Seated calf raise
A bent-knee calf raise with weight on the knees. Targets the underlying soleus muscle because the knee is bent.
The movement
2 stages
Flat
01 Flat
Seated with the weight resting on your lower thigh.
02 Raise
Press up through the ball of the foot.
How to do it
Setup
- Sit on the edge of a bench with the balls of your feet on a small step or plate.
- Rest a heavy dumbbell vertically on your lower thigh, just behind your knee.
Execution
- Rise as high onto the balls of your feet as you can, lifting the weight.
- Pause for a full second at the top.
- Lower slowly until your heels touch down or sink below the step for a stretch.
Getting it right
Form cues
- Do not bounce at the bottom. Use the muscle, not the Achilles tendon.
- Keep the dumbbell steady with your hands so it does not slide off your knee.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing through the reps, which robs the muscle of the work.
- Cutting the range short and not stretching at the bottom.
Worth knowing
- Ensure the weight is secure on your thigh before starting the rep.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
A standing calf raise trains the whole lower leg, but bending the knee puts the visible outer muscle (the gastrocnemius) in a shortened, disadvantageous position. That forces the thick underlying muscle (the soleus) to do the heavy lifting.
Because your calves carry you around all day, they respond to volume and range rather than variety. Sets of 12–20 slow reps with a pause at the top and a deep stretch at the bottom will build the tissue. Keep the dumbbells heavy enough that the last few reps are genuinely difficult.