# What is the calf muscle called?

The calf muscle is called the gastrocnemius. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a large, superficial, two-headed muscle that forms the bulk of the calf.

## What it means

- A large, superficial, two-headed muscle that forms the bulk of the calf.
- Both heads arise from the lower end of the femur.
- Points the foot downward and helps bend the knee.

## Action steps

1. On the back of the leg between the knee and the heel.
2. Joins the soleus beneath it to form the Achilles tendon.
3. The tendon inserts on the back of the calcaneus.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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