Calf & Ankle Resilience

Workout - Calf & Ankle Resilience

• 8min @ 6'30''/km
• 3 lots of:
  • 2min @ 15'00''/km
• 5min @ 15'00''/km

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Intro

The Running Channel released You NEED To Do This Calf Workout | Avoid Running Injuries, a breakdown of why calf strength matters for runners and how to build it. Below are the key takeaways and exercises so you can start now.

Key points

• Strong calves, Achilles tendons, and stable ankles help prevent injury and improve performance.
• You only need a chair and a folded towel or jumper.
• Hit both the outer gastrocnemius (standing raises) and the inner tibialis posterior (toes on towel) for balanced strength.
• Mix bilateral and single-leg exercises to match the one-legged demands of running.
• Don’t skip the bent-knee variation. It hits the soleus, which drives endurance in the stride.

Workout example

1. Bilateral calf raises on a towel (12 reps):

• Fold a towel or jumper on the ground, heels on it.
• Push through the balls of your feet to rise, hold 1-2 seconds at the top, lower back down.
• Heels aligned, no twisting feet.
• 12 reps, controlled pace.

2. Tibialis posterior raise (12 reps):

• Heels on towel, shift weight forward onto toes (also on towel).
• Same rise-hold-lower pattern, straight up and down.

3. Unilateral chair calf raises (8 reps each leg):

• One foot on the chair, the other planted on the floor.
• Rise on the calf of the grounded foot, knees straight and parallel.
• 8 reps, then switch.

4. Bent-knee soleus raises (12 reps):

• Stand behind a chair for balance, knees slightly bent.
• Lift heels while holding the knee bend steady, no bending or straightening.
• 12 reps.

5. Seated soleus raises (5 reps each leg):

• Sit on the chair with knees at 90 degrees, one leg hanging off.
• Raise the heel of the grounded foot, keeping it aligned.
• 5 reps, then switch.

Adjust reps to your fitness. Do this routine 1-2 times a week, ideally after a run.

Closing note

Run through this routine once or twice this week. Adjust reps to your level in the Pacing app.

References

• You NEED To Do This Calf Workout | Avoid Running Injuries - YouTube (YouTube Video)