Achilles Stretch

I don't generally disagree with Runner's World, but I take exception to the article Stretch Your Calves Correctly. The article recommends runners to use the active-isolated toe lift for stretching the calf, rather than what I call the Achilles stretch. The authors claim that this gives a better stretch for the gastrocnemius (the outer calf muscle).

As you know, I recommend two stretches for the calf muscles – the Achilles stretch for the gastrocnemius and the calf stretch for the soleus muscle. The authors of the Runner's World article claim that the Achilles stretch (which they call a “calf stretch”) puts pressure on the calf, which responds by tightening up. After running today, I decided to try the active-isolated toe lift, but found that it seemed to do nothing for my calf.

Actually, it seems to me that this stretch is more of a substitute for my calf stretch, which you could call a passive-isolated toe lift, since gravity is doing the work.

Calf Stretch

Having said that, I recognize that all runners are different, so what works for me might not work for you. Why don't you try it, and see what happens? I'd really like to see your experience with this stretching variation on the Forum page!