Re: The Muscle Prof Academy
You have two primary muscles in the back of your lower leg. These include the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus. The Gastrocnemius has two heads (medial and lateral), whereas the Soleus has only one. The Gastrocnemius crosses the knee joint, and therefore fully activates when the knee extends. However, the Soleus does not cross the knee joint, and therefore does not need knee extension to fully activate this muscle.
The Gastrocnemius has longer muscle fibers, which means you should hit them with faster reps. The Soleus has shorter muscle fibers, which means you should hit them with slower reps. The best way to hit the Gastrocnemius is with standing calf raises, but the best way to target the Soleus is with seated calf raises.