The calf muscle group is one of the main muscle groups that is considered important for focused training in the world of bodybuilding. The chest (pectorals), buttocks (gluteals), and calf, consisting of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles and the lesser known plantaris muscle, are the areas of the body most commonly to receive implants to enhance cosmetics.

More importantly, the calf muscles play an important role in:

• Walking, jogging, and running by performing the vital movement of plantarflexion (push off or pre-swing) needed to propel the leg and body forward as part of the gait and running patterns, or to propel the body upwards when jumping or walking up stairs
• Through proprioceptive activity, the calf muscle group, along with other muscles groups that cross and act on the ankle or subtalar joints, is important in maintaining balance by contracting if the body starts to lean forward which applies a superior and posterior force to the body to keep it upright
• Because its origin point is above the knee, the gastrocnemius assists the hamstrings in performing knee flexion when in the prone position, especially if you dorsiflex the ankle, placing the gastrocnemius on stretch to maximize the actin-myosin cross bridge formation for increased force production

It is also important to note that a landmark study looking at the relationship between calf circumference and the presence and degree of carotid plaques showed “an inverse relationship between carotid plaques and calf circumference (CC), suggesting a possible antiatherogenic effect of large CC.” ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18703804/)

What Unique Feature of the BOB – The Incredible Calf Master Helps in Developing Strong and Flexible Calf Muscles

Strong and flexible calf muscles, whether for enhanced athletic performance, proper ankle and foot posture and alignment, cosmetically pleasing appearance, therapeutic rehabilitation, or reduction in carotid plaque development, can all be achieved by the consistent use of the Bob Incredible Calf Master. These are made possible because of the various features of the BOB which effectively challenge the calf muscles and other connective and support tissues to become stronger, more flexible, more proprioceptor sensitive, and prepared to handle the stresses and strains of performance.

A Scalene Triangle

A scalene triangle is one in which all angles are unequal, and as such all side length are also unequal, or of different lengths. Specific to the BOB this configuration provides pivot points that allows the user to move through a full range of motion in sagittal plane for both dorsiflexion and plantarflexion.

Using the BOB to Strengthen, Enlarge, and Define Calf Muscles

The two primary muscles that comprise the calf are the gastrocnemius and the soleus. While both cross the ankle joint to perform plantarflexion, the gastrocnemius also crosses the knee joint posteriorly and can help in performing knee flexion.

Gastrocnemius and Soleus

To “isolate” (to the degree possible) these individual muscles in order to more fully focus on their respective individual development it is necessary to put “slack”, or what is technically called “shortened active insufficiency”, in the gastrocnemius muscle when trying to focus on the soleus muscle, and when trying to focus on the gastrocnemius muscle, place the gastrocnemius in slight stretch.

Using the BOB to Stretch the Calf Muscles in the Development of Flexibility and Good Ankle Range of Motion

In stretching the calf muscles, it is again important to “isolate” (to the degree possible) these individual muscles in order to more precisely focus the stretching to each individual muscle.

A Summary - All the Benefits and Uses of the BOB Incredible Calf Master

We here at Prohealthcareproducts.com have thoroughly enjoyed learning from you, our valued customers, how you are specifically and, in some cases, uniquely using the BOB Incredible Calf Master to train, enhance your physique and athletic performance, and rehabilitate injuries. And we thought we should share the many ways that you are using the BOB to reach your various personal goals. So, we present them here, divided into three categories.

Strength, Definition, and Athletic Performance

• Developing strong calf muscles are important to push-off in walking, running, and jumping. Customers tell us that the BOB enabled them to “increase their sprinting speed” and to enhance their performance in a variety of sports, like football, baseball, basketball, and soccer.
• Well-defined calf muscles are cosmetically pleasing to the eye and are an important aspect of body building or simply a “desired characteristic to be shown when wearing shorts”. Being able to see the deeper located soleus muscle protruding out from both sides under the more superficial located gastrocnemius is a distinguishable characteristic, especially when coupled with “swole” or hypertrophied heads of the gastrocnemius. The BOB is a great and “effective tool for a focused lower leg exercise workout on leg day.”

Ankle Flexibility and Range of Motion

• Contracture or tightness in an individual’s calf muscles can affect performance and potentially lead to a compensatory injury or irritation. The BOB, with its unique scalene triangle design and rounded edges, provides a “perfect pivot point” enabling a person to “move their ankle through a full range of motion” through plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. The full range of motion provided by the BOB “allowed [customer] to restore the ankle mobility that I had lost.”
• Sometimes young children will walk on their toes due to a tightness in their calf muscles. Parents report that because “using the BOB was fun for our child”, it wasn’t a problem getting him to regularly perform his range of motion exercises on the BOB. It is important to identify a musculoskeletal issue like this early in the child’s life so that effective exercise interventions prove successful in correcting the problem.
• Achieving a good depth of the squat lift can be difficult for some individuals and for different reasons. One of those reasons can be tightness and reduced range of motion in ankle dorsiflexion. The unique design of the BOB allows for different foot placements while allowing the body to “lean into the stretch” making significant dorsiflexion range of motion possible and therefore a powerful stretch on the calf muscles, “enabled [customer] to overcome my stiff ankle and go further down in my squat.”

Rehabilitate from Injury or Musculoskeletal Condition

• When an ankle joint is injured (or immobilized due to injury), such as could be the case with a sprained ankle or ruptured Achille’s tendon, two important aspects of normal or healthy ankle joint function are fairly rapidly impacted: dorsiflexion range of motion and proprioceptive sensitivity. The BOB, which allows for movement in both the sagittal and frontal planes of motion, not only stretches the muscles to restore flexibility, but also challenges the muscle spindles in a very effective way to restore sensitivity and normal functioning. Both of these are essential components for “full recovery and safe return” to sport or function. Further, the BOB offers excellent balance training as proprioceptive stimuli are challenged in such an effective way.
• Plantar Fasciitis is a painful condition affecting the plantar fascia connective tissue that connects from the heel (calcaneus) bone to the base of the first phalanx of the toes. It plays a role in arch support and in push-off when walking or running as part of Windlass Mechanism. If it becomes inflamed, it is very painful when weight bearing. Further, tight calf muscles also increase the risk for developing plantar fasciitis. The BOB addresses both these issues providing the effective stretching of the calf muscles as well as the plantar fascia.
• Shin Splints, also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, is an exercise induced overuse condition that is associated with pain along the distal 2/3 of the posteromedial border of the tibia (approx. 5 cm in length) evoked during or after physical activity. The BOB provides an effective training stimulus to condition the muscles (soleus, flexor digitorum longus, tibialis posterior) and bone (periostitis) of the lower leg to better handle the stresses and strains of recurrent impact exercise.

If interested in a more in-depth discussion of the BOB, below are links to three articles that provide further detail and elaboration on the advantages and benefits of using the BOB Incredible Calf Master for a variety of purposes.

https://www.prohealthcareproducts.com/blog/the-versatility-and-effectiveness-of-the-bob-the-incredible-calf-master-/

https://www.prohealthcareproducts.com/blog/what-is-the-main-cause-of-plantar-fasciitis/