Calves
Single-leg calf raise
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- calves
- Also
- feet and ankles · hamstrings · core
The single-leg calf raise loads one ankle at a time, driving your heel up and down through its full range. It builds the calf muscles and the strength of the foot and ankle that carries you through walking, running and jumping. It suits anyone who wants stronger lower legs without equipment, and it exposes side to side differences that two-legged work hides.
Form
How to do single-leg calf raise
- 1Stand tall near a wall, doorframe or chair and rest your fingertips on it for balance, not support. Shift your weight onto one foot and lift the other foot behind you.
- 2Press through the ball of your standing foot and rise as high as you can, stacking your ankle, knee and hip in one line. Breathe out as you rise.
- 3Pause at the top for a moment with the heel high and the ankle steady, resisting the urge to roll onto the outside edge of the foot.
- 4Lower under control until the heel touches the floor, breathing in on the way down. Keep the standing knee straight but not locked hard.
- 5Keep the rhythm even for the whole effort, and work both sides.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Bouncing off the floor at the bottom and cutting the top short.
Fix: Slow the lowering, touch the heel down softly, then drive all the way to the highest point you can reach.
Hanging off the wall or chair so your arms take the load.
Fix: Use one or two fingertips only, so balance comes from your foot and ankle.
Letting the ankle roll outward as you rise.
Fix: Press through the base of the big toe and keep the weight spread across the ball of the foot.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions