Reps Only exercise

Calf Raise form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The bodyweight calf raise is a standing plantar-flexion exercise that targets the gastrocnemius, with the soleus assisting, by lifting the heels as high as possible onto the balls of the feet. It is used to build calf endurance and ankle strength anywhere without equipment, and performing it off a step for high reps with pauses makes it useful for Achilles tendon health and lower-leg rehab.

Calf Raise illustration

How to do Calf Raise

  1. 1Stand tall with the balls of your feet on the floor or the edge of a step, feet hip-width apart, holding a wall lightly for balance.
  2. 2Brace your core and keep your knees straight but not locked out hard.
  3. 3Exhale and press through the balls of your feet to rise as high onto your toes as possible.
  4. 4Pause and squeeze your calves at the top instead of bouncing rep to rep.
  5. 5Inhale as you lower your heels slowly, sinking below the step edge for a full stretch if elevated, then repeat with strict control.

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Track Calf Raise in Plates

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