Strength Training
Pumps, stilettos, kittens

Look Great in Flats

Pumps, stilettos, kittens – a good pair of heels have been a woman's secret weapon in getting gorgeous legs starting thousands of years ago with the ancient Egyptians. But, fashionable ballet flats, practical riding boots and flimsy flip flops are taking that trick out of the equation. So what's a girl to do when she can't rely on a pump to pump up her calves?

Strengthening your calf muscles is a simple test of gravity. Just about any exercise that requires a vertical movement, such as hiking, climbing stairs, running or cycling uphill work the soleus and gastrocnemius, the two muscles that make up the calves. But if you want to tackle them at the gym, the exercise experts at Life Fitness suggest spicing up your squats to score more shapely stems, no matter the footwear.

The basic squat is one of the best lower body exercises you can do. This simple move simultaneously works glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves and can be accessorized for maximum benefit.

  • Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes facing straight ahead or angled outward like a ballet dancer.
  • Inhale and slowly lower hips towards the floor while bending the knees, keeping your torso straight.
  • Draw your belly button toward the spine to activate abdominal muscles. Keep your knees behind your toes.
  • Squat to almost 90 degrees then exhale as you stand, pushing up onto the balls of your feet and flexing the calves
  • Repeat the move for three sets of 12 reps.


Once you build up your strength and balance, add weight or try holding on the balls of your feet longer. The Smith machine at your gym adds weight at the shoulders in a fixed path of motion, for example. Or, try a more freestanding squat rack to work on core stability as you carve out those calves.

Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on FitTips and other fitness advice and expertise visit www.lifefitness.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lifefitness or join our facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/lifefitness.

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