How to do a Calf Raise to Shrug
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Calf Raise to Shrug
Workouts with Calf Raise to Shrug
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise combines a calf raise and a shrug. It’s often used as a way to work towards Olympic lifts, or improve certain aspects of those exercises. It’s an effective exercise for building explosiveness in both your calves and traps.
- Grasp a dumbbell with an overhand grip in each hand.
- Hold the dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in, toward your hips.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core, straighten your back, and keep your chest up to maintain proper form.
- *Perform the next steps in one fluid motion
- Engage your calves to lift your heels off the floor and stand on your toes.
- As your heels raise off the floor, raise your shoulders to your ears by engaging your traps—the force from the calf raise should assist in the movement.
- Hold this position for a moment.
- Return to the starting position.
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Alternative Exercises to Calf Raise to Shrug
1. Standing Barbell Calf Raise
87.1 mSCORESWAPPED 318 TIMESThis exercise is a barbell variation of the standard calf raise. Like the standard variation, this exercise primarily targets your calves. The use of a barbell allows you to increase the resistance for this exercise beyond just your bodyweight.
2. Calf Raise
75 mSCORESWAPPED 290 TIMESThis bodyweight isolation exercise primarily targets the calves. It’s an effective exercise for developing muscle mass and increasing strength in your calf, and can be easily modified through a number of different variations.
- Beginner
- Calves
3. Seated Machine Calf Press
92.7 mSCORESWAPPED 211 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more common calf raise. Like the standard calf raise this isolation exercise primarily targets the calves. The use of a machine adds stability to the movement, as well as gives you more control over your resistance. It’s an effective exercise for building muscle mass and developing strength in your calves.
- Beginner
- Calves
- Calf Raise Machine
4. Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
83.1 mSCORESWAPPED 180 TIMESStanding Dumbbell Calf Raise is a weighted variation on the more standard Calf Raise. Like other variations, this is an isolation exercise that primarily targets your calves. Adding dumbbells allows you to add significantly more resistance than simply relying on bodyweight.
5. Dumbbell Calf Raise to Shrug
38.4 mSCORESWAPPED 176 TIMESA compound movement that targets the calves, traps, and shoulders. Starting with a calf raise to activate the lower leg muscles, you transition into a shrug to engage the upper traps. This exercise efficiently works both lower and upper body regions, improving posture and functional strength, ideal for those aiming for comprehensive muscle engagement in a single movement.
6. Calf Press
91.6 mSCORESWAPPED 174 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more common calf raise. Like the standard calf raise this isolation exercise primarily targets the calves. The use of a machine adds stability to the movement, as well as gives you more control over your resistance. It’s an effective exercise for building muscle mass and developing strength in your calves.
- Beginner
- Calves
- Leg Press
7. Single Leg Standing Calf Raise
72 mSCORESWAPPED 135 TIMESThis exercise is a unilateral variation of the standard calf raise. Like the standard version this exercise primarily targets your calves. However, by performing this exercise one leg at a time, you add instability to the movement which can better recruit smaller stabilizing muscles, as well as help you identify and address imbalances between sides.
- Beginner
- Calves
8. Standing Machine Calf Press
80.3 mSCORESWAPPED 115 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more common calf raise. Like the standard calf raise this isolation exercise primarily targets the calves. The use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance, allowing you to better control the weight you’re moving. It’s an effective exercise for building muscle mass and developing strength in your calves.
- Intermediate
- Calves
- Calf Raise Machine
9. Smith Machine Calf Raise
77.6 mSCORESWAPPED 115 TIMESThis exercise is a Smith Machine variation of the standard calf raise. Like the standard version, this exercise primarily targets the calves. The use of a Smith Machine allows to increase resistance beyond just your bodyweight.
- Beginner
- Calves
- Smith Machine
10. Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise
73.7 mSCORESWAPPED 82 TIMESSeated Dumbbell Calf Raise is a variation on the more standard Calf Raise. By performing this exercise from a seated position, you add significantly more stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion rather than stability. By using a dumbbell on each leg, you ensure that you aren’t compensating for any lack of strength between sides.