Calves
Loaded calf raise
- Kit
- Dumbbells
- Works
- calves
- Also
- ankle stabilisers · feet · forearms
The loaded calf raise adds dumbbell weight to a simple rise onto the toes, working the muscles that drive every step, jump and push off the floor. It builds calf strength and ankle stability, and it trains the tendon tissue around the ankle to handle load. It suits anyone with a pair of dumbbells and a bit of floor space, and it is a straightforward way to finish a circuit.
Form
How to do loaded calf raise
- 1Stand tall with a dumbbell hanging in each hand, feet hip width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides.
- 2Brace your middle lightly and press the balls of your feet into the floor, lifting your heels as high as they will go. Breathe out as you rise.
- 3Pause at the top with your ankles fully extended and your weight over the big toe and second toe, not rolled out to the little toe side.
- 4Lower your heels under control until they touch the floor, breathing in on the way down. Do not drop or bounce.
- 5Keep your knees soft but still, so the movement happens at the ankle only, and keep going at a steady rhythm for the whole effort.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Bending and straightening the knees to help the weight up.
Fix: Set your knees in one soft position and hold them there so the ankles do all the work.
Rushing through short, bouncy raises that never reach full height.
Fix: Slow down and rise all the way onto the balls of your feet on every repetition, even if that means fewer of them.
Letting the ankles roll outward at the top.
Fix: Drive through the base of the big toe and keep your weight on the inside edge of the ball of each foot.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions