Am I wrong in assuming the soleus assists the quads in transferring energy towards the ground? If the soleus muscles, in the plant position that Myree displays above, would be weak, then the heels would collapse and there would be "no medium" through which the quads could "push through" towards the ground. The gastrocnemius muscles are in active insufficiency in that position, so only the soleus can do the job there.
Am I missing anything?
i think.... yea i think i'll add in seated calf raises. thats a good point.
especially considering i've never done them consistently in my life, and probably several other people here havent either, the returns will be relatively nice since the strength in them should increase quickly.
on second thought, maybe they get enough stimulation from practicing max effort jumps for years? i'll still do seated ones though