Exercises / Seated Calf Raise

Seated Calf Raise

Also known as: Seated heel raise, Soleus raise, Machine seated calf raise

A seated heel raise. The knees stay bent while the heels drop and press up.

Primary muscles
Calves (soleus)
Equipment
Machine (seated calf machine)
Pattern
Isolation
Difficulty
Beginner
Line diagram of a Seated Calf Raise.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Two-panel seated calf raise, heels down and up.
SeatedCalfRaiseMachineExercise.JPG by George Stepanek, CC BY-SA 3.0. License: CC BY-SA (share-alike). Source.

Cues

  1. Sit with the balls of the feet on the platform and the pads on the lower thighs, just above the knees.
  2. Drop the heels until the calves stretch; the knees stay bent.
  3. Press the heels up as high as they will go.
  4. Lower under control; do not bounce off the bottom.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the thighs lift off the pads so the hip, not the ankle, moves the load.
  • Using a tiny range at the top only.
  • Placing the feet so far forward that the heels never drop.

Safety

  • Keep the pads on the thighs. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the Achilles.