My name is Beth Hoover, and today I'm going to answer the question, "Do calves affect jumping?" And the answer is yes. The calf muscle is significantly use in movement such as running, jumping, hopping and skipping. Having strong and powerful calf muscles will help propel the body upward and forward. The calf muscles consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. To strengthen these muscles, you can perform what's called a heel raise. A heel raise is perform by standing flat on your feet and then just raising up, lifting the heels and coming up into your toes and dropping the heels back down. Repeating the heel raise several times is going to help you strengthen those calf muscles. Another great way to strengthen the muscles are going to be to perform a step-up onto a bench or platform. Using an additional resistance by holding dumbbells is a great way to increase the intensity and will also strengthen the calf muscles.