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No Legpress/Calf Machine

ChrisYi Posts: 126 Joined: 2001/05/05	2001/05/18, 11:22 AM There is no Legpress or Calf Machine at the gym in our apartment complex. I was told for the calves to step on a step and slowly lower my body. Are there any exercises that I can strengthen/build my calves without any machines? And how about a legpress alternative?
BillK Posts: 361 Joined: 2000/12/26	2001/05/18, 05:34 PM Purchase yourself a tricep bar. Sit on a bench or chair and put a pillow or something across the tops of your legs. Put your toes on top of two dumbbells. Lay the Tricep bar across the pillow load it with weights and start lifting your heels up of the ground. To hit different areas of the calves. Angle the dumbbells in and out between sets. This will give you different angles to work with and better build harder calves. ~billk~
mongrel2012 Posts: 125 Joined: 2001/05/04	2001/05/18, 10:16 PM Heres some things that you could try: You can hold some heavy dumbells, and do single or double legged calf raises, or u can put a loaded bar on your traps and lean slightly against a wall for support and do the raises there. I also skip, it isn't weight training, but it works the calves well and gives you a great cardio workout
ChrisYi Posts: 126 Joined: 2001/05/05	2001/05/18, 11:04 PM Thanks for the suggestion mongrel2012. My arms are not strong enough to hold heavy dumbells at the moment, but I'll try the calf raises with slightly lighter weights. By the way, does swimming help in toning the calves?
bombx Posts: 69 Joined: 2001/02/12	2001/05/21, 09:58 PM Wow thanks for that info Bilk, I gotta try it tomorrow , sounds so good. Cheers Dan
keith Posts: 190 Joined: 2001/03/26	2001/05/19, 08:58 AM Hi chrisyi, there are several way you can train your calves. one way is to climb stairs and when you take a step go on your toes, by that I mean lift your body with your toes. As for leg presses you can do lunges with or without weights. Hope these will help.
kevtheraise Posts: 42 Joined: 2001/04/07	2001/05/20, 02:24 PM If you have got a lying leg curl, sit on the bench and put your legs under the pad .Get a step block and put it under your legs so you can put your toes on the block.Makes great seated calf raises!
jpcorrao Posts: 117 Joined: 2001/02/12	2001/05/21, 08:34 AM Squat up against a wall with weights
merlinhog Posts: 213 Joined: 2001/04/23	2001/05/22, 11:25 AM Lunges are a great leg excercise. Also good for a shapley backside. One weird one is start in a full squat and explode up and jump pushing off your toes at the end and then land back in the squat. Do this 12 times and you will feel a great burn throughout...you don't even need weight. Merlin
ChrisYi Posts: 126 Joined: 2001/05/05	2001/05/23, 03:08 AM Thanks Merlin I'll try the Lunges out. I've tried doing calf stretches with a 2.5 kg weight in one hand. I felt my calves burn at the end of each set. Chris
Uttiya Posts: 199 Joined: 2001/02/22	2001/05/23, 12:56 AM Well for leggpress you can do squats and lunges, and for calves - holld a weight in one hand and then go up and down on the step.
Dragonzdk Posts: 1 Joined: 2004/08/05	2004/08/10, 07:31 PM I used some thick bubble wrap around a barbell and rested it on my knees. It's not ideal but a good alternative if you don't have a machine. :cool: