Seated Calf Raise

Seated Calf Raise Overview

The seated calf raise is a variation of the machine calf raise, and an exercise used to isolate the muscles of the calves.

The calves can be a stubborn muscle group for a lot of people, so it’s important to experiment with several different angles when performing calf raises. You may also want to consider training the calves with a high training frequency.

The seated calf raise can be incorporated into your leg workouts and full body workouts.

Seated Calf Raise Instructions

1. Take a seat on the machine and place the balls of your feet on the platform with your toes pointed forward - your heels will naturally hang off. Position the base of quads under the knee pad and allow your hands to rest on top.
2. Extend your ankles and release the safety bar.
3. Lower the heels by dorsiflexing the ankles until the calves are fully stretched.
4. Extend the ankles and exhale as you flex the calves.
5. Repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.

Seated Calf Raise Tips

1. Keep the repetitions slow and controlled. Limit momentum and pause at the top to emphasize the contraction.
2. Limit depth of the heels if you feel any sort of stretch through the bottom of the foot during the exercise.
3. Try to move through the ball of the foot rather than the base of the toes