Seated Calf Raise

How to Perform

1. Sit on a bench or seated calf machine with knees bent at 90 degrees
2. Place the balls of your feet on a weight plate or low step on the floor
3. Place weight across your knees (machine pad, dumbbells, or barbell with pad)
4. Rise up on your toes, squeezing at the top for 1 second
5. Lower slowly for a full stretch — 3 second negative

Tips

• Use LESS elevation than standing — a weight plate is plenty. Too high and you overstretch without benefit
• No machine? Dumbbells on your knees is the easiest free-weight alternative
• The soleus is mostly slow-twitch fibres — use slow tempo (2 up, 1 hold, 3 down)
• Time under tension matters more than heavy weight for the soleus
• Pair with standing calf raises on another day for complete calf development — standing hits gastrocnemius, seated hits soleus

Essential Equipment

Equipment	Why You Need It	Our Pick	Review
Adjustable Dumbbells	Place on your knees as the simplest home alternative to the machine	Bowflex SelectTech 552	Read Review