Calf Raise Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your standing calf raise reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step or the machine platform, heels hanging off.
2. Keep your knees straight but not locked, your body tall, and hold on for balance if needed.
3. Lower your heels slowly until you feel a deep stretch in your calves.
4. Pause for a moment at the bottom without bouncing.
5. Rise up onto the balls of your feet as high as you can, pushing through the big toe, and hold for a second before lowering.

Coaching cues

Pause at the bottom

Removing the bounce stops the Achilles tendon doing the work like a spring.

Tall on the big toe

Pushing through the big toe keeps the ankles from rolling out.

Squeeze at the top

A one-second hold at full height works the calf where it is shortest.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Bouncing

Rebounding off the stretch lets the tendons do the work instead of the muscle. Fix: Pause for one to two seconds at the bottom of each rep.

Short range

Half reps miss both the stretch and the top squeeze. Fix: Use a lighter load and go from full stretch to full height.

Bending the knees

Bent knees shift work to the deeper calf muscle and let the legs help. Fix: Keep knees straight but soft for standing raises.

Rolling onto the little toes

The ankle tilts outwards and the load goes off-centre. Fix: Keep the pressure through the big toe and second toe.

Muscles worked

Main: Calves.

Who should take care

If you have Achilles or ankle problems, start with slow bodyweight raises on flat ground. Pain that persists is a reason to see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Variations

• Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise: Home option: hold a dumbbell and use a step.
• Seated Calf Raise: Different: bent knees target the deeper calf muscle.
• Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine: Alternative: calf work on the leg press.
• Donkey Calf Raises: Harder: a bent-over raise with a big stretch.

Filming your standing calf raise

Prop the phone side-on at ankle to knee height, about one and a half metres away, so your heel and the step edge are clear. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

Why won't my calves grow?

Often from short, bouncy reps. Try full range with pauses, and train them two or three times a week.

Straight or bent knees?

Straight knees work the main calf muscle more. Bent knees target the deeper soleus. Both are worth doing.

Should I point my toes in or out?

Small changes in foot angle make little difference. Pointing forward is a good default.

See the Standing Calf Raises exercise guide with a 3D figure.

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.