Calf-muscle strength

[Drewfasa]

Dear Mark,
I have recently begun training with a novice partner and we are both doing your SS:BBT program. This has involved a lot of explanation to my friend about why we do compound lifts and skip isolation exercises - ie. explaining how all the muscles are used in the basic 5 exercises. I have done this by using the information about lifting mechanics from your book.

However, when he asked me how the calf-muscles get stronger through the training I realised I didn't know. In fact I don't believe the muscles of the lower leg are mentioned in SS:BBT (please correct me if I'm wrong).

What part do the muscles of the lower leg play in the basic lifts? I presume they do get stronger through the lifts, is their role mainly isometric? Is the plantar flexion produced in a clean sufficient to produce adaptation?

If I have overlooked information contained in your books feel free just to point me to the relevant pages.

-Andrew

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, they primarily function in an isometric and short ROM capacity. They adjust your position against the ground and maintain balance at their distal function on the foot, and they anchor against the femur in their proximal function to help control knee angle. The discussion of the glute/ham raise touches on this in BBT. The issue is clouded by the old "triple-extension" idea of the clean. I don't think that active plantar flexion contributes to the clean; I think that the momentum generated by the knee and hip extension carries you up onto your toes, and that calves -- being composed of predominantly slow-twitch fibers and low-threshold motor units -- don't really have the potential to help with explosion. They do have the important function of controlling foot position and stabilizing the foot as the knees and hips explode, and in this way they ensure maximum efficiency of the hip/knee explosion by controlling the ground reaction.