Seated Calf Raise
A calf raise with your knees bent, which takes much of the gastrocnemius out of the lift and leaves more of the work to the deeper soleus.
Drag to rotate
3 sets of 6–15 reps, 1–2 min rest, guided
Muscles worked
- Equipment
- Machine, Seated calf raise machine
- Level
- Beginner
- Tempo
- Lift 1 s · Lower 1.6 s
How to do the seated calf raise
- 1Sit with the balls of your feet on the foot bar and your heels hanging off its back edge.
- 2Set the pad snugly on your lower thighs, just above the knees, and release the safety lever.
- 3Lower your heels as far as they go and pause in the stretch.
- 4Push up onto the balls of your feet as high as you can, squeeze, and lower slowly.
When to pick it: Pick it alongside a standing calf raise for complete calves: with the knee bent, the gastrocnemius can’t contribute as much, so the soleus does more of the work.
What the research says
- As the knee bends, gastrocnemius muscle activity and plantar-flexion torque fall while soleus activity stays the same. Cresswell et al., Exp Brain Res 1995
Form cues
- Pause in the deep stretch
- Push through the big toe
- Slow, full reps
Common mistakes
- Bouncing out of the bottom
- Short, fast half reps
- Rolling onto the outer edge of the foot
Stop if something hurts, and check with a doctor before starting if you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury. SourcesTerms
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time. Get a full 4–12 week program →
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
