How to Do Calf Raises: Proper Form, Benefits & Modifications

Calf raises are a simple bodyweight exercise for strengthening the muscles at the back of your lower legs. You can perform them almost anywhere, making them useful for home workouts, PE classes, bootcamps and BoardGains fitness games.

The movement looks easy: lift your heels and lower them again. However, small details such as foot pressure, ankle alignment and tempo can make a big difference.

This guide explains how to do standing calf raises with proper form, count each repetition and make the exercise easier or more challenging.

Written by Eric Mathura, B.Sc. Kinesiology and CSEP-CPT, with more than 10 years of experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Updated August 18, 2026.

Watch: How to Do a Calf Raise

Table of Contents

• What Is a Calf Raise?
• How to Do Calf Raises
• How to Count Repetitions
• Foot Position, Heel Height and Tempo
• Muscles Worked
• Benefits
• Modifications
• Variations
• Common Mistakes
• Group Coaching Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Calf Raise?

A calf raise is an exercise in which you lift your heels away from the floor by pressing through the front of your feet.

This ankle movement is called plantar flexion. It is similar to the action you use when standing on your tiptoes, walking uphill or pushing away from the ground.

The standard BoardGains version is a two-leg standing calf raise performed on a flat, stable surface.

How to Do Calf Raises With Proper Form

1. Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Point your toes mostly forward and keep your feet parallel.
3. Place your fingertips on a wall or stable chair if you need help balancing.
4. Keep your chest tall, core gently engaged and knees straight without forcefully locking them.
5. Press evenly through the front of both feet.
6. Slowly raise your heels away from the floor.
7. Continue rising only as high as you can while keeping your ankles stable.
8. Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your calf muscles.
9. Lower your heels to the floor under control.
10. Reset your balance and repeat.

How to Count Calf Raise Repetitions

One complete rise and controlled return to the floor counts as one repetition.

Do not count the repetition until both heels have returned to the starting position.

When performing calf raises during a BoardGains game, complete the number of repetitions shown on the board.

Calf Raise Foot Position, Heel Height and Tempo

Where Should You Place Your Weight?

Keep your weight spread across the front of each foot, including the base of the big toe and the base of the little toe.

Avoid rolling onto the outside edges of your feet. Your heels should travel mostly straight upward instead of drifting sharply inward or outward.

If your ankles roll as you rise, reduce your heel height and use a wall or chair for support.

How High Should You Raise Your Heels?

Raise your heels as high as you can without losing your alignment or balance.

The highest possible position is not automatically the best position. A slightly smaller, controlled range is more useful than rising higher while your ankles roll or your body sways.

As your strength and balance improve, you may be able to use a larger range of motion.

What Is the Best Calf Raise Tempo?

Avoid bouncing quickly through the repetitions. A simple tempo is:

• Take one or two seconds to rise.
• Pause for about one second at the top.
• Take two or three seconds to lower.
• Briefly reset before beginning the next repetition.

The slower lowering phase keeps the movement controlled and makes it harder to rely on momentum.

Should Your Knees Be Bent?

For a standard standing calf raise, keep your knees relatively straight without forcing them backward.

A small natural softness in the knees is fine. Avoid repeatedly bending and straightening your knees to bounce through the movement.

What Muscles Do Calf Raises Work?

Gastrocnemius

The gastrocnemius is the large, visible calf muscle. It crosses both the knee and ankle joints.

A standing calf raise performed with relatively straight knees places this muscle in a useful position to contribute to the movement.

Soleus

The soleus lies underneath the gastrocnemius. It also helps lift the heel and point the foot downward.

The soleus works during standing calf raises, but bending the knee—as in a seated calf raise—reduces the gastrocnemius muscle’s contribution and places relatively more emphasis on the soleus.

Foot and Ankle Muscles

Several smaller muscles around the feet and ankles help keep you stable while your heels move up and down.

Benefits of Calf Raises

Builds Calf Strength and Endurance

Calf raises train the muscles responsible for lifting the heels and pointing the foot downward.

Requires No Equipment

Bodyweight calf raises can be performed in a gym, classroom, home or outdoor workout area.

Easy to Progress

Participants can progress from two-leg calf raises to pause, single-leg, step or weighted variations.

Works Well in Group Workouts

Calf raises require little space and allow everyone to exercise at the same time.

Trains Ankle Plantar Flexion

The exercise strengthens the movement used when rising onto your toes and pushing through the front of the foot.

Calf raises may support activities that involve pushing through the feet, but one exercise alone cannot guarantee faster running, higher jumping or protection from injury.

Calf Raise Modifications

Chair-Supported Calf Raise

Holding a stable chair or wall is the best starting option for participants who need more balance support.

1. Stand behind a sturdy, non-wheeled chair.
2. Rest your fingertips lightly on the chair.
3. Keep your feet about hip-width apart.
4. Raise both heels under control.
5. Pause briefly.
6. Slowly lower your heels to the floor.

Use the chair for balance instead of pulling or pushing your body upward with your arms. This changes the balance demand without removing the work performed by the calves.

Seated Calf Raise

A seated calf raise can be used when standing is not appropriate or when you want to train the calves with the knees bent.

1. Sit tall near the front of a stable chair.
2. Place both feet flat on the floor.
3. Keep your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees.
4. Press through the front of your feet and raise your heels.
5. Pause at the top.
6. Lower your heels slowly.

Start with body weight. External resistance across the thighs should only be introduced when it is appropriate and can be handled safely.

Calf Raise Variations

Pause Calf Raises

Hold the top position for two or three seconds before lowering. This removes momentum and makes each repetition more demanding.

Slow-Tempo Calf Raises

Take three seconds to rise and three seconds to lower while maintaining stable ankle alignment.

Single-Leg Calf Raises

Lift one foot away from the floor and perform the exercise using the standing leg. Hold a wall or chair for balance. This variation is much harder than the two-leg version.

Bent-Knee Calf Raises

Keep a small, steady bend in your knees while lifting your heels. Do not repeatedly straighten and bend your legs during the repetition.

Calf Raises on a Step

Stand with the front of your feet on a secure step so your heels can lower below the level of your toes.

Use a handrail, move slowly and only lower as far as feels controlled. This variation is not ideal for fast-moving group games or crowded exercise spaces.

Weighted Calf Raises

Hold dumbbells or another appropriate load while performing calf raises. Add resistance only after you can complete bodyweight repetitions without bouncing or rolling your ankles.

Common Calf Raise Mistakes

Bouncing Through the Repetitions

Moving too quickly uses momentum and reduces control.

Fix: Pause at the top and lower for two or three seconds.

Rolling Onto the Outside of the Feet

This can cause the heels and ankles to drift out of position.

Fix: Maintain pressure through both sides of the front of each foot.

Turning the Feet Too Far In or Out

Extreme foot angles may make it harder to maintain comfortable knee and ankle alignment.

Fix: Begin with your feet parallel and your toes mostly forward.

Forcing Maximum Heel Height

Trying to force extra height can cause the ankles to roll or the body to sway.

Fix: Stop at your highest controlled position.

Performing Partial Repetitions

Quick, shallow repetitions may limit the range used by the calf muscles.

Fix: Lower your heels to the floor between repetitions unless you are intentionally using another variation.

Bending and Straightening the Knees

Repeatedly bending the knees can turn the exercise into a bouncing motion.

Fix: Choose a comfortable knee position and keep it steady.

Leaning Forward

Leaning heavily into a wall or chair shifts your body away from a tall standing position.

Fix: Use only light fingertip support.

Holding Your Breath

Participants sometimes hold their breath while concentrating on balance.

Fix: Breathe normally throughout the set.

How Many Calf Raises Should You Do?

• Beginners: 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions
• General fitness: 2–3 sets of 12–20 repetitions
• Timed workouts: 20–40 seconds
• BoardGains games: Complete the number shown during play

Stop the set when you can no longer maintain steady foot pressure, ankle alignment and a controlled tempo.

The calves may feel tired or warm during a set. Sharp pain, sudden cramping or pain around the Achilles tendon, foot, knee or ankle is a reason to stop and reassess the exercise.

How to Coach Calf Raises in a Group

Calf raises work well in group settings because they require very little space and no equipment.

1. Use a flat, non-slip exercise surface.
2. Give participants enough space to balance safely.
3. Demonstrate the movement from the front and side.
4. Show the wall- or chair-supported option.
5. Ask participants to keep their heels travelling straight upward.
6. Encourage a brief pause instead of fast bouncing.
7. Avoid step variations during busy games unless the equipment is stable and supervised.
8. Count only complete, controlled repetitions.

Calf Raises in BoardGains

Calf Raises are one of the 20 bodyweight exercises included in the BoardGains Pro Edition.

When a player lands on the Calf Raise exercise:

1. Stand with both feet planted.
2. Complete the required number of controlled repetitions.
3. Count one full rise and return as one repetition.
4. Use a wall or stable chair if balance support is needed.
5. Finish the challenge and continue the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should my feet be hip-width or shoulder-width apart?

Hip-width is a comfortable starting position for most people. A slightly narrower or wider stance is fine if you can keep your feet stable and your ankles aligned.

Should my toes point forward?

Start with your toes mostly forward. A small natural turnout is acceptable, but avoid forcing an extreme position.

Should my knees be bent during calf raises?

For a standard standing calf raise, keep your knees relatively straight without aggressively locking them. A bent-knee calf raise is a separate variation that changes how the calf muscles contribute.

Should I hold onto something?

Yes, if it improves your control. Lightly holding a wall or stable chair lets you focus on the calf movement instead of struggling to balance.

Are seated calf raises easier?

They reduce the standing balance requirement, but they are not simply an easier version of the same exercise. Bending the knees changes the relative contribution of the gastrocnemius and soleus.

Do I need weights?

No. Bodyweight calf raises can be challenging when performed through a controlled range with a pause and slow lowering phase.

Can calf raises improve ankle mobility?

Calf raises primarily strengthen the muscles that lift the heels. They move the ankle through a range of motion, but they should not be presented as a complete ankle-mobility program.

Can calf raises prevent shin splints?

Calf strengthening may be one part of a wider training or rehabilitation plan, but calf raises alone cannot guarantee that shin pain or injuries will be prevented.

Why do I feel calf raises in my feet?

The muscles of the feet help stabilize the movement. Reduce the range, check your foot pressure and use support if discomfort develops. Stop if you experience sharp or persistent pain.

Can I do calf raises every day?

Some people can tolerate frequent low-intensity calf raises, but recovery needs vary. Allow more recovery after challenging, high-volume or weighted sessions.

Are step calf raises better than floor calf raises?

A step allows a larger downward range, but it also requires more control and stable equipment. Floor calf raises are often the better choice for beginners, PE classes and group workouts.

Final Calf Raise Form Checklist

• Feet about hip-width apart
• Toes mostly forward
• Weight spread across the front of each foot
• Knees straight but not forcefully locked
• Heels travelling mostly straight upward
• Brief pause at the top
• Slow, controlled lowering
• One complete rise and return equals one rep

Keep it simple: stand tall, rise up, pause and lower slowly.

Exercise References

• American Council on Exercise: Standing Calf Raises
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Calf Workouts
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Calf Training and Muscle Function