Best Calf Exercises and Workout for Building Bigger Calves

12 Best Calf Exercises and Workout for Building Bigger Calves

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If you’re here looking for the best calf exercises because you’re struggling to build bigger calves, you aren’t alone.

For most individuals, working to grow the leg muscles, specifically the calves, is a great challenge. Calf strength and ankle mobility are crucial for all athletes, but particularly runners.

Your calf is one of the most under-trained muscles in your body and is usually neglected from a strength program. Most people don’t understand or believe the importance of keeping your calf complex strong.

Try these simple, effective exercises for strengthening your calf muscles. But before starting to implement the calf training routine, let understand a bit about calves muscles, and best calf exercises and how to do it properly and correctly to maximize the gain.

Calves Muscle

The calf is made up of two superficial muscles: the upper gastrocnemius, and the lower soleus.

These are located at the back of your lower leg and join together to become your achilles tendon and attach onto your heel.

  1. The gastrocnemius is the visible muscle of the calf. The two heads (medial and lateral) of the gastrocnemius arise from the rear of the femur bone, Immediately above the knee joint.
  2. Soleus arises from the rear aspect of the tibia and lies underneath the gastrocnemius.

The gastrocnemius attaches above the knee, and the soleus below the knee. So, whenever the knee is bent, the soleus is doing the work. When the knee is straight, the gastrocnemius is doing the heavy lifting.

Anatomy of Calf Muscle.

Why is Calf Strength So Important?

Your calves help stabilize and strengthen your ankles, allowing your feet to leave and hit the ground properly when you do everything from walk to jump.

Your calf muscles propel you forward with every single step, they absorb load with each impact, and they support the rest of your lower limb and body.

By increasing your calf strength, you will:

  • Become faster
  • Be able to run for longer
  • Keep a more consistent pace while running
  • Be able to jump higher
  • The stronger your calf muscles are, the more powerfully you can sprint, and lift—and the less likely you are to get injured

How To Build Calf Muscle

To build three-dimensional calves, you need a multitude of approaches by constantly working the concentric and eccentric contractions of those muscles from variable angles.

Varying rep strategies are also critical. Think of doing reps between 10 and 25, alternating between volume and strength days. That also means that you shouldn’t be afraid to load up the weight on those strength days, either.

Pick two or three of these calf exercises to do two or three times a week. Do three sets of each.

Your calves are used to high-volume work (think of how much they support you when walking all day), so they can be trained at greater frequency.

This Post contains detailed descriptions of all major exercises that focus on the calf muscles, including the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

The calf workout is divided into exercises that focus on the gastrocnemius and exercises that target the soleus, as well as exercises for the tibialis anterior.

Training Technique to Grow Calf Muscles

Here are several techniques that will work.  Try out the technique and approaches and see which ones work best for you, or incorporate all of them into your routine.

  • Do Full range of motion and Go all the way up and all the way down when you do your calf raises (but avoid relaxing at the bottom, which stresses the connective tissues). 
  • Give calf muscles a big pump by forcing a large amount of blood into a muscle is one way to encourage growth. The best way to get a good pump is with high reps (20-50) and short rest (30-60 seconds) in between sets.
  • Increase the weight and intensity of your calf workout. To stimulate growth through high resistance, you should load significantly more than your bodyweight. Another option is to use less weight, but lift with one leg at a time. 
  • Lifting with both legs and lowering slowly will help you do some calf exercises effectively. Eccentric reps create a lot of stress on the muscle, so I recommend doing them at most every other week.
  • Use a variety of exercises to strengthen your calves from different angles.

10 Best Calf Exercises and Workout for Building Bigger Calves

Have a look at these 12 Best calf workouts and training exercises for the best calves around.

1. Standing Calf Raise

Calf exercises are performed to build 2 basic calf muscles, soleus and gastrocnemius.

If there is only one exercise you want to do for calves, then it should be calf raises. It is the overall Calf muscle builder.

Standing calf raise targets the whole gastrocnemius muscle.

A wide stance tends to emphasize the inner (medial) head, whereas a narrow stance targets the outer (lateral) head.

To maximize the range of motion, aim for a full stretch at the bottom and full squeeze at the top.

Standing Calf Raise
Standing Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Standing Calf Raise

  1. Step on a Calf raise machine with your toes on a block and heals extended into space. Place the shoulders under the pads and hook the weight off the support.
  2. Now raise yourself up using only the toes and come as far as possible. Hold this position for a second, flexing your calf muscles.
  3. Slowly lower your heals as far as possible towards the floor. Keep your knees slightly bent.
  4. Go as heavy as possible. With time, you can perform partial repetitions once you get tired on a set.

Tips

  • The movement too quickly isn’t effective—it’s best to raise and lower your heels slowly.
  • To stay properly balanced while performing calf raises, keep your chest up and stand tall
  • To help keep your balance, keep your eyes facing forward at all times.

2. Donkey Calf Raise

Donkey Calf Raise is one of the best calf exercises to build calf muscles. This raise is mostly the second option after standing calf raises.

The donkey calf raise primarily target both muscles that make up the calves: the gastrocnemius and the soleus.

The donkey calf raises secondarily activates the hamstrings and abs. When you bend over to initiate the calf raise, the hamstrings receive a stretch. Add this exercise as a variation to your calf workouts.

Donkey Calf Raises
Donkey Calf Raises

Muscles Worked

Primary: Calf muscles.

Secondary: Gluteals, Hamstrings

How To Do Donkey Calf Raises

  1. Stand on a board and bend forward, holding a table for support. Ask a training partner to sit across your back.
  2. Lower your heels and get as low as possible and fully contract your calf muscles fully.
  3. Extend your calves and get back to starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

  • You must go through full-range movements to target the calves muscles, including both gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Since partial calf movements happen every day in walking and running.
  • Use high blocks to make sure that you are not limited in the range of your movements.

3. Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

The Smith machine standing calf raise is a machine-based exercise targeting the muscles of the calves, particularly the gastrocnemius or upper calf muscle.

It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, such as 12-20 reps per set or more, as part of the lower body portion of a workout.

Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

  1. First, make sure to place a block or weight plate below the bar on the Smith machine. Then set the bar to the position that best fits your height. Now load the bar and step onto the plates with the balls of your feet. Place the bar on the back of your shoulders.
  2.  Hold the bar with both hands facing forward. Rotate the bar so that it is unracked from the smith machine.
  3. Push off the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible. Make sure to flex your calf at the top of the contraction. Hold the contracted position for a second.
  4. Breathe in as you return to the starting position by lowering your heels.  Repeat the desired the repetitions.

Tips

  • Your knees should remain extended.
  • Don’t let your heels touch the floor throughout the set.
  • Use the maximum range of motion by allowing your heels to drop as far as possible and then raising them as high as possible.

4. Standing Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

Single leg calf raises are another great exercise for your calf workout.

It doesn’t require any equipment, although dumbbells can always be added and virtually no space, and anyone can do them. They really should be near the top of the list of the best calf exercises.

You can do the standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise on the floor if you don’t have a platform to perform the exercise from.

Standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Standing Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

  1. Hold a dumbbell by your side, in your left hand. With your left foot, stand on a platform, with the arch and heel of your foot suspending off.
  2. Grasp something with your right hand for stability. Exhale as you raise your heel by extending your ankle.
  3. Hold for a count. Inhale as you slowly reverse the motion and lower your heel until you feel a mild stretch in your calf.
  4. Hold for a count of one. Repeat for more repetitions. Repeat with your right leg.

Tips

  • Keep the movement slow and under control.
  • Do not lock out your knee.

5. Seated Machine Calf Raise

The seated calf raise is a one of the best strength-gaining exercise that targets your calf muscles and accelerates their growth.

It specifically activates and stresses the soleus calf muscle, and so the exercise is best performed by maintaining an angle of 90 degrees at the knees.

In the seated calf raise, your soleus is the target and your gastrocnemius is the synergism.

Since the soleus comprises slow-twitch muscle fibers, performing the seated calf raise builds your endurance required for running, cycling, and walking.

Seated Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Soleus.

Secondary: Gastrocnemius.

How To Do Seated Machine Calf Raise

  1. Sit in the seated calf machine and place your feet on the foot plate so that your heels hang off the edge.
  2. Place the knee pad on your knees and unrack the weight. Drop your heels as low as you can to get a good stretch in your calves.
  3. Lift your heels by contracting the calf muscles to raise the weight as high as you can on the balls of your feet.
  4. Hold this position for a second, flexing your calf muscles, then lower your heels back to the starting position.

Tips

  • Do the reps in a controlled way and limit momentum at the top of the movement.
  • Use the maximum range of motion by allowing your heels to drop as far as possible and then raising them as high as possible.

6. Seated Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

When doing a calf workout with a dumbbell, there are plenty of calf exercises you can add to correct potential imbalances.

The seated dumbbell one-leg calf raise places more stress on the soleus than it does on the gastrocnemius.

It may also be performed with both legs simultaneously, but doing it one leg at a time is recommended to execute it as properly and safely as possible.

The seated dumbbell one-leg calf raise can be used as an alternative to the machine seated one-leg calf raise if you do not have access to the seated calf raise machine.

Seated dumbbell one-leg calf raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Soleus.

Secondary: Gastrocnemius.

How To Do Seated Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

  1. Sit with the front of your right foot placed on top of a block or step in front of you. Hips and knees should be bent at a ninety-degree angle.
  2. Dip the heel of your right foot as low as it can go.
  3. Hold a dumbbell vertically on top of your right knee. Exhale as you lift your right heel as high as possible, pushing against the dumbbell’s weight.
  4. Keep your right heel lifted for 2 counts. Slowly lower it as you inhale. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.
  5. Repeat the exercise on your left foot.

Tips

  • Move slowly as you stretch your calf muscle.
  • Make sure you hold the stretch for a second at the top returning to the starting position.
  • Engage your core to keep your torso upright throughout the exercise.

7. Hack Machine Calf Raise

Another best calf exercise is the hack machine calf raise. It is a strength exercises, when done correctly, it can effectively target your calves.

If you turn your toes outward, the inner (medial) head of your gastrocnemius will be emphasized.

On the other hand, if you turn your toes inward or keep them pointing forward, both the inner and outer (lateral) heads of your gastrocnemius will be activated approximately equally.

Hack machine calf raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Hack Machine Calf Raise

  1. Stand on the hack machine platform with your back flat against the rest and the shoulder pads on top of your shoulders.
  2. Adjust your feet so that only the balls of your feet are on the platform. The heels and arches of your feet should be extending off the platform. Unlatch the hack machine from the rail.
  3. Keeping your knees almost fully extended, exhale as you push the hack machine up and away from the platform.
  4. Pause for a second and Slowly lower the hack machine back down to the starting position until you feel a mild stretch in your calves. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Adjust the angle of your feet (toes pointed inward, outward, straightforward) to target different areas of your calves.
  • Make sure that your back is flat against the rest, your hips are extended and your knees are almost fully extended throughout the exercise

8. Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

Standing calf raises (also known as heel raises) is a classic move, even bodyweight calf exercises are an effective way of strengthening your calves because the calf muscles take on so much of your bodyweight. 

The standing calf raise is a really easy exercise to do.

They only use bodyweight, so they’re a really convenient calf exercise that you can do that home, or pretty much anywhere.

Bodyweight calf exercises are handy to exercise your calves without having to set foot in the gym.

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

  1. Stand up straight with your feet facing forward and placed hip-width apart. Keep a slight bend in your knee and hold your hands by your side.
  2. Raise your heels by pressing the balls of your feet into the ground.
  3. You should move your body upwards until you’re stood on your toes.
  4. Hold this position and then slowly lower your heels back to the ground.

Tips

  • Pause and squeeze for a count of 1-2 at the top of the movement for added intensity.
  • Keep the balls of your feet on the edge of the block/step. If you allow the balls of your feet to come in more, the exercise becomes easier

9. Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

If you want to train the calf muscles, the Standing dumbbell calf raise is one of the most suitable exercises for this. 

This exercise can be performed anywhere with a dumbbell only, and it is also possible to perform the exercise without a machine. The calf raise is an exercise that can be found in many training plans.

To work your calve muscles harder than a bodyweight standing calf raise, you can add resistance to the move.

There are multiple variations of weighted calf raise workout, you just need to grab a barbell, a pair of kettlebells, or a set of dumbbells. Must add this in your calf exercises arsenal.

Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Gastrocnemius.

Secondary: Soleus.

How To Do Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

  1. Hold a weight in each hand. Stand up straight on stepper with your feet facing forward and placed hip-width apart.
  2. Keep a slight bend in your knee and hold your hands by your side. Raise your heels by pressing the balls of your feet into the ground.
  3. You should move your body upwards until you’re stood on your toes.
  4. Hold this position and then slowly lower your heels back to the ground.

Tips

  • Pause and squeeze for a count of 1-2 at the top of the movement for added intensity.
  • Keep the balls of your feet on the edge of the block/step. If you allow the balls of your feet to come in more, the exercise becomes easier

10. Leg Press Machine Calf Raise

The leg press calf raise is a variation of the machine calf raise and an exercise used to build the muscles of the calves.

The calves can be a very stubborn muscle group, so it’s important to target them with plenty of different angles and a high training frequency.

Working your calves on the machine has a great benefit compared to standing calf raises. That is, it does not put stress on your back.

It supports your upper and lower back, hence if you have problems with your back, use the seated leg press machine instead of the vertical moves.

Leg Press Machine Calf Raise

Muscles Worked

Primary: Hamstring, gluteals.

Secondary: Spinal erectors, quadriceps.

How To Do Leg Press Machine Calf Raise

  1. Sit in a leg press machine and place your feet on the bottom of the foot plate so that your heels hang off the foot plate.
  2. Press the foot plate up from the safety hooks (but do not unlatch them) by straightening your legs.  
  3. Drop your toes down toward your shins to stretch your calves. Press the weight up with your toes by contracting your calf muscles.
  4. Hold this position for a second, flexing your calf muscles, then lower your heels back to the starting position.

Tips

  • Keep the repetitions slow and controlled. Limit momentum and pause at the top to emphasize the contraction.
  • Try to move through the ball of the foot rather than the base of the toes.
  • To perform the exercise correctly and safely, you must wear proper footwear. No slippers.

11. Dumbbell Step-Up

The dumbbell step-up is a great exercise for building lower-body strength and power. This work out exercise  targets hamstrings and quadriceps and also involves calves and glutes & hip flexors.

The step-up is a great all-round exercise that is perfect for all, since it can be modified to create a challenging workout for anyone, whether you have just started exercising or have been training for years.

Dumbbell step-up

Muscles Worked

Primary: Quadriceps.

Secondary: Gluteals, hamstrings, Soleus, Gastrocnemius

How To Do Dumbbell Step-Up

  1. Place a knee-high box or bench in front of you and grasp a dumbbell in each hand, or use just your body weight.
  2. Stand with your feet in a comfortable hip-width stance. Step forward with one leg onto the step and drive through that thigh to bring your body upward.
  3. Bring the trailing leg to the top of the step and stand on the box, then step back with the opposite leg to the floor and lower yourself. Alternate legs with each rep.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Control the movement, using your muscles to slowly lift and lower yourself.
  • Be sure to keep your low back in its natural arch and your upper body upright throughout the whole movement.
  • Keep your body upright and your feet and knees pointing in the same direction.

12. Jump Squat

Jump squats are the power packed HIIT version of squats. They are also known as squat jumps. Squat jumps and their variations help shed fat from the lower body, tone your butt and legs, and improve strength and balance.

This exercise is often used as the beginning movement to develop proficiency in the vertical jump, high jump, long jump, and box jumps.

Squat jumps are a great exercise to include in-home workouts since they can be done in a small space without any equipment.

Jump Squat

Muscles Worked

Primary: Quadriceps, gluteals.

Secondary: Hamstrings, Soleus, Gastrocnemius, adductors, spinal erectors, abdominals.

How To Do Jump Squat

  1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Quickly drop by bending at the knees and hips, letting your glutes track backward to lower yourself into a squat.
  3. At the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor, quickly and explosively reverse direction, driving up through your heels and the balls of your feet to lift your body off the floor as high as possible.
  4. Land with soft knees and immediately lower into the next rep.

Tips

  • Keep your head up and your torso upright.
  • Don’t perform this exercise with cold muscles. Do a cardio warm up before it.

Frequently Asked Question

What is the best exercise for calves?

There are several calf exercises that will improve strength and definition. That includes the following: standing calf raise, Donkey Calf raise, seated calf raises, single-leg calf raises, dumbbell step-Up and side lunges.

How can I increase my calf size?

 The calf muscle group is one of the most difficult to grow. If you really want to strengthen your calf muscles, you should train them in different ways.

  • Set calves are a high priority, treat them that way by training them first on leg day.
  • Emphasize high volume and perform at least 20 reps per set. Keep it under 20-25 reps per set.
  • Include one standing and one seated exercise per calf workout.
  • If you want to grow your calf, you need to focus on the squeeze and contraction—i.e., the top part of the movement.

Should I train calves everyday?

It is not advisable to train your calf muscles daily. Remember to give your body enough rest. Do not overtrain because that will lead to fatigue and breakdown. 2-3 days a week is enough for a calf workout.

Does walking build Calf Exercises

Since our calves receive a lot of stimulation from walking around, your best training results will come from stimulating them in ways that are different from walking.

If you use walking as a form of exercise, try walking up hills or using the incline on the treadmill.  The incline will increase the range of motion at the ankle to stimulate calf growth.

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