Boost Calf Strength: Effective Leg Press Calf Raise Guide

As a personal trainer with over seven years of hands-on experience, I have helped hundreds of people build bigger calves. In this article, I take you over the leg press calf raise, a key exercise in my arsenal for building bigger and stronger lower legs.

Most people overlook training their calves but blame their genetics for their toothpick lower legs. Contrary to what most people think, calves are not just for aesthetics. They are important for overall athleticism and functional strength.

A study published in the Research in Sports Medicine journal found a significant correlation between one-repetition maximum (1RM) in calf raises and sprinting performance over short distances (up to 30 meters). This suggests that dynamic calf strength is important for powerful starts in sprinting. (1)

Below, we delve into the correct leg press calf raise technique, programming, variations, and the mistakes you must avoid to maximize calf stimulation and hypertrophy.

How To Perform Leg Press Calf Raise

You can perform the leg press calf raise on different types of leg press machines. For the purposes of this article, we will be using the conventional 45-degree machine.

Here is how to perform the leg press calf raise for the best results:

Step One — Adjust the Back Pad

Set the back pad to a comfortable position. I prefer setting it at the lowest setting, as higher positions lead to greater hamstring recruitment for me. Try different settings to find what works best for your unique anatomy.

Step Two — Take Your Position

Sit on the machine’s seat with your back against the back pad. Position the balls of your feet shoulder-width apart at the bottom edge of the machine’s foot platform. Your mid-foot and heels should be clear off the platform.

Extend your knees to unrack the sled and unlatch the safety pins.

Step Three — Perform Calf Raises

While maintaining slight knee flexion, slowly lower the sled by flexing your ankles. Your ankles should be fully dorsiflexed at the bottom of the range of motion (ROM). Push your toes away from your shins to reach full plantarflexion. Pause for a second in the fully shortened position to maximize calf fiber activation. Repeat for recommended reps.

Different Foot Positioning

A lot has been said about different foot positioning while performing calf raises and how pointing your toes outward can bias the inner head of the gastroc, whereas pointing the feet inward can load the outer head.

However, science-based YouTube content creator and natural pro bodybuilder and coach Jeff Nippard believes otherwise. This is what he had to say on the subject: (2)

“After analyzing the latest research, the best recommendation that we can make is that foot position probably doesn’t make much difference in calf head activation. So, you should just go with what feels the most comfortable.” — Jeff Nippard

Understanding the Leg Press Calf Raise

The calves comprise two muscles: gastrocnemius and soleus.

The seated calf exercises that involve knee flexion target the soleus, whereas standing exercises that involve keeping your legs straight, including the leg press calf raise, load the gastrocnemius.

You must prioritize standing calf raise exercises to build an appealing inverted heart shape in your lower legs. However, the popular standing calf raise variations can strain the spine and remove tension from the target muscles. Plus, they may not be the most comfortable exercise option for many people.

Since leg press calf raises involve placing your back against the machine’s back pad, you can limit the movement to the calves, putting them in the most optimal position to maximize the range of motion and growth.

Benefits of Leg Press Calf Raise

Here are the advantages of adding the leg press calf raise to your training regime:

Improved Stability and Mind-Muscle Connection

Since you are seated while performing this isolation exercise, it leads to greater stability and isolation of the gastrocnemius muscle. Furthermore, as the movement is limited to the ankles in this exercise, it allows you to develop a more robust mind-muscle connection.

Range of Motion

I have noticed that many people struggle with maintaining full gastroc range of motion on exercises like the standing calf raises, as they tend to hinge at the hips on concentrics, taking the tension away from the target muscle. The leg press calf raise fixes this problem as your hips are in a fixed position throughout the ROM.

Progressive Overload

Calves bear our body weight throughout the day, which makes them unresponsive to low-volume training. In my experience, many people are uncomfortable with heavy weights on their shoulders, as is the case with standing calf raises.

This is where the leg press calf raises shine, as they limit movement to the ankle joint and don’t require you to lift heavy weights on your back or shoulders. That said, you must use the smallest increments possible as you go up in weight. Going too heavy too soon significantly increases injury risk.

Adjustability and Variety

The leg press calf raise is a versatile exercise suitable for beginners and experienced lifters alike. It allows you to adjust the angle of the back pad to find a more comfortable training position. Plus, it is a welcome addition to the standing calf raise roster, which can otherwise get monotonous.

Common Mistakes While Performing Leg Press Calf Raise

You must stay clear of the following mistakes to make the most of this exercise:

Using Momentum

People find new and unique ways to employ momentum during the leg press calf raises. Some will use a super fast rep cadence and rush through their reps. Others will use a bouncing movement to make the concentrics easier. A faster rep pace minimizes tension on the calves on the negatives.

These methods significantly limit target muscle stimulation and can lead to injuries, which can take a lot of time to heal. I recommend using a 3:1:1:1 rep tempo to maximize hypertrophy. This involves three seconds on the negatives and one second each at the bottom, on concentrics, and at the top.

Partial Reps

Many exercisers do what I call the quarter reps while performing calf raises. Working in this limited range of motion restricts calf stimulation, leading to suboptimal gains. To maximize growth, you must follow a full range of motion, with a deep stretch at the bottom and peak contraction at the top.

Overloading

Since the leg press calf raise involves a small range of motion, many lifters often load more weights on the sled than they can comfortably (and safely) handle. Ego-lifting in this exercise is a sure-shot way to injure your calf muscles and Achilles tendon.

Feel free to go heavy on this exercise, but you must stay in total control throughout the range of motion.

Foot Placement and Bendy Knees

As Jeff Nippard explained, you don’t need to obsess over the angles of your feet while performing the leg press calf raise. However, feel free to experiment with different positions to find what works best for you.

A common beginner mistake with this exercise is turning it into a calf raise and leg press hybrid. Some trainers flex their knees during the lowering phase and extend them during the pushing phase. Instead, you must maintain a slight knee flexion throughout the exercise.

Programming the Leg Press Calf Raise

Now that you know everything there is to performing the leg press with a picture-perfect form, let’s break down how to include it into your training regime:

Frequency

Unlike bigger muscles like the chest and quads, calves recover well from frequent training sessions. Considering this, you must aim for two to three calf training sessions per week, depending on how sore you feel after each workout. I recommend resting for at least one day before hitting the lower legs again.

Volume

The training volume will depend on your experience, fitness levels, and recovery potential. Here is a general training volume for people of varying experience levels:

• Beginners: 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Intermediate: 3-6 sets of 8-12 reps
• Advanced: 3-10 sets with a mix of rep ranges

Include advanced training principles like dropsets, supersets, and intraset stretching into your calf workouts to maximize target muscle stimulation. Remember, you shouldn’t compromise your form by trying to lift heavier weights, as it can increase the risk of injury.

Leg Press Calf Raise Variations

Here is how you can make the calf raises more challenging and ignite new muscle growth:

Narrow and Wide Stance

Position your feet wider than shoulder-width apart to bias the inner gastroc muscle. Conversely, a narrow stance, with your feet placed together, will load the outer gastroc heads. We won’t revisit toe angles here, as that was covered in the previous sections.

Toes-Elevated Leg Press Calf Raise

Placing a small plate or yoga block under the balls of your feet while performing this exercise will create a pre-stretch in the starting position and significantly increase the range of motion, leading to greater calf tissue engagement.

Unilateral Leg Press Calf Raise

Single-leg exercises are incredibly effective for identifying and fixing muscle and strength imbalances. If your right leg is lagging, perform three to five additional reps on that side until the discrepancies are eradicated.

Leg Press Calf Raise Alternatives

Below are a few calf raise alternatives to train your lower legs from a different angle:

Donkey Calf Raise

The donkey calf raise is an excellent gastrocnemius exercise, as it loads the target muscle without straining the spine. Most of my clients report that this exercise leads to a deeper calf stretch than the other lower leg movements.

Steps:

1. Bend at the waist, supporting yourself on a bench or a sturdy object. 
2. Have a partner sit on your lower back or place a weight plate on it. 
3. Keeping your knees slightly bent, slowly lower your heels as low toward the floor as possible.
4. Explode to the top of the ROM to achieve full plantarflexion and peak calf contraction.

Machine Standing Calf Raise

You can perform this exercise on a dedicated standing calf raise machine or a Smith machine.

Steps:

1. Adjust the shoulder pads of the calf raise machine so you can achieve a full ROM.
2. Position your toes and balls of your feet on the machine’s foot platform and your shoulders under the pads.
3. The calf raise movement stays the same for all lower leg exercises.

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

This is a great alternative for people who don’t have access to a leg press machine.

Steps:

1. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and stand on the edge of an aerobic stepper.
2. Hold a sturdy object like a squat rack with your free hand for stability.
3. Perform the calf raises.

You could also perform single-leg dumbbell standing calf raises for an extra challenge.

Conclusion

The leg press calf raise is a killer exercise to target the stubborn lower legs. It isolates the target muscles and ensures they are moving the weights. Beginners can start by performing 12 to 15 reps of this exercise for three to four sets up to three times a week.

Focus on drilling the movement mechanics to maximize calf muscle stimulation and promote hypertrophy over lifting heavy weights with a poor form. Use a slow rep tempo and feel a deep stretch and contraction in the target muscles with each rep.

If you have any questions about calf training, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

Next Read: Best Calf Exercises for Massive Lower Legs + Workouts

References

1. Möck, S., Hartmann, R., Wirth, K., Rosenkranz, G., & Mickel, C. (2018). Correlation of dynamic strength in the standing calf raise with sprinting performance in consecutive sections up to 30 meters. Research in sports medicine (Print), 26(4), 474–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2018.1492397
2. Akuzawa, H., Imai, A., Iizuka, S., Matsunaga, N., & Kaneoka, K. (2017). The influence of foot position on lower leg muscle activity during a heel raise exercise measured with fine-wire and surface EMG. Physical therapy in sport: official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine, 28, 23–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2017.08.077

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