How to do it
- Stand with the balls of your feet on the platform and the legs straight.
- Lower the heels as far below the platform as your ankles allow.
- Press up onto the toes as high as possible and pause.
Cues that matter
- Straight legs put the gastrocnemius in charge.
- A one-second pause at both ends beats any amount of bouncing.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing rapidly through a tiny range.
- Bending the knees to help push up.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Calves
- Gastrocnemius
Also works
- Soleus
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Standing Calf Raise in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the calves with different equipment — for a day the machine is taken, or a gym that does not have one.