The Sumo squat is usually associated with tightening your inner thighs and testing your hip flexibility, but you can also use it to create a seriously challenging calf exercise.
- Step your feet out as wide as you comfortably can, turning your toes out to the side. (Make sure you can move up and down in the position, otherwise adjust your feet wider or narrower until you can).
- Keeping your back straight and your booty tight, lower until your quads are as parallel to the floor as you can get them.
- Leaving your left foot flat for stability, lift your right heel as high as you can then lower it back to the ground, keeping your toes in contact with the floor at all times.
- Repeat for a total of 15-20 reps then stand up to release the squat.
- Using the same squat set-up, lift the left heel as high as you can (and back down) for 15-20 reps.
Depending on your endurance, do both sides two more times for a total of three sets per side. You can add these into your strength training routing as a stand alone exercise, or tack them onto a regular sumo squat: lower down to the sumo squat, lift the right then the left heel, return to standing. The bonus round is a balance challenge where you lift both heels as high as you can for 15-20 reps.
