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Key Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:56 Quick Gastroc Facts
1:20 Gastroc Anatomy
1:34 Movements & Exercises
2:03 Keys to Hypertrophy
2:17 Biarticular Effects
2:37 Injury Prevention & Stretching
3:13 How to Access the Extended Mastery Version
3:35 AllAccess Basic Membership Overview & Free Month
4:25 FitnessTip Friday Overview

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Did you know that the inner and outer portions of the calf grow at different rates, and can be selectively targeted? Or that if your knee is bent, your calf raise strength is cut in half? Or that having tight calves can lead to flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and even hip injuries? Well in this first installment of my 2 minute muscle series, I’m going to go over everything you absolutely need to know about working the gastrocnemius, the largest muscle in the calves. Drastically improving your calf training, all in under two minutes!

QUICK FACTS
Despite what some people think, only around 20% of baseline calf size is genetic, and that drops to single digits as you age, so you do control your calf growth with your training
The gastroc has a majority of type II fasttwitch muscle fibers, so powerful or explosive contractions will target it best
1020% of people have an extra bone embedded into the top of their gastroc called the Fabella, which helps stabilize the knee
And the inner gastroc is naturally bigger than the outer, but that can be changed via regionspecific training

ANATOMY
The gastroc is Vshaped because it’s split into medial and lateral heads, which originate from the medial and lateral sides of the femur. They merge to form the Achilles, which inserts on the heel. And both heads are innervated by the sciatic nerve.

MOVEMENTS & EXERCISES
Since it crosses the back of the knee, and the ankle, when it contracts it bends the knee, AND points the foot. So both calf raises and leg curls work the gastroc. However, because the two heads have different origins, they don’t pull evenly on the heel. Studies show that doing calf raises with your feet turned in works the LATERAL head more, while having your feet turned out works the MEDIAL head more. No standard exercise works BOTH the knee and ankle flexion aspects of the gastroc simultaneously, so I developed this technique, combining a leg curl with calf raises to successfully do so.

LITTLEKNOWN KEYS TO HYPERTROPHY (GROWTH)
Gastroc growth is also affected by calf raise range of motion. Working only the first half results in greater hypertrophy than working the second half OR full range of motion! Calf growth also depends on contraction type, with eccentrics triggering greater hypertrophy and lower risk of injury than concentrics.

BIARTICULAR (TWOJOINT) CONSEQUENCES Crossing two joints also creates active insufficiency in the gastroc. If the ankle is flexed, it can’t bend the knee as strongly. Or if the knee is bent, it can’t flex the ankle as strongly. So if you do bentknee calf raises, only your soleus will be effectively worked. Crossing two joints also makes the gastroc more susceptible to injury. With “tennis leg” being the most common example.

INJURY PREVENTION & STRETCHING
To prevent injury you should stretch the calf by dropping your heel as far as you can with a straight knee, and then leaning forward. New research shows that simply stretching the gastroc can also trigger hypertrophy by itself, with one study showing 15% growth in just 6 weeks. Stretching is also important because the gastroc transmits force through deep fascia up to the hip so if it’s too tight, it can pull your hip out of alignment and down to the plantar fascia of the foot, causing flat arches and plantar fasciitis. And finally when you do stretch, you should include ballistic stretching techniques, since it’s the only type that decreases tendon stiffness, preventing Achilles injuries.