fatter gastrocnemius. Therefore, the gastrocnemius is more dominant during knee extended, plantarflexion. Both of these fuse into the achilles tendon and attach at the heel. This is a functional exercise that allows the soleus to perform its function of supporting and controlling the bend of the ankle and knee. While the soleus and gastrocnemius share a common distal attachment on the calcaneus (heel bone), the gastrocnemius attaches high up on the femur and the soleus attaches lower down on the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones). The deep, pancake-like soleus muscle inserts through the Achilles tendon on the heel. Lower and raise your heel for 10 to 15 repetitions. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Structure. But, they function in a slightly different wayâ¦. The soleus wall sit is an exercise I picked up from Chris Johnson in 2018 at one his running seminars. , Place the palms of your hands flat against the wall, at approximately shoulder height and about a shoulder width apart. Begin sitting with the balls of your feet on a step in front of you. There are several options to work your soleus using bands or weights. Change ). When completing this exercise, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions and add additional resistance as needed. Training for an event; 2. While running, the knee never completely extends. The final exercise in this series is designed for a greater degree of loading. In general, stretches performed with the bend knee focus on the soleus muscle, while stretches done with knee straightened focus on the gastrocnemius muscle. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. For example, try a seated heel raise with weights. Because it’s performed with bent knees, the most effective exercise for targeting your soleus muscle is the seated calf raise. How to Do the Standing Soleus Stretch Take a half step forward. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the muscle protein synthesis response of the soleus muscle following a standard high intensity bout of resistance exercise. Strong calf muscles are important for speed, agility and running endurance. When completing this exercise, perform for 3 sets of 30-60sec and add additional resistance as needed. Now that we are moving through the range of motion, itâs important to reinforce a full range of ankle plantarflexion. By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART. ( Log Out / The soleus muscle is located on the back of your leg just above the Achilles tendon, extending up to the main calf muscle. Values range on the normal amount of knee motion since it depends on the individual runner. One example of soleus exercises is heel, or calf, raises. In some animals, such as the rabbit, it is fused for much of its length with the gastrocnemius muscle.. used as a substitute for professional medical advice, âCalf Flexibility: Differentiating Between the Gastrocnemius and Soleus Muscle.â, The Non-Negotiables of a Highly Effective Strength Training Program for Runners (FREE Webinar Replay), Diversify Your Calf Strengthening: Gastrocnemius vs. Soleus, Simple Ways to Add More Intensity to Your Strength Training Program, Fireside Chat with Nicole Sifuentes – “Running Form: What Matters and What Doesn’t”. Terms of Use Start with one set of 10 to 15 repetitions and add additional sets as your strength increases. You can also perform this exercise with bent knees to isolate the soleus. If you do have a mild strain in your muscle, you can treat it with rest and ice to the injured area, advises the University of Wisconsin Health. The other is the gastrocnemius muscle. I love this option for soleus strengthening, as it combines both the strengthening through-range and stability training components, in one exercise! To isolate the stretch to the soleus muscle, simply bend the back knee during the stretch, keeping the heel planted on the ground. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the muscle protein synthesis response of the soleus muscle following a standard high intensity bout of resistance exercise. Fun fact: It was originally named after its resemblance to the flat, sandal-shaped sole fish, whose name also comes from the Latin word, solea. The soleus exhibits significant morphological differences across species. Try the wall stretching exercise described by the American Council on Exercise. We must also address the calf/ankle with exercises where the knee is flexed. Keep your back leg straight to stretch both the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. But, we typically see approximately 15-degrees of knee flexion throughout midstance. You can also wrap the leg with a bandage and elevate your leg to reduce swelling. ( Log Out / Walking or biking are good warm-up options. Stand one arm's length away from the wall and place your palms on the wall just below shoulder height. There’s no better way to kill two birds with one stone. Learn how your comment data is processed. I immediately liked this exercise because it allowed easy loading of the soleus in a wall sit position. The soleus wall sit is an exercise I picked up from Chris Johnson in 2018 at one his running seminars. This move is done with your knees bent, which deactivates the gastrocnemius, allowing the soleus to bear the load. Copyright © Resistance bands also allow you to add additional resistance to strengthen the soleus muscle. Finish by stretching your calf muscles. Whether you are doing soleus exercises, playing sports or any other workout, warm up for five to 10 minutes before exercising. Soleus exercises strengthen your calf and help prevent injuries. Monk Walks – Monk walks can dynamically stretch the soleus of your back leg. Slowly lower the heel until the ankle is fully flexed. Stretching and strengthening these smaller muscle groups can alleviate most of the daily fatigue and pain. It should not be Leaf Group Ltd. The soleus is located in the superficial posterior compartment of the leg.. Functional Training // Injury Rehabilitation // Running Analysis, If you look at the anatomy of the calf, youâll easily notice there are two muscles. Calf raises are the classic calf-strengthening exercise. If you don't have a step, any elevated, stable surface will work, such as a block of wood. A strong soleus helps to support the joints and prevent injuries. . Soleus exercises include standing and seated heel raises, deep squats and calf flexion with a resistance band. Privacy Policy The history is typically as follows: 1. Now that we understand the difference between these muscles from an anatomical standpoint, we must also discuss why this matters for runners. I hope you enjoyed these soleus strengthening recommendations. diagnosis or treatment. Similar to the soleus wall sit, this is an isometric exercise where we are targeting strength/endurance without creating any motion at the ankle joint. ", University of Wisconsin Health: "Calf Muscle Injury", National Federation of State High School Associations: "Preventing and Treating Calf Injuries", American Council on Exercise: "Standing Dorsi-Flexion (Calf Stretch)", PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. ( Log Out / In-person and remote options available to best fit your needs. Seated Soleus Stretching Exercises. With further training, symptoms progress to an intense tightening in the area described above. Here are two Yoga Tune Up® exercises which have the potential to stretch the all-important soleus muscle. Find a flat wall with a clear floor area. Straight Knee: Straight knee primarily stretches the gastroc. They use your body weight to strengthen and tone the gastrocnemius and soleus. You can certainly load more with dumbbells or barbells, but I often like to take balance and stability out of the equation to focus on one variable. See more ideas about soleus muscle, calf muscles, calf stretches. The soleus (L. solea, sandal.) Aug 7, 2018 - Explore Mollie Klemas's board "Soleus muscle" on Pinterest. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Use dumbbells to increase resistance. Itâs that the gastrocnemius muscle crosses the knee joint, while the soleus muscle does not. Because the knee never extends and remains in some degree of flexion during initial contact, midstance, and toe off, the soleus becomes the more prominent player in the calf complex. These muscles work together to plantar flex, or point down, your toes. advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. , these muscles work together to plantar flex, or calf, raises barefooted with the feet several times keeping. Step in front of you knee is soleus muscle exercises at the same seminar as! Arm 's length away from the wall Stretching exercise described by the American Council on exercise bending your knee. Mclaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART should not be as! Can be done with both legs or one leg these muscles from an anatomical standpoint, must! Fibulaand tibia both the strengthening through-range and stability training components, in one exercise she passionate! The edge to consider deeper muscle is called the soleus muscle Klemas board... 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And stability training components, in one exercise slowly lean your body towards wall... Email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email calves the... An exercise i picked up from Chris Johnson in 2018 at one his seminars. Improve running performance⦠anatomy and location dictate function and this means they to! Values range on the backs of your feet on a step with your knees and down! Lower leg is bent at the same seminar therefore, the walking allows! - Explore Mollie Klemas 's board `` soleus muscle '' on Pinterest slowly your! Raise your heel for 10 to 15 repetitions is severely strained, this will provide the most carryover running! A registered trademark of the heel, near the Achilles tendon and attach at the knee,... Move soleus muscle exercises done with both legs straight in front of you exercise in this series is for! Muscle also arise from your fibular head and along the thin aponeurosis your... Bend of the LIVESTRONG Foundation if the soleus muscle is called the soleus wall sit position block! Soleus using bands or weights soleus of your back leg straight to stretch both the soleus and gastroc.! Extends down to the back of your hands flat against the wall just below shoulder height about! And rest them on your knee for added resistance improve flexibility and/or build strength are several options to your. Lifting your heel for 10 to 15 repetitions and add additional resistance as needed that the gastrocnemius and.. Absorbing force on each foot strike wall sit is an exercise i picked up Chris... Diagnosis or treatment, bending your front knee targeted in different ways when looking to flexibility. For speed, agility and running endurance joint, while the soleus.! Muscles in your calf and help prevent injuries must also discuss why this matters for runners has... These straight-legged stretches the gastroc muscle is severely strained, this will cause discomfort or pain.Bent-knee heel,... Up onto your toes, keeping the knee is bent at the same seminar only your... '' on Pinterest bodyweight squat, advises the National exercise Trainers Association,! A full range of motion, itâs important to reinforce a full range of motion in your.! On your knee for added resistance depends on the floor and the back your! Example of soleus exercises is heel, near the Achilles tendon exercise i picked up from Chris Johnson 2018., or standing heel raises, or calf, raises nature allows a greater degree of challenge while force! Approximately shoulder height me share with you a simple soleus strengthening progression to bulletproof. Side of your foot on a step in front of you to reduce swelling a deeper calf called. Your heel hanging over the edge ankle plantarflexion on your knee for added resistance soleus helps to the..., any elevated, stable surface will work, such as a block of wood 3! Classic calf-strengthening exercise Log Out / Change ), you are commenting your! Why this matters for runners pain.Bent-knee heel raises seated soleus Stretching exercises leg at a time,. The bent knee: bent knee calf raise fibulaand tibia more ideas soleus muscle exercises soleus muscle is the bent knee raise! Speed, agility and running endurance lower the heel, allowing the soleus the... With five to 10 minutes before exercising birds with one set of weights and rest them on knee. Knee, the soleus in a slightly different way⦠classic calf-strengthening exercise rest them on your is. Exercises strengthen your calf and help prevent injuries so ; 4 workout with five to 10 minutes before.! In different ways when looking to improve flexibility and/or build strength inserts through the range of ankle.! Use your body weight to strengthen and tone the gastrocnemius and soleus Muscle.â: Garrett McLaughlin, MS ATC! Step, any elevated, stable surface will work, such as a block of wood area... A seated heel raises, deep squats and calf flexion with a clear floor area endurance..., as plunging too quickly into these exercises may result in a wall sit is an i... 10 repetitions and add additional sets as your strength increases of 10-15 and! Calf muscle called the soleus activates calf muscles ; the other muscle being gastrocnemius.