Calf Exercises

66 exercises — The calves are made of two muscles — the gastrocnemius, which gives the lower leg its diamond shape, and the deeper soleus, which works most when the knee is bent. Training both is the key to fuller, stronger lower legs that support every step, jump, and sprint. This page collects every calf exercise in the WorkoutX library: standing calf raises and donkey raises for the gastrocnemius, seated calf raises for the soleus, and machine, barbell, smith-machine, and bodyweight variations for progressive overload. Each comes with a looping video animation so you can hit a full stretch at the bottom and a hard contraction at the top — the range most lifters cut short. Open any movement for the muscles worked, equipment, and step-by-step instructions. The same calf-exercise data and animations are available from the WorkoutX API.

Agility Ladder Advanced Hop Position exercise demonstration

Agility Ladder Advanced Hop Position

Calves · intermediate

Agility Ladder Lateral Movement With Double Hop exercise demonstration

Agility Ladder Lateral Movement With Double Hop

Calves · intermediate

Ankle - Dorsal Flexion exercise demonstration

Ankle - Dorsal Flexion

Calves · intermediate

Ankle - Plantar Flexion exercise demonstration

Ankle - Plantar Flexion

Calves · intermediate

Ankle Circles exercise demonstration

Ankle Circles

Calves · intermediate

Ankle Dorsal Flexion (Variation 2) exercise demonstration

Ankle Dorsal Flexion (Variation 2)

Calves · intermediate

Ankle Plantar Flexion (Variation 2) exercise demonstration

Ankle Plantar Flexion (Variation 2)

Calves · intermediate

Ankle Pumps exercise demonstration

Ankle Pumps

Calves · intermediate

Band Two Legs Calf Raise - (Band Under Both Legs) Version 2 exercise demonstration

Band Two Legs Calf Raise - (Band Under Both Legs) Version 2

Calves · beginner

Barbell Calf Jump exercise demonstration

Barbell Calf Jump

Calves · intermediate

Barbell Seated on Knee Calve Raises exercise demonstration

Barbell Seated on Knee Calve Raises

Calves · beginner

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raises exercise demonstration

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raises

Calves · intermediate

Bodyweight Calf Raises exercise demonstration

Bodyweight Calf Raises

Calves · intermediate

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Cable Calve Raise exercise demonstration

Cable Calve Raise

Calves · beginner

Calf Push Stretch With Hands Against Wall (Variation 2) exercise demonstration

Calf Push Stretch With Hands Against Wall (Variation 2)

Calves · beginner

Calf Raise Clap exercise demonstration

Calf Raise Clap

Calves · advanced

Calf Raise From Deficit With Chair Supported exercise demonstration

Calf Raise From Deficit With Chair Supported

Calves · beginner

Calf Raise Leg Press Machine exercise demonstration

Calf Raise Leg Press Machine

Calves · beginner

Calf Raise on Hack Squat Machine exercise demonstration

Calf Raise on Hack Squat Machine

Calves · beginner

Calf Raise on Hack Squat Machine (Variation 2) exercise demonstration

Calf Raise on Hack Squat Machine (Variation 2)

Calves · beginner

Calf Raise With Wall Support exercise demonstration

Calf Raise With Wall Support

Calves · intermediate

Calf Stretch With Hands Against Wall exercise demonstration

Calf Stretch With Hands Against Wall

Calves · beginner

Calf Stretch With Rope exercise demonstration

Calf Stretch With Rope

Calves · beginner

Calve Stretch Foot on Wall exercise demonstration

Calve Stretch Foot on Wall

Calves · beginner

Calve Stretch From Wall to Floor exercise demonstration

Calve Stretch From Wall to Floor

Calves · beginner

Calves Stretch on Stairs exercise demonstration

Calves Stretch on Stairs

Calves · beginner

Calves Stretch on Step exercise demonstration

Calves Stretch on Step

Calves · beginner

Crouching Heel Back Calf Stretch exercise demonstration

Crouching Heel Back Calf Stretch

Calves · beginner

Donkey Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Donkey Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Downward Dog Toe to Heel exercise demonstration

Downward Dog Toe to Heel

Calves · intermediate

Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise Hammer Grip exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise Hammer Grip

Calves · beginner

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise Wall Support exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise Wall Support

Calves · intermediate

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise on Step exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise on Step

Calves · beginner

Dumbbell Standing Single Leg Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Dumbbell Standing Single Leg Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Elevated Standing Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Elevated Standing Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Fast Feet exercise demonstration

Fast Feet

Calves · intermediate

Foam Roller Calves exercise demonstration

Foam Roller Calves

Calves · beginner

Horizontal Leg Press Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Horizontal Leg Press Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Horizontal Leg Press Calf Raise Single Leg exercise demonstration

Horizontal Leg Press Calf Raise Single Leg

Calves · beginner

Jump Rope Alternating Foot exercise demonstration

Jump Rope Alternating Foot

Calves · intermediate

Jump Rope Basic Jump exercise demonstration

Jump Rope Basic Jump

Calves · intermediate

Jump Rope Double Bounce exercise demonstration

Jump Rope Double Bounce

Calves · intermediate

Jumping Jack exercise demonstration

Jumping Jack

Calves · intermediate

Kettlebell Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Kettlebell Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Kettlebell Seated Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Kettlebell Seated Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Kettlebell Single Leg Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Kettlebell Single Leg Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Landmine Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Landmine Calf Raise

Calves · intermediate

Low Box Quick Feet exercise demonstration

Low Box Quick Feet

Calves · intermediate

Lunging Straight Leg Calf Stretch exercise demonstration

Lunging Straight Leg Calf Stretch

Calves · beginner

Rebounder in & Out From Ground exercise demonstration

Rebounder in & Out From Ground

Calves · intermediate

Rebounder Light Jumps exercise demonstration

Rebounder Light Jumps

Calves · intermediate

Resistance Band Calf Press Sitting on Chair exercise demonstration

Resistance Band Calf Press Sitting on Chair

Calves · beginner

Seated Calf Machine exercise demonstration

Seated Calf Machine

Calves · beginner

Seated Calf Raises Dumbbell on Knee exercise demonstration

Seated Calf Raises Dumbbell on Knee

Calves · beginner

Seated Calf Stretch exercise demonstration

Seated Calf Stretch

Calves · beginner

Seated Straight Leg Calf Stretch exercise demonstration

Seated Straight Leg Calf Stretch

Calves · beginner

Single Leg Calf Raise Leg Press Machine exercise demonstration

Single Leg Calf Raise Leg Press Machine

Calves · beginner

Smith Machine Calf Raise exercise demonstration

Smith Machine Calf Raise

Calves · beginner

Standing Calf Raise Resistance Band exercise demonstration

Standing Calf Raise Resistance Band

Calves · beginner

Standing Calf Raises Smith Machine exercise demonstration

Standing Calf Raises Smith Machine

Calves · beginner

Standing Gastrocnemius Stretch exercise demonstration

Standing Gastrocnemius Stretch

Calves · beginner

Unilateral Jumps exercise demonstration

Unilateral Jumps

Calves · intermediate

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my calves grow?

Calves are used to constant daily activity, so they respond to a full range of motion, heavy load, and high frequency. Train both standing (gastrocnemius) and seated (soleus) variations.

What's the difference between standing and seated calf raises?

Standing calf raises emphasize the gastrocnemius with the leg straight; seated calf raises bias the soleus because the bent knee takes the gastrocnemius out of the movement. Train both.

Can I train calves without a machine?

Yes. Bodyweight and single-leg calf raises on a step, plus dumbbell and barbell raises, build calves without a dedicated machine. Focus on a deep stretch and full contraction.

Do these calf exercises come with animations?

Yes. Every calf exercise here has a looping animation of the full movement, plus step-by-step instructions, form tips and the muscles worked. Through the WorkoutX API the same animations come as 720p MP4 at 30 fps, with male and female models.

For developers

Building a fitness app?

Get all 66 calf exercises from the WorkoutX API: names, muscles, equipment, instructions and 720p MP4 animations, in one REST call.

Get a free API key Read the docs

# Calf exercises, 20 at a time
curl "https://api.workoutxapp.com/v2/exercises?target=calves&limit=20" \
  -H "X-WorkoutX-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"