WorkoutX

Calf Exercises

57 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 animated GIF 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 GIFs are available from the WorkoutX API.

By muscleChest Back Shoulder Bicep Tricep Ab & Core Glute Leg Calf Forearm

By equipmentDumbbell Barbell Cable Bodyweight Kettlebell Resistance Band

Ankle Circles animated GIF

Ankle Circles

Assisted Lying Calves Stretch animated GIF

Assisted Lying Calves Stretch

Band Single Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Band Single Leg Calf Raise

Band Single Leg Reverse Calf Raise animated GIF

Band Single Leg Reverse Calf Raise

Band Two Legs Calf Raise - (band Under Both Legs) V. 2 animated GIF

Band Two Legs Calf Raise - (band Under Both Legs) V. 2

Barbell Floor Calf Raise animated GIF

Barbell Floor Calf Raise

Barbell Seated Calf Raise animated GIF

Barbell Seated Calf Raise

Barbell Standing Calf Raise animated GIF

Barbell Standing Calf Raise

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Barbell Standing Leg Calf Raise

Barbell Standing Rocking Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Barbell Standing Rocking Leg Calf Raise

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise animated GIF

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

Box Jump Down With One Leg Stabilization animated GIF

Box Jump Down With One Leg Stabilization

Cable Standing Calf Raise animated GIF

Cable Standing Calf Raise

Cable Standing One Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Cable Standing One Leg Calf Raise

Calf Push Stretch With Hands Against Wall animated GIF

Calf Push Stretch With Hands Against Wall

Calf Stretch With Hands Against Wall animated GIF

Calf Stretch With Hands Against Wall

Calf Stretch With Rope animated GIF

Calf Stretch With Rope

Circles Knee Stretch animated GIF

Circles Knee Stretch

Donkey Calf Raise animated GIF

Donkey Calf Raise

Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise animated GIF

Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Hammer Grip animated GIF

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Hammer Grip

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Palm Up animated GIF

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Palm Up

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise animated GIF

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise animated GIF

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise (tennis Ball Between Ankles) animated GIF

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise (tennis Ball Between Ankles)

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise (tennis Ball Between Knees) animated GIF

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise (tennis Ball Between Knees)

Hack Calf Raise animated GIF

Hack Calf Raise

Hack One Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Hack One Leg Calf Raise

Lever Calf Press animated GIF

Lever Calf Press

Lever Donkey Calf Raise animated GIF

Lever Donkey Calf Raise

Lever Rotary Calf animated GIF

Lever Rotary Calf

Lever Seated Calf Press animated GIF

Lever Seated Calf Press

Lever Seated Calf Raise animated GIF

Lever Seated Calf Raise

Lever Seated Squat Calf Raise On Leg Press Machine animated GIF

Lever Seated Squat Calf Raise On Leg Press Machine

Lever Standing Calf Raise animated GIF

Lever Standing Calf Raise

One Leg Donkey Calf Raise animated GIF

One Leg Donkey Calf Raise

One Leg Floor Calf Raise animated GIF

One Leg Floor Calf Raise

Peroneals Stretch animated GIF

Peroneals Stretch

Posterior Tibialis Stretch animated GIF

Posterior Tibialis Stretch

Seated Calf Stretch (male) animated GIF

Seated Calf Stretch (male)

Single Leg Calf Raise (on A Dumbbell) animated GIF

Single Leg Calf Raise (on A Dumbbell)

Sled 45° Calf Press animated GIF

Sled 45° Calf Press

Sled Calf Press On Leg Press animated GIF

Sled Calf Press On Leg Press

Sled Forward Angled Calf Raise animated GIF

Sled Forward Angled Calf Raise

Sled Lying Calf Press animated GIF

Sled Lying Calf Press

Sled One Leg Calf Press On Leg Press animated GIF

Sled One Leg Calf Press On Leg Press

Smith One Leg Floor Calf Raise animated GIF

Smith One Leg Floor Calf Raise

Smith Reverse Calf Raises animated GIF

Smith Reverse Calf Raises

Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Smith Standing Leg Calf Raise animated GIF

Smith Standing Leg Calf Raise

Smith Toe Raise animated GIF

Smith Toe Raise

Standing Calf Raise (on A Staircase) animated GIF

Standing Calf Raise (on A Staircase)

Standing Calves animated GIF

Standing Calves

Standing Calves Calf Stretch animated GIF

Standing Calves Calf Stretch

Weighted Donkey Calf Raise animated GIF

Weighted Donkey Calf Raise

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 GIFs?

Every calf exercise here includes a hosted GIF animation and detailed step-by-step instructions on its detail page.

Building a fitness app?

Get all 57 calf exercises — names, muscles, equipment and hosted GIF URLs — straight from the WorkoutX API. One REST endpoint, no RapidAPI middleware.

View API Docs →