With just under 12 weeks to the London Marathon many of you are already or just about to start training for it.
Whilst slowly increasing your mileage week by week is the most important part of training. You should also be hitting the gym to make sure your body is strong & conditioned for the work load ahead of you over the coming months.
Weight training will not just keep your body strong but will also help with reducing injuries. Whilst you should be covering the basics such as squats , bench pressing & a pulling movement. I highly recommend training your calves too which is a area some can neglect.
There are 2 basic movements you can incorporate in to your training programme which will make sure your calf muscles are strong & healthy.
Seated Calf Raises
Some gyms will have a machine specifically for this movement. If not, you can use a bench & place a weight on your legs / over your knees to get the same affect. Sit in the machine /bench. Place a weight plate, dumbbells on your legs. Lift your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calves. Slowly lower your heels as low as possible, until you feel a stretch in your calves. Do 10 to 12 reps for 1 set. Do 2 or 4 sets.
Standing Calf Raises
Stand on the edge of a step/ on the machine, letting your heels hang slightly lower than your toes. (If you’re a first-timer, ease into this exercise by standing on the edge of a slanted surface, like a raised wood plank.) Rise onto the balls of your feet, engaging your calves. Keeping knees straight but not locked, lower down until you feel a stretch in your calves. Do 10 to 12 reps for 1 set. Do 2 or 4 sets.