Here’s an exercise I picked up from Paul Sklar. It will cause some “tenderness” in your calves!

They’re fairly easy to do at home or at the gym with a standard chin/dip belt and some weight plates. You don’t need a dedicated step platform like mine – you can use an aerobic step behind an incline bench or near a wall, or use your stairs and hold onto the handrail.

Do 3-5 sets of 15-20 controlled, full-range reps. Make sure to get a good stretch at the bottom and a strong contraction at the top. As Sklar puts it, “to get the most out of this exercise, pretend that you’re trying to look over a high brick wall to see what’s on the other side.”

You can even do donkey calf raises with a dip belt. All you need is an aerobic step and a bench. You need to use smaller weight plates for clearance, but at least no one has to sit on your back!

Try those on for size and if you really want to enhance the effect, rub Tiger Balm on your calves!