How to Do Standing Calf Raise: Muscles Worked & Proper Form

Muscles Worked in Standing Calf Raises

Primary muscles worked:

• Calves

How to Do Standing Calf Raises

1. Place your toes and the ball of your feet on the foot support. Place the shoulder pads against your shoulders and stand upright in the starting position.
2. Lower yourself down by bending your ankles in a controlled movement.
3. Push yourself up by extending your ankles.

Commentary

Standing calf raises train both the inner (solues) and outer (gastrocnemius) calf muscles simultaneously.

A variant of the exercise is seated calf raises, in which the gastrocnemius is shortened and therefore somewhat disengaged, thus isolating the work to soleus.