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This dumbbell leg workout will strengthen your lower body, improve balance and boost heart health with dumbbell exercises like lunges, squats and deadlifts.
Return that leg to a standing position before lunging with the left leg by crossing your left leg behind the right. Repeat 10 times on each side. Dumbbell exercises Side extension with calf raise
Dumbbell single-leg standing calf raise. The standing calf raise is performed by plantarflexing the feet to lift the body. If a weight is used, then it rests upon the shoulders, or is held in the hand(s). This is an isolation exercise for the calves; it particularly emphasises the gastrocnemius muscle, and recruits the soleus muscle. [6] Equipment
Learn calf muscle anatomy and the best calf exercises for your leg workout to improve strength, balance, stability and to run faster, according to a personal trainer.
Bridging exercises are done with a flexed knee to lessen the stretch on the hamstring (a knee flexor) and focus the hip extension work on the gluteus maximus. In that same respect, the reduced knee flexion makes plantar flexion work comparable to a seated calf raise, due to the lessened stretch on the gastrocnemius (like the hamstring, also a knee flexor).
To that end, leg presses, lunges, and squat variations are staples, but exercises that train the obliques (side abs), rectus abdominis (front abs), and hip flexors are also critical, Booth explains.
One or two dumbbells or kettlebells can also be used, together or opposite one another. A trapbar can also be used, necessitating an inside grip. Standing calf raise machines can also be used to execute the shrugging movement, [6] by resting the pads on the shoulders and trying to raise the shoulders as high as possible.
Calf muscles take time and effort to strengthen and build. These exercises and workouts will help you to add size, muscle, and build athleticism in your legs.