Muscle group
Calf exercises are variations of the calf raise: rising onto the balls of your feet against resistance. Doing them with the knees both straight and bent covers both calf muscles.
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
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The calf has two main muscles. The gastrocnemius is the visible, two-headed muscle that crosses the knee, so it works hardest when the leg is straight. The soleus lies underneath and does not cross the knee, so it takes over more of the work when the knee is bent, as in seated calf raises. Both point the foot (plantarflexion).
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Standing raises, including Smith machine and leg-press versions, emphasise the gastrocnemius; seated raises emphasise the soleus. Use a full range: let the heels drop below the step for a stretch, pause briefly, then rise as high as you can. Calves handle a lot of walking every day, so many people respond well to controlled reps with a pause rather than bouncing.
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Include one straight-knee and one bent-knee raise. At home, single-leg standing calf raises on a step with a dumbbell are an effective option.
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Beginner compound bodyweight exercise for the calves, glutes, shoulders, adductors and abductors.
Beginner compound leg press machine exercise for the calves.
Beginner isolation barbell exercise for the calves.
Beginner isolation seated calf raise machine exercise for the calves.
Beginner isolation smith machine exercise for the calves.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the calves.
Intermediate compound bodyweight exercise for the calves and quadriceps, also working the glutes, hamstrings and lower back.
Intermediate compound bodyweight exercise for the abs, calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors and abductors, also working the lower back.
Intermediate compound bodyweight exercise for the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and adductors, also working the glutes and abs.
Free GymStreak calculators that go with calves training.
Guides from the GymStreak blog on this topic.
GymStreak's AI personal trainer builds a workout plan from your goal, schedule and equipment, shows every exercise with an animated demo and logs your sets.
