Beebleblog

What is the Soleus muscle?

The soleus muscle makes up part of your calf muscle and sits under the main calf muscle called the Gastrocnemius (Gastroc). Its main job is to plantar flex your foot (point your toes down pivoting at the foot – Beeble) as is the job of the Gastroc. The difference comes in when your knees are bent. As the Gastroc works across your ankle joint and your knee joint when your knee is bent, its effectiveness in this position is reduced substantially, but because the Soleus muscle only works across the ankle joint this is where it comes into its own. With the Gastroc out of action the Soleus is the main muscle to plantar flex your foot.

Who Benefits?

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Do you enjoy jogging outside or do you prefer the treadmill? Going outside for that run can give you that chance for a little ‘you time’. But do you ever get caught in your stride with a pain in your shins where it becomes slightly numb, you can’t run properly and your feet slap down to the ground and you begin to sound like a wildebeest escaping the jaws of a lion? If the answer is yes then you maybe suffering from Compartment Syndrome or more commonly referred to as Shin Splints.

What are Shin Splints?

Shin Splints is a name given to a group of injuries that can happen to your shin area. Most health professionals will tell you that Shin Splints don’t actually exist because it doesn’t refer to just one complaint, but is the “umbrella” name given to a range of complaints that can occur in the shin area.

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What is it for?

The Jumping Squat is virtually the same as the standard squat. However it is far more intense, uses far more energy and requires a lot more skill. It is a functional movement as it uses the same muscles we use in our day-to-day lives but takes it above and beyond what a normal day may consist of. It is far more functional to the sports person who needs to improve on power in their legs (power is the speed with which you can access your strength – Beeble).

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What is it for?

The jumping lunge is very similar to the standard lunge. However it is far more intense, uses far more energy and requires a lot more skill. It is a functional movement as it uses the same muscles we use in our day to day lives’ but takes it above and beyond what a normal day may consist of. It is far more functional to the sports person who needs to improve on power in their legs (power is the speed you can access your strength – Beeble). It is a very good example of plyometric exercise as it really does spring-load the muscles ready for an immediate surge of power. The muscles it focuses on are the thighs (front and back), the glutes and the calf muscles (this exercise uses the calf muscle much more than the standard lunge due to jumping – Beeble). It uses the same supporting muscles as the standard lunge but even more so due to the jumping movement, time in the air and impact on landing. We use the muscles in the lower leg and around the ankle for support in take off and landing and our core muscles (hip, stomach and spine muscles – Beeble) during the whole exercise to aid with balance and control throughout the movement.

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What is it for?

The Lunge is another great exercise for the legs. It is functional (a movement that is used in everyday life – Beeble). It works the main upper muscles of the legs (the thighs, front and back and the gluteus maximus (bum) – Beeble) and it also uses the smaller supporting muscles in the hip area and in the lower leg for balance. Not only is it useful for our day-to-day lives but because it works on the biggest muscles in our bodies it is also a movement that will use more energy and therefore burn more calories. It uses exactly the same muscles as The Squat but changes in the movement also change the focus of the muscles being used (meaning that in this exercise more effort would come from the glutes than in the squat – Beeble) . This is great for the glutes (bum) and hip supporting muscles. The diagram shows the muscles used, the red being the primary muscles (or main used muscles - Beeble) and the yellow shows the secondary muscles used. You will also note that I have included sections of the abdominal and back muscles as secondary muscles used in the movement. This is because we use our balance and stability muscles a lot more in the lunge than say the squat.

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