Exercise library

Exercises for calves

209 exercises that train calves, primary or secondary. Tap for technique and tips.

The calves may be small, but they're critical in practice. They drive every step, jump and landing – and play a direct role in everything from cycling and running to heavy deadlifts and loaded step-ups.

This library contains 209 exercises across barbell (61), machine (27), kettlebell (18), bodyweight (14), dumbbell (11) and more. That's plenty to never repeat the same workout twice.

Below you'll find a practical guide to choosing the right exercises based on your goals, equipment and training level.

Build strength and power

The barbell offers the best opportunity to drive progression. Exercises like barbell squats, deep barbell squats and barbell deadlifts load the calves heavily in functional movement patterns. Seated barbell calf raises isolate the gastrocnemius and soleus more directly and work well when you want to increase volume without loading the spine.

For explosive power, backwards sled drags, box jumps and box sprints are hard to beat. They demand rapid force development and train the calves' ability to absorb and produce energy – something you'll feel immediately on the track or field.

Mobility, balance and injury prevention

Calves that never train through their full range of motion become tight and stiff – a common cause of Achilles issues and knee problems. Ankle circles and anterior tibialis SMR are simple to add during warm-up or cool-down and keep the ankles mobile.

Balance boards and loaded step-ups build not just strength but proprioception – your body's sense of position in space. It's the kind of training you notice when the ground is uneven or you need to change direction quickly.

Choose equipment to fit the situation

No barbell available that day? Kettlebells, bands or bodyweight work just fine:

Kettlebell – alternating hanging swings and similar movements deliver high muscle activation and a conditioning effect in one exercise.
Bodyweight – box squats, stability ball curls and alternating diagonal hops require minimal equipment but provide substantial loading.
Machine – 27 machine options including seated calf raises make it easy to control load and technique, ideal for recovery or when you want to isolate the muscle.

Regardless of choice: maintain full range of motion, control the eccentric phase and increase load gradually. That's what drives results over time.

calves by equipment

barbell 61 other equipment 48 machine 27 kettlebell 18 bodyweight 14 dumbbells 11

90/90 Hamstringbodyweightbeginner Alternate Leg Diagonal Boundbeginner Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Ankle Circlesbeginner Anterior Tibialis-SMRother equipmentintermediate Atlas Stonesother equipmentadvanced Backward Dragother equipmentbeginner Balance Boardother equipmentbeginner Ball Leg Curlexercise ballbeginner Barbell Deadliftbarbellintermediate Barbell Full Squatbarbellintermediate Barbell Glute Bridgebarbellintermediate Barbell Hack Squatbarbellintermediate Barbell Hip Thrustbarbellintermediate Barbell Lungebarbellintermediate Barbell Seated Calf Raisebarbellbeginner Barbell Side Split Squatbarbellbeginner Barbell Squatbarbellbeginner Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbelladvanced Barbell Step Upsbarbellintermediate Barbell Walking Lungebarbellbeginner Bear Crawl Sled Dragsother equipmentbeginner Bench Jumpbodyweightintermediate Bench Sprintother equipmentbeginner Bicyclingother equipmentbeginner Bicycling, Stationarymachinebeginner Bodyweight Walking Lungebeginner Box Jump (Multiple Response)other equipmentbeginner Box Skipother equipmentbeginner Box Squatbarbellintermediate Box Squat with Bandsbarbelladvanced Box Squat with Chainsbarbelladvanced Calf Pressmachinebeginner Calf Press On The Leg Press Machinemachinebeginner Calf Raise On A Dumbbelldumbbellsintermediate Calf Raises - With Bandsresistance bandsbeginner Calf Stretch Elbows Against Wallbeginner Calf Stretch Hands Against Wallbeginner Calves-SMRfoam rollerintermediate Carioca Quick Stepbeginner Chair Squatmachinebeginner Cleanbarbellintermediate Clean and Pressbarbellintermediate Clean from Blocksbarbellintermediate Conan's Wheelother equipmentintermediate Depth Jump Leapother equipmentbeginner Donkey Calf Raisesother equipmentintermediate Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Double Kettlebell Jerkkettlebellintermediate Double Kettlebell Push Presskettlebellintermediate Double Leg Butt Kickbodyweightbeginner Dumbbell Cleandumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Lungesdumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Rear Lungedumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Seated Box Jumpdumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Seated One-Leg Calf Raisedumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Squatdumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Squat To A Benchdumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Step Upsdumbbellsintermediate Elliptical Trainermachineintermediate Fast Skippingbodyweightbeginner Floor Glute-Ham Raiseintermediate Foot-SMRother equipmentintermediate Forward Drag with Pressother equipmentintermediate Frankenstein Squatbarbellintermediate Freehand Jump Squatbodyweightintermediate Frog Hopsintermediate Front Barbell Squatbarbelladvanced Front Barbell Squat To A Benchbarbelladvanced Front Box Jumpother equipmentbeginner Front Cone Hops (or hurdle hops)other equipmentbeginner Front Squats With Two Kettlebellskettlebellintermediate Glute Ham Raisemachineintermediate Goblet Squatkettlebellbeginner Hack Squatmachinebeginner Hang Cleanbarbellintermediate Hang Clean - Below the Kneesbarbellintermediate Hang Snatchbarbelladvanced Hang Snatch - Below Kneesbarbelladvanced Hip Lift with Bandresistance bandsbeginner Hug A Ballexercise ballbeginner Hurdle Hopsother equipmentbeginner Jefferson Squatsbarbellintermediate Jerk Dip Squatbarbellintermediate Keg Loadother equipmentintermediate Kettlebell Dead Cleankettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Kettlebell Pistol Squatkettlebelladvanced Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)kettlebellintermediate Knee Circlesbodyweightbeginner Knee Tuck Jumpbodyweightbeginner Kneeling Jump Squatbarbelladvanced Landmine Linear Jammerbarbellintermediate Lateral Boundbodyweightbeginner Lateral Box Jumpother equipmentbeginner Lateral Cone Hopsother equipmentbeginner Leg Pressmachinebeginner Linear 3-Part Start Techniquebeginner Linear Acceleration Wall Drillbeginner Linear Depth Jumpother equipmentintermediate Lunge Pass Throughkettlebellintermediate Lunge Sprintmachineintermediate Lying Hamstringother equipmentadvanced Lying Machine Squatmachineintermediate Moving Claw Seriesbeginner Narrow Stance Hack Squatsmachineintermediate Narrow Stance Leg Pressmachineintermediate Narrow Stance Squatsbarbellintermediate Natural Glute Ham Raisebodyweightintermediate Olympic Squatbarbellintermediate One Leg Barbell Squatbarbelladvanced One-Arm Kettlebell Jerkkettlebellintermediate One-Arm Kettlebell Push Presskettlebellintermediate One-Arm Kettlebell Snatchkettlebelladvanced One-Arm Kettlebell Swingskettlebellintermediate One-Arm Overhead Kettlebell Squatskettlebelladvanced One-Arm Side Deadliftbarbelladvanced Overhead Squatbarbelladvanced Peroneals Stretchother equipmentintermediate Peroneals-SMRfoam rollerintermediate Plie Dumbbell Squatdumbbellsbeginner Posterior Tibialis Stretchother equipmentintermediate Power Cleanbarbellintermediate Power Jerkbarbelladvanced Power Snatchbarbelladvanced Power Snatch from Blocksbarbellintermediate Power Stairsother equipmentintermediate Prowler Sprintother equipmentbeginner Push Press - Behind the Neckbarbellintermediate Quick Leapother equipmentbeginner Recumbent Bikemachinebeginner Reverse Band Box Squatbarbellintermediate Reverse Band Deadliftbarbelladvanced Reverse Band Power Squatbarbelladvanced Reverse Band Sumo Deadliftbarbelladvanced Reverse Hyperextensionmachineintermediate Rickshaw Carryother equipmentintermediate Rocket Jumpbodyweightbeginner Rocking Standing Calf Raisebarbellbeginner Romanian Deadliftbarbellintermediate Rope Jumpingother equipmentintermediate Rowing, Stationarymachineintermediate Runner's Stretchbeginner Running, Treadmillmachinebeginner Sandbag Loadother equipmentbeginner Seated Calf Raisemachinebeginner Seated Calf Stretchbeginner Seated Floor Hamstring Stretchbeginner Seated Hamstringadvanced Seated Hamstring and Calf Stretchother equipmentintermediate Side Hop-Sprintother equipmentbeginner Side Standing Long Jumpbeginner Side to Side Box Shuffleother equipmentbeginner Single Leg Butt Kickbodyweightbeginner Single Leg Push-offother equipmentbeginner Single-Cone Sprint Drillother equipmentbeginner Single-Leg Hop Progressionother equipmentbeginner Single-Leg Lateral Hopother equipmentbeginner Single-Leg Stride Jumpother equipmentbeginner Skatingother equipmentintermediate Sled Drag - Harnessother equipmentbeginner Sled Overhead Backward Walkother equipmentbeginner Sled Pushother equipmentbeginner Sledgehammer Swingsother equipmentbeginner Smith Machine Calf Raisemachinebeginner Smith Machine Leg Pressmachineintermediate Smith Machine Pistol Squatmachineintermediate Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raisesmachinebeginner Smith Machine Squatmachinebeginner Smith Single-Leg Split Squatmachinebeginner Snatch Balancebarbellintermediate Snatch from Blocksbarbelladvanced Snatch Pullbarbellintermediate Speed Box Squatbarbellintermediate Speed Squatsbarbelladvanced Split Cleanbarbellintermediate Split Jumpbodyweightbeginner Split Snatchbarbelladvanced Split Squatsintermediate Squat Jerkbarbelladvanced Squat with Bandsbarbellintermediate Squat with Chainsbarbellintermediate Squat with Plate Moversbarbellintermediate Squats - With Bandsresistance bandsbeginner Stairmastermachineintermediate Standing Barbell Calf Raisebarbellbeginner Standing Calf Raisesmachinebeginner Standing Dumbbell Calf Raisedumbbellsintermediate Standing Gastrocnemius Calf Stretchbeginner Standing Long Jumpbodyweightbeginner Standing Soleus And Achilles Stretchbeginner Standing Toe Touchesbeginner Star Jumpbodyweightbeginner Step Millmachineintermediate Stride Jump Crossoverother equipmentbeginner Suspended Split Squatother equipmentintermediate The Straddlebeginner Tire Flipother equipmentintermediate Trail Running/Walkingbeginner Two-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebellintermediate Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerkkettlebellintermediate Walking, Treadmillmachinebeginner Weighted Jump Squatbarbellintermediate Weighted Sissy Squatbarbelladvanced Weighted Squatother equipmentintermediate Wide Stance Barbell Squatbarbellintermediate World's Greatest Stretchintermediate Yoke Walkother equipmentintermediate Zercher Squatsbarbelladvanced