5 Unique Calf Raise Variations you can do at Home.

You know that calf raises are great for building stronger calves but what if you don’t have access to one of those fancy calf raise machines?

What if you don’t even have access to a gym or heavy weights? Should you just do hundreds of repetitions of bodyweight calf raises?

The calves respond to training just like any other muscle in the body. They need resistance and that resistance needs to be progressively increased if you want your calves to get stronger and more resilient.

In this article, I’ll show you how to build stronger calves without leaving your house. I’ll demonstrate three variations you can do without any equipment and another two you can do with light weights.

What is a calf raise? 

Exercise terminology can get confusing these days so let’s clear a few things up before we get to the exercises.

A calf raise can mean different things to different people. The first exercise that comes to most fitness enthusiasts’ minds is an unloaded standing calf raise. This is the standard version but there are many other variations that exist.

Popular variations include the seated calf raise, donkey calf raises, leg press calf raises, and single leg calf raises to name just a few. No one variation is universally better than another.

Exercise selection is all about what your goals are and what equipment you have available. Since this article is dedicated to calf raises you can do at home, we will be focusing on the standing and single leg variations.

What muscles do calf raises work? 

This may come as no surprise, but calf raises work the . . . calves! The calves are made up of the gastrocnemius and soleus so those are the exact muscle groups that get the strongest stimulus.

Unless you’re a bodybuilder or have specific aesthetic goals, this is a simplified way of looking at exercise. No judgment if you just want bigger calves. If that’s you then yes you need to understand which muscles grow in response to certain exercises.

The calf raise does much more than just provide a pump to the gastrocnemius and soleus. It also strengthens all the other smaller muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints in the lower limbs.

This helps build stronger feet and ankles which is crucial for healthy and coordinated movement.

How to do calf raises 

The type of variation you do will dictate the proper technique for the exercise. However, there are some common mistakes that are helpful to address from the beginning.

Although the movement is relatively simple, there are some common mistakes to be aware of. The most common compensation I see people make is leaning forward too much.

When you lean forward, weight is distributed differently than if you were to be in a more neutral position. A helpful cue is to imagine yourself leaning backward which is almost impossible to do when you’re on your toes like this.

Another common compensation in the calf raise is poor posture somewhere up the body.  Aside from leaning forward, the low back can arch, the head can protrude forward and the shoulders can round.

It is always important to maintain good posture in exercise because this will reinforce what your nervous system adapts to in your day-to-day life. It is much easier to be aware of your posture during a 45 second exercise than it is for 7 hours working behind a desk.

I recommend using a mirror or recording yourself to maintain good alignment.  This might be quite challenging in the beginning but stick with it and it will become easier in time.

Calf Raise Variations with No Equipment 

The below variations might be the best for you right now since you don’t have access to expensive equipment.

But maybe some day in the future you will join a gym and if you do, it would be wise to experiment with other variations to see what your body responds to best.

Standing Calf Raises 

You will obviously be limited with how much weight you can add in this variation. Muscles need progressive overload to grow and get stronger.

But increasing load does not always mean more weight. You can also increase other variables such as total volume, time under tension, reps and rest time. 

For the purposes of this generic standing calf raise, I recommend you first get 3 sets of 20 reps with perfect form. This means no leaning forward or other strange compensations happening up stream.

Then you can make it more challenging by holding at the top of the elevated position, the isometric, for 3 seconds. This will make the exercise much more challenging and getting to 3 sets of 20 reps with this modification will keep you busy for a while.

Single Leg Calf Raises 

Once the double leg calf raises get easy, you can move on to the single leg variation. For this version, you will need to elevate your feet on some surface in your home.

This can be a stair, stepper or anything that is secure to handle your bodyweight. It’s also important that you have something secure to hold on to for support.

The set up might take a little bit of creativity at first but once you do, it’s smooth sailing for future workouts.This progression is going to be more challenging than the bilateral version so I recommend you start low – maybe 6-8 reps and work your way up to the 15-20 rep range.

Once you can do 3 sets at that rep range, you can once again hold the elevated isometric position for 3 seconds or so.

Eccentric Calf Raises 

If you want even more challenge, you can slow the lowering phase of the exercise. This lowering or eccentric phase of the exercise provides the strongest muscle-building stimulus so it’s a great way to get more bang for your buck.

A good tempo for this progression is elevating for 1 second, holding at the top for 1 second and then lowering for 3 seconds. You can integrate this slow eccentric in either the bilateral or single leg version.

You can also combine a long isometric hold with a slow eccentric. The tempo for this could look something like 1 second on the way up, 3 second hold at the top and then a 3 second eccentric. Experiment with different tempos to see what works best for you.

Calf Raise Variations with Limited Equipment 

Most of you will likely have a pair of dumbbells lying around somewhere in your home. If you don’t, just focus on the variations above.

But if you do have access to some weights, it’s always good to load exercises with a little bit of weight once you get proficient in a movement.

Weighted calf raises 

All the principles you learned in the above section apply here. The only difference is that you’ll now be holding dumbbells. I recommend starting light, maybe 5-10 lbs per side and focusing more on good form rather than trying bang out a ton of reps.

If you experimented with longer isometric or eccentrics like I recommend above, you’ll know how just changing the tempo can make an exercise much more challenging.

Why rush to add a ton of weight when you can get stronger with less? An additional bonus is that lighter weights cost less money! Try to get 8-10 reps with a normal tempo before experimenting with longer isometrics and eccentrics.

Single leg weighted calf raise 

When you load the single leg variation, it is even more important that you don’t overdo it with the weight. This one does not need much weight to see results.

Hold the weight on the same side as the target leg and make sure you have something secure to hold on to. You want to be safe and stable but also ensure you are directing sufficient tension into the target calf.

Programming recommendations for this one are similar to above. Try to get 8-10 reps with normal tempo before increasing the time in the isometric or eccentric.

Programming and Closing Thoughts 

Because calf raises are not considered a compound exercise and don’t tax the nervous system that much, you can do them more frequently than other traditional lifts.

Compound lifts like squats and deadlifts should be done ideally once or twice a week but the calf raises can be done more frequently, maybe three or four times a week. 

Listen to your body. If your calves are super sore and yelling at you then take a few more days to rest between workouts.

Muscles get stronger once they recover and adapt. If you never let them fully recover from training, they won’t get stronger.