Best Calves Workouts & Exercises

The Seated Machine Calf Press is an exercise that targets the calf muscles using a machine for stability. It helps build muscle strength in your calves effectively and safely.

How to do it

1. Sit upright in the calf press machine with the pad on your thighs above your knees.
2. Put your forefoot on the lower bar and let your heels drop down.
3. Hold onto the support handles for balance.
4. Push through your forefoot to lift your heels as high as possible.
5. Lower your heels back to the starting position.

The Standing Barbell Calf Raise is a calf exercise that uses a barbell for added weight. It focuses on strengthening your calves and can be more challenging than regular calf raises since you can lift more weight.

How to do it

1. Set a barbell on a rack at shoulder height.
2. Stand under the bar, resting it on your upper back.
3. Stand up to lift the bar off the rack and take a step back.
4. Position your feet hip-width apart, with a slight outward angle.
5. Lift your heels off the ground by pushing through your toes.
6. Lower your heels back to the starting position.

The Single Leg Standing Calf Raise strengthens your calves while improving balance and stability. By working one leg at a time, it helps correct muscle imbalances and engages smaller supporting muscles.

How to do it

1. Stand on one foot and engage your core.
2. Lift the other foot slightly off the ground.
3. Press down on the ball of the foot that is on the ground, raising your heel.
4. Hold the raised position briefly.
5. Slowly lower your heel back to the ground.
6. Switch to the other leg and repeat.

The Calf Press is a targeted exercise that strengthens your calf muscles using a leg press machine for added stability. It helps you gain muscle and improve overall calf strength with controlled resistance.

How to do it

1. Sit on the leg press machine with your back against the pad.
2. Place your feet hip-width apart on the platform, with your forefoot on it and heels off.
3. Hold the brace bars and engage your core.
4. Extend your ankles to raise the platform, then lower it back to the safety bars.

The Standing Machine Calf Press helps strengthen and build the calf muscles using a machine for better control. It focuses specifically on the calves, making it great for muscle development.

How to do it

1. Stand up straight in the calf raise machine with the pads on your shoulders and your toes on the platform.
2. Let your heels hang off the edge and lower them slightly towards the floor.
3. Engage your core, then push through your toes to lift your heels up as high as possible.
4. Slowly lower your heels back to the starting position.

The Smith Machine Calf Raise is a strength exercise that targets the calves using a Smith Machine. It allows you to lift more weight than just your bodyweight by providing stability and support during the movement.

How to do it

1. Set the Smith Machine bar just below shoulder height.
2. Position yourself in a quarter squat under the bar, resting it below your neck.
3. Lift the bar off the hook and stand up straight.
4. Stand with feet hip-width apart and slightly angled out.
5. Raise your heels off the ground by extending your ankles.
6. Make sure to keep your hips aligned under your shoulders as you fully extend your ankles before lowering back down.

The calf raise is a simple exercise that focuses on strengthening your calf muscles. It can help build muscle and improve your balance, making it great for beginners.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lift your heels off the ground by standing on your toes.
3. Slowly lower back to the starting position.

The Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise is a strengthening exercise that focuses on your calf muscles. By using dumbbells, you can increase resistance to make your calves work harder than with just your bodyweight.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Stand on a sturdy surface with your heels hanging off the edge.
3. Keep your legs straight but with a slight bend in your knees.
4. Let your heels drop down to stretch your calves.
5. Push through the balls of your feet to lift your heels as high as you can.
6. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
7. Lower your heels back to the starting position slowly while keeping tension in your calves.

The Barbell Seated Calf Raise is a simple exercise that targets your calf muscles. By sitting while you perform this movement, you can focus better on working your calves without worrying about balance.

How to do it

1. Sit up straight on a bench with your feet on a raised surface like a block or plate.
2. Hold the barbell across your thighs, avoiding your knees.
3. Press down through the balls of your feet to lift the barbell by contracting your calves.
4. Hold the raised position for a moment before lowering the weight back down slowly.
5. Keep your core tight, shoulders back, and chest up while performing the exercise.
6. You should feel a good stretch in your calves during the movement.

The Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise is an exercise that targets your calf muscles while seated for better stability. Using dumbbells on each leg helps ensure equal strength development between both sides.

How to do it

1. Sit on a bench in front of a 45lb plate on the floor.
2. Place the dumbbells on your thighs, keeping them off your knees.
3. Position your feet on the plate with heels hanging off and knees at a 90-degree angle.
4. Lower your heels below the plate to start.
5. Raise the dumbbells by pushing through the balls of your feet while contracting your calves.
6. Hold the top position briefly, then lower the weight back down while keeping your calves tense.

The Seated Dumbbell One-Leg Calf Raise is a simple exercise that targets your calf muscles. By sitting down, you add stability and can focus more on the movement. This exercise is done one leg at a time, allowing for extra rest for the opposite leg.

How to do it

1. Sit on a bench with a 45lb plate in front of you.
2. Place one foot on the plate, letting your heel hang off the back.
3. Hold a dumbbell at the end of your leg, avoiding your knee.
4. Push through the ball of your foot to lift the dumbbell up.
5. Slowly lower your heel below the plate to return to the starting position.
6. Squeeze your calf and pause briefly at the top of the lift.
7. Repeat with the other leg.

The Standing Kettlebell Calf Raise is an exercise that strengthens your calves while using kettlebells for added weight. By standing on an elevated surface, you can achieve a greater stretch and improve muscle activation in your calves.

How to do it

1. Hold a kettlebell in each hand.
2. Stand with your feet on a sturdy elevated surface (like a plate) so your heels can drop off.
3. Allow your heels to sink down, stretching your calves.
4. Push through the balls of your feet to lift your heels up.
5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
6. Lower your heels back down slowly, keeping tension in your calves.
7. Keep a slight bend in your knees and engage your core for stability.

The Calf Raise to Shrug is an exercise that strengthens your calves and traps by combining a calf raise and a shoulder shrug. It's great for developing explosive power and can help with Olympic lifting techniques.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing in.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and engage your core.
3. Lift your heels off the ground to stand on your toes while shrugging your shoulders up to your ears.
4. Hold the position briefly, then lower your heels and shoulders back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Calf Raise to Shrug works your calves, shoulders, and upper back in one move. You will raise your heels while lifting your shoulders, improving both strength and posture.

How to do it

1. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Engage your core, keep your back straight and chest up.
4. In one smooth motion, lift up onto your toes and shrug your shoulders up towards your ears.
5. Hold for a moment, then lower back down to the starting position.

The Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raise targets your calf muscles and helps improve strength and muscle growth. By standing on a raised surface, you can move your ankles through a larger range of motion.

How to do it

1. Set the Smith machine bar just below shoulder height.
2. Stand on a platform with heels hanging off the edge.
3. Rest the bar on the back of your neck and stand upright.
4. Lift your toes towards your shins by flexing your ankles.
5. Keep your hips aligned under your shoulders and return to the starting position.