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Gym workouts

Machine calf workout: the standing calf machine, the leg press and the seated calf machine

A short session for your calves alone, on the gym's calf machines. Our machine leg workout trains your whole legs and ends with one calf move on the leg press; this one is all calves, with straight-knee raises for the big calf muscle first and bent-knee raises for the soleus after, about 6 hard sets in all. Do it on its own or after a leg day, twice a week. No trial has tested this session: the order follows the trials and our calf raise guide, and the doses are our editorial starting point. Our calf raise machine guide covers the set-up step by step.

20 minBeginner7 movesA wall · Strength machineCalves · Shins
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 slow circles each way, each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoSitting, or holding a supportEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  2. Slow calf raise15
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBoth feet on the floor, easyEasier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Harder: Standing dumbbell calf raise

Straight knee

Rest 60 to 90 s between sets

  1. Standing calf raise (machine)3 × 10 to 15
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoPads on your shoulders, balls of your feet on the step. Heels down into a comfortable stretch, pause, then all the way up, about 2 seconds each way. No standing machine: calf raises on the leg press, 3 × 12 to 20, releasing the handles only once your feet are set, with the stops set so the sled can't drop far if a foot slipsEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops

Bent knee

Rest 60 to 90 s between sets

  1. Seated calf raise (machine)3 × 12 to 20
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoPad on your lower thighs, just above the knees. The same tempo and pauseHarder: Slow calf raise

Front of the shin (optional)

  1. Tibialis raise1 to 2 × 15 to 20
    Beginner · Shins · 3D demoBack against a wall; lift the fronts of both feetHarder: Single-leg tibialis raise

Cool-down

  1. Wall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)30 s each leg
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBack knee straight, heel downEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Heel-on-step calf and hamstring stretch
  2. Soleus wall stretch30 s each leg
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBack knee bent, heel downEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)

Tips

  • In your first two weeks, do 2 sets of each machine and stop every set with 3 or 4 reps to spare. After that, stop 1 to 3 reps short, and let the last set of each machine get within 0 to 2.
  • Twice a week, two or three days apart: about 12 hard calf sets a week, which grew the calves more than 6 in a trial.
  • When you can't rise all the way any more, finish the set with a few half reps from the bottom: the stretched half grew the calves most in a trial on a leg press.
  • When every set reaches the top of its range, add the smallest weight step and go back to the bottom of the range. Write your machine settings down: stacks differ between machines.
  • Achilles or heel pain: keep it at 5 out of 10 or less and settled by the next morning, and with pain where the tendon meets the heel, keep your heels level with the step rather than below it. A sudden snap at the back of the heel, as if you'd been kicked, needs the same day: NHS 111, A&E or a minor injuries unit.
  • Back pain, or the pads hurt your shoulders? Use calf raises on the leg press, or the seated machine, which take the load off your spine.
  • Calves can be slow: give it 8 to 12 weeks before judging.
  • No machines? Our calf workout does the same with a step and a dumbbell.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

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Questions people ask

How long does the machine calf workout: the standing calf machine, the leg press and the seated calf machine take?

About 20 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall, Strength machine. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 5 of its 7 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.