Best Calf Exercises

The calf has two main muscles: the gastrocnemius, which crosses the knee and works hardest with straight legs, and the soleus underneath, which takes over when the knee is bent. That is why a complete calf routine includes both standing and seated raises. Calves are used to constant walking, so they respond to a full range of motion more than to sheer weight: lower the heels into a deep stretch, pause for a second at the bottom to remove the bounce from the Achilles tendon, and rise as high as possible onto the toes. Moderate-to-high reps, a slow tempo and training them two to three times per week work best.

Standing Calf Raise

Bodyweight

Dumbbell Calf Raise

Dumbbell

Seated Calf Raise

Machine

Calf Press Machine

Machine

Stair Calf Raise

Bodyweight

Double Unders

Other

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Bodyweight

Tibialis Raise

Bodyweight

Donkey Calf Raise

Machine

Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

Dumbbell

Smith Machine Calf Raise

Machine

Standing Barbell Calf Raise

Barbell

Pogo Jumps

Bodyweight