The Uplifted Insider

"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional and mental states." -Carol Welch

The Vital Yet Neglected Body Part

Try this activity out for a moment. Close your eyes and picture people working out in a commercial gym. Now picture the three to five most common exercises you see in this mentally produced workout area. What do you see? Maybe you envisioned a thick-chested guy under a loaded bench press, someone in the squat rack, or a person lying on the floor doing ab exercises. Maybe you even pictured someone sweating profusely on the treadmill. But I’m guessing not too many of you thought of someone working on their lower leg, ankle and foot strength.

Over the past fifteen years as a personal trainer, I have noticed that most generic strength and bodybuilding programs neglect strength and mobility south of the knee. I understand why, though. Most people want to lose weight and obtain a more aesthetic physique, which leads to a focus on the largest muscle groups in the body, especially the “vanity” muscle groups, and that is a decent plan for that goal. However, besides a few calf raises, the lower leg, ankle and foot areas usually don’t receive much attention.

If you think about it, this lack of attention is a little weird from both an athletic and functional perspective. Consider the following two questions: What is the only part of your body that makes contact with the ground and what part of your body has to create force, be stable enough to maintain your body’s balance and stay elastic enough to allow for the generation of power? The answer to these questions is the lower leg, ankle joint and foot. Most people don't think about their ankle region until one of them rolls on a misstep off a curb, gives out during a run, or starts aching for no apparent reason. And by that point, the weakness and incorrect patterning has already been building for years.

I am not exempt from this self-neglect either so don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. For a period of time, 2014 to 2016ish, I focused solely on getting stronger for powerlifting and strongman competitions. I didn’t spend any time specifically training my lower legs. Then in the spring of 2017, I tried to get back into running and man was it way more difficult than it should have been. My workout buddy Dave and I went for a quick run on the new short part of the Black River Trail in Watertown, New York, a mile down and a mile back, just TWO TOTAL MILES. It should have been a breeze, but I felt so SLOW. Even worse, my ankles and feet felt weak and were sore for days after. So I took note of this lesson that my body gave me, learned from it and I never neglected my lower legs again.

Here’s the honest truth. Your ankle is the foundation of virtually every movement you make. As I stated before, it is the first point of contact between your body and the ground. Every step you take, every jump you make, every squat you perform, all starts at your ankle. And just like a building with a cracked foundation, a body with weak, unstable ankles is eventually going to have problems. These problems might show up as a rolled ankle, shin splints, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, Achilles issues, or even lower back pain. Your ankles don’t just affect your ankles. I’ll say that again. Your ankles don’t just affect your ankles.

My goal with today’s newsletter is to change the way you think about your lower legs. I'm going to walk you through the anatomy of the area around your ankle, why training it matters for everyone from elite athletes to grandparents, what specific exercises you can do to improve strength in it, why the calf muscle is called the second heart by some experts and how you can lower your blood sugar by activating your calves. Let’s dig in!

The Key Parts Of The Lower Leg, The Ankle and The Foot

Before we talk about training, let's make sure you understand what some of the key components of the lower leg, ankle and foot are, because it's a more complex and impressive structure than most people realize.

The ankle joint itself is where your lower leg bones (the tibia and fibula) meet your foot bone (the talus). It is supported by a network of ligaments that provide stability, and it is powered and controlled by muscles and tendons that originate both in the lower leg and within the foot itself. Here are the key players that you should know about:

The Calf Complex (Gastrocnemius and Soleus)- The calf complex consists of two muscles on the back of your lower leg. The gastrocnemius is the larger, more visible muscle that gives the calf its shape and is what most people think of as the calf muscle. The other muscle is the soleus, which sits beneath the gastrocnemius and functions as the workhorse for endurance and postural stability. Together, the gastrocnemius and the soleus are responsible for plantar flexion, which is what happens when you push your foot downward. Plantar flexion is the source of power that makes you mechanically able to walk, run and jump. Furthermore, research on fall prevention in aging adults has identified the soleus in particular as a critical muscle for maintaining balance and postural control.

The Tibialis Anterior- This is the muscle that runs along the front of your shin. Its job is dorsiflexion, which is the act of pulling your toes and foot upward toward your shin. The tibialis anterior is the direct antagonist to the calf, and it plays a massive role in controlling how your foot strikes the ground with every step. It also stabilizes the ankle against rolling inward. The tibialis anterior is one of the most undertrained and most important muscles in the lower body. Weakness here is directly linked to shin splints, ankle instability, poor gait mechanics, and even knee pain.

The Achilles Tendon- The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is a thick and strong tendon, yet it is also one of the most commonly injured. The Achilles acts like a spring, it stores elastic energy as you load it and releases that energy to propel you forward. A healthy, well-conditioned Achilles tendon is essential for efficient movement at any speed. A neglected Achilles is one that is ripe for a wide spectrum of issues, from minor inflammation to a debilitating tear.

The Peroneal Muscles- These muscles run along the outer side of your lower leg and are primarily responsible for eversion, which is the act of turning the sole of your foot outward, and for protecting the ankle from rolling inward during lateral movements. Weak peroneals are one of the primary reasons people repeatedly sprain their ankles. So strengthening these muscles will lead to increased lateral stability of the ankle.

The Flexor Hallucis Longus (FHL)- The flexor hallucis longus is a powerful, deep muscle located in the posterior compartment of the lower leg. It originates on the fibula, runs down the back of the calf, and its tendon travels under the foot to connect to the distal phalanx of the great toe, primarily acting to flex (push down) the big toe and assists in pointing the foot down at the ankle. It aids in supporting the medial longitudinal arch of the foot and provides stabilization and final push-off during walking, running or jumping. It is a strong deep calf muscle, that is critical for propulsion and stability. The FHL tendon is heavily depended on in specialized physical activities, like when ballet dancers incredibly get up on the tips of their big toes during their routines. This is why inflammation of this tendon is commonly known as "dancers tendonitis.”

The Plantar Fascia and Intrinsic Foot Muscles- The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel to your toes. It supports the arch and plays a crucial role in energy transfer during movement. The intrinsic foot muscles are the small muscles that originate and insert entirely within the foot. They control toe movement, support the arch, and provide sensory feedback about where your foot is in space. These tiny muscles are almost completely ignored by the average gym goer and their weakness contributes to flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and overall foot instability.

Why The Lower Leg Area Matters

For Athletes

If you are an athlete or someone who trains seriously, the ankle is where your performance lives. Research has shown that up to 30% of energy can be lost in the foot and ankle alone during dynamic movements like sprinting and jumping. Think about that for a second. You could be doing everything right in your strength training, eating well, and sleeping enough and still be leaving 30% of your potential performance on the table because your ankles are weak and inefficient. Weak or poorly positioned ankles create what sports scientists call "energy leaks." Instead of transferring force efficiently from the ground through your body, a weak ankle dissipates it. The result is slower ground contact times, reduced power output, and a significantly increased risk of injury.

Strong, stiff, reactive ankles, on the other hand allow for efficient energy transfer, which is the process of absorbing force on landing and releasing it explosively on take-off. This is the foundation of sprinting speed, jumping ability, and change of direction. Every serious athlete should be training their ankles and the surrounding area specifically and deliberately.

For The General Population

You don't have to be an athlete to need strong ankles. Every single person who walks on two legs needs a functional, strong ankle joint. Think about the last time you walked on an uneven surface, stepped off a curb unexpectedly, or navigated a slippery floor. Your ankle had to respond and stabilize your entire body in a fraction of a second. If it wasn't up to the task, you were one bad step away from a sprain or worse.

This Becomes More And More Critical As You Age

Here is where it gets really important to maintain lower body stability. As we age, ankle strength and mobility decline significantly. Research has found that ankle plantar flexor strength and eversion range of motion significantly diminish with aging, and that these declines directly correlate with increased balance problems and fall risk.

Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults over the age of sixty-five. More than one in four people over sixty-five fall every year, and between 2001 and 2019, hospitalizations due to falls represented 87% of all injury-related hospitalizations in that age group. When you dig into the research on why older adults fall, the ankle keeps coming up as a central factor. Loss of proprioception, which is the ankle's ability to sense where it is in space, is one of the biggest contributors. Studies published in the National Library of Medicine have found that decreased ankle joint position awareness is a “significant and independent risk factor” for falls in the elderly population.

The good news is that ankle and foot strengthening exercises have been shown to meaningfully improve balance and reduce fall risk in older adults. Training your ankles is not just about performance. For many people, it is about staying mobile and maintaining their independence as they age. Quality of life is about as compelling a reason to strength train as I can think of.

Top-Tier Ankle Exercises

Now that I have told you why strong functional ankles are important, I will go over some key exercises that will build a complete, resilient ankle and lower leg complex. For best results, I would recommend doing all these exercises barefoot or sock-footed if you are comfortable doing so.

Calf Raises (Single Leg)- Weighted double leg calf raises are a fantastic way to gain strength. However, I want to go over exercises that can be done anywhere with no equipment. If you can proficiently complete a high volume of calf raise reps on both legs, advance to the single leg version. To do a full single leg calf raise properly, stand on one foot on the edge of a step, lower your heel all the way down to get a full stretch, then drive all the way up onto your toes as high as possible. Go slow on the way down. The eccentric (lowering) portion of this exercise is where the real magic happens, particularly for Achilles tendon health. Start with a manageable amount of reps and work up to three sets of 15-30 slow and controlled reps per side.

Single Leg Calf Raise Hold (Isometric)- This is very similar to the single leg calf raise except all you are going to do is hold the top position of the calf raise for as long as possible. This isometric variation builds tendon strength and stiffness in the Achilles, which is critical for both performance and injury prevention. If you read my isometrics newsletter, you already know how powerful these kinds of holds can be. Start with a 15-30 second hold on each leg and see if you can progress to a 2-3 minute hold on each leg over the course of a couple of weeks or months depending on your starting point.

FHL (Flexor Hallucis Longus) Calf Raises- The FHL calf raise is a specialized strengthening exercise designed to target the lower calf and the FHL. As we discussed earlier, the FHL is responsible for big toe flexion, aids in ankle stability and is a main factor in that last point of contact, “toe-push” power that aids running, jumping, dancing and even walking. To perform this exercise, stand facing a wall, leaning forward with your hands on the wall for support, and position your feet away from the wall (2-3 feet away) so that there is a slight stretch on your achilles but your heels can still rest on the ground at the start of the exercise. Your body will be diagonally planked. Slowly raise up onto the balls of your feet, placing maximum pressure on the big toes, holding the contraction for 1–3 seconds to ensure a full, controlled range of motion. Then lower your feet in a slow, controlled descent. Begin with ten reps for three sets and then continue to build rep volume as you advance in your workouts. I like higher reps for this one (15+ reps) to build endurance and strength in the foot and ankle.

Tibialis Raises (Tib Raises)- Stand with your back flat against a wall, feet out in front of you. Keeping your heels on the ground, lift your toes and the front of your foot as high as possible toward your shin, then slowly lower back down. This directly targets the tibialis anterior, a muscle that is hardly known about, much less worked on. As you get stronger, step your feet further away from the wall to increase the difficulty.

Heel Walks and Toe Walks- These two exercises are simple yet effective. For heel walks, you simply walk on your heels with your toes lifted in the air. This directly trains the tibialis anterior. Toe walks are the opposite and involve walking on the balls of your feet. Doing this will train the calf complex, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia in a very functional position. Do between ten and thirty steps of both of these exercises as part of your warmup or your main workout.

Single Leg Balance Progressions- Having decent balance is a very important trait for adults to maintain. Start by standing on one foot for 15-30 seconds. Progress to doing this for a longer duration, with your eyes closed, on an unstable surface, or while performing upper body movements. These progressions force your ankle to constantly micro-adjust and build the neuromuscular control that makes the difference between an ankle that gives out or is unstable under pressure.

Short Foot Exercise- You may have never heard of this one. While standing or seated, try to shorten your foot by pulling the ball of your foot (the base of your big toe) toward your heel without curling your toes. This creates an arch and activates the small muscles inside the foot. It sounds simple but it is surprisingly difficult to do correctly at first. Strengthening the foot in this way will result in stronger arches and better foot stability. Our feet are held captive in shoes all day, unable to move naturally, so it’s important to spend some time moving and strengthening them.

Why Do Some Experts Call Calf Muscles, “The Second Heart?”

Here is something that most people have never heard, but I think it is very interesting. Calf muscles are often referred to by experts as your "second heart." The reason for this is while your primary heart pumps oxygen-rich blood downward through your body, the vascular system must fight gravity to send that blood all the way back up from your feet. This is where your calves step in. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles surround the deep veins of your lower leg, and every time they contract, whether you're walking, doing calf raises, or even pumping your feet while seated, they squeeze those veins and push deoxygenated blood back upward toward the heart. Inside those veins are one-way valves that snap shut between contractions, which prevents the blood from flowing back down. It's an amazing system that your body runs automatically, as long as you keep moving. When this system stops working efficiently, typically due to prolonged inactivity or weak, underdeveloped calf muscles, blood will begin to pool in the lower legs. Over time, this can lead to chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, leg swelling, fatigue, and in more serious cases, deep vein thrombosis, which is a potentially life-threatening blood clot. This is yet another reason why training your calves is about far more than aesthetics. It is also about keeping your cardiovascular system functioning the way it was designed to.

Can Calf Raises Positively Impact My Blood Sugar?

While we are on the subject of the calf muscles doing more than most people realize, I want to share one more interesting tidbit about this muscle. Recent research out of the University of Houston discovered that performing seated calf raises after a meal, which specifically targets the soleus muscle, can reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes. This is so cool! But why is the soleus so special? Unlike most skeletal muscles, which burn stored glycogen for energy, the soleus is predominantly made up of slow-twitch fibers and is uniquely designed to pull glucose directly from the bloodstream as its primary fuel source. It is also highly fatigue-resistant, meaning it can act as a metabolic engine for extended periods without tiring out. Researchers have even found that the soleus can improve glucose uptake independently of insulin signaling. To take advantage of this, simply sit with your feet flat on the floor, keep your toes planted, raise your heels to full extension, lower them back down in a controlled manner, and then repeat continuously for five to ten minutes after a meal. It is a simple, yet impactful thing you can do for your metabolic health, and you can do it without ever leaving your chair.

My Closing Thoughts

The bottom line is this: if you are not working to strengthen your lower legs, ankles, and feet, you are leaving performance on the table and in the case of the general population, slowly losing the functional capability of that area. Additionally, if you are over forty, that loss of functionality starts to accelerate.

Having strong, springy ankles is vital because they are the base of your physical being. They are your first point of contact with the ground, making them the gatekeepers of your mobility. Working to strengthen them and maintain the integrity of the joint is not optional; it's essential. Whether you are an athlete trying to get a tiny bit faster, an active adult who wants to stay injury-free, or an older individual who wants to stay on their feet and be completely independent, lower leg training should be part of your life.

Most people only think of training in terms of what they see in the mirror. No judgment there, but also start training the area of your body that holds you up. Strong ankles don't just make you a better athlete, they make you a more resilient person for life. Being fully mobile and agile late into life is really the ultimate flex. I personally want to be able to sprint, jump on boxes over 40 inches high, and run long distances for many years to come.

Ready To Begin A Complete Training Plan?

If you'd like personalized guidance on building a training program that addresses the things most people overlook, like ankle strength, movement quality, and long-term injury prevention, I'd love to help. I've spent fifteen years helping people build strong, resilient bodies literally from the ground up.

My online coaching program includes customized workout programming, nutritional guidance, and ongoing one-on-one support to make sure you are training smart and getting the best possible results.

Click here to apply for customized online personal training today!

Strong ankles won't just change how your legs look; they'll change how you move through life.