Forget squats – try this 10-minute, no-equipment workout for big calves instead

Don't ignore your lower legs. This workout can help perk up those calves fast

Bodybuilders Legs Shot In A Gym In Workout
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Let's face it – everyone wants good-looking calves. When was the last time you spent a few minutes focusing on the bottom half of your legs? Nothing is worse than having giant glutes and solid quads stacked on top of puny calves. Do yourself a favour and stop whatever you're doing, so you can do this no-equipment calf workout. It only takes 10 minutes.

Including calf or gastrocnemius and soleus exercises in your routine can provide enormous benefits, such as acting as the body decelerates when abruptly stopping during a sprint or needing to change direction. Another advantage is helping to stabilise your knees which is essential for high-intensity interval exercises. Strong calf muscles can act as a barrier to debilitating injuries such as tendinopathies of the knee and medial-tibia stress syndrome, more colloquially known as shin splits.

Today we’re sharing a 10-minute home calf workout by YouTube sensation Koboko Fitness which demonstrates a series of calf-focused exercises. These exercises can be performed without any equipment and will be completed almost continuously with warm-down stretches at the end.

  • Warm-up 
  • Jogging on the spot (20 seconds)
  • Jumping jacks (20 seconds) 
  • Marcarend taps (20 seconds)
  • Jogging on the spot (20 seconds) 
  • Main circuit
  • Crab claps (30 seconds) 
  • Calf raises (30 seconds) 
  • Hindu squats (30 seconds) 
  • Jumping jacks (30 seconds) 
  • 1-minute rest 
  • Jumping jacks (30 seconds) 
  • Push pedals (30 seconds) 
  • Hindu squats (30 seconds) 
  • Calf raises (30 seconds) 
  • Cool-down
  • Triangle stretch (20 seconds) 
  • Hug & twist (20 seconds)

Conquered this workout and are keen to try something more advanced? We challenge you to try this hardcore 5-exercise leg workout that will seriously bulk your lower body. Finding yourself picking strains and injuries after your leg workouts? Then we recommend this 6-minute hamstring stretching workout. Finally, if we have a 4-exercise, home leg workout that only requires a single dumbbell.  

Ever wondered what fitness performance is week-by-week? Then we recommend investing in one of the best fitness trackers this year to analyse your fitness metrics and identify strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, we have a comprehensive list of the best home gym equipment to help bring the full gymnasium experience to your home.

Meg Walters
Freelance journalist

Meg is a British-Canadian freelance writer based in southeast London. She can usually be found writing about classic films, rom-coms, period dramas, TV, Millennials, pop culture, books, style, lifestyle and fitness. Her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, GQ, Stylist, The i, i-D, Little White Lies, Insider and more.