Calf Press

The calf press exercise is performed on a 45-degree leg press machine with a reclining seat. You press the platform upward with your feet in a diagonal direction. This effectively builds strength, size, definition, and endurance in your calf muscles.

It isn’t only useful for bodybuilders, but athletes, too. Strong calves are essential for sports that involve sprinting, jumping, running, or cycling. They also help you prevent injuries. The seated calf press is a safe and accessible exercise to achieve these goals and is suitable for people of all fitness levels.

This blog will give you a detailed breakdown of the calf press technique, the muscles it works, and all its benefits. After reading it, you can confidently start working your calves.

How To Do

  1. Sit on a leg press machine with your lower back and head supported by the seat.
  2. Place your toes on the lower edge of the platform with the heels hanging off the edge.
  3. Push the platform slightly up and release the safety lock that holds the platform in place.
  4. Inhale, push through the balls of your feet and press the platform upward as far as you can.
  5. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your calf muscles.
  6. Exhale, and slowly lower your foot back until you feel a good stretch on your calf.
  7. Repeat for the desired sets and reps.
  8. Once finished, push your feet up, hold the weight securely, and lock the platform in place.

Tips From Expert

  • Keep your hips and back pressed against the seat to prevent lower back strain.
  • Press your foot up until you reach the maximum range of movement. This will help you achieve better strength and muscle size.
  • Hold the platform in place as you release the safety lock beside your seat. This can prevent the platform from falling and injuring you.
  • Hold onto the handles beside you for more stability.
  • Avoid the weight to drop too quickly to prevent injuries. Instead, control the weight as you lower the platform.
  • Use a weight that allows you to complete all reps with proper form.
  • Make sure the safety locks are re-engaged before leaving the machine to avoid accidents.

Optimal Sets and Reps

To maximize the effectiveness of your calf press workout, it's essential to tailor your sets and reps based on your training goals. Below, we outlined it for power, strength, hypertrophy, and endurance training.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–5 8–12
Endurance Training 2–3 15–20
Power Training 3–5 3–5 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Calf Press

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The calf press is a lower-body exercise focusing on strengthening the calf muscles, like the gastrocnemius and soleus. Including it in your full-body or leg workouts can give you well-rounded muscle development and better athletic performance.

You can incorporate them into your workouts as listed below:

Lower-Body Workout — Calf presses can complement exercises that target larger muscle groups like the glutes, quads, or hamstrings. Therefore, you can add it at the end of your dumbbell leg workouts after deadlifts, squats, and lunges.

To begin calf pressing, calculate the maximum weight you can lift for a single rep. This is your one-rep max (1RM). For strength gains use 80%–90% of your 1RM for lower reps and higher sets. For muscle gains, aim for 60%–80% of your 1RM for around 12–15 reps for better results.

Full Body Workout — Performing full-body workouts can be as effective for strength and hypertrophy as split routines. A split routine targets specific muscle groups on different days. In contrast, a full-body routine engages all major muscle groups in a single session.

You can add the calf press with bench presses, lateral raises, Romanian deadlifts, and core exercises to your workout. Use 40%–60% of your 1RM with over 20 reps to improve your endurance.

Make sure that you always maintain proper form and use appropriate loads to prevent injuries!

Primary Muscle Groups

Gastrocnemius

Muscles located at the back of your lower leg and consists of your calf. Starts just behind your knee and extends to your ankle.

Soleus

Muscles located behind your gastrocnemius sitting slightly deeper. Runs down your leg and connects with the gastrocnemius to make your Achilles tendon.

Gastrocnemius

The gastrocnemius is a large calf muscle at the back of your lower legs. It has two thick and muscular heads: the medial and lateral heads. It's easy to see them in well-developed calves.

The medial head starts from the inner side of your thigh bone (femur), while the lateral head begins on the outer side. Both heads come together to form the Achilles tendon, which attaches to your heel bone. This strong tendon can take up to ten times your body weight.

The gastrocnemius is involved in movements like walking, running, and jumping by helping to bend the knee and point the foot downward (plantar flexion). During calf presses, it contracts to help you press through the balls of your feet.

It extends the ankle joint as you lift the weight. While calf pressing, the gastrocnemius also provides dynamic stability to the posterior (back) knee. It supports the knee joint by helping control the movement, reducing stress on ligaments, particularly when the knee is bent.

During the seated calf press, the inner calf muscle activates more than during standing calf raises, while the outer calf remains unchanged. This occurs with a more neutral ankle position.

The lateral gastrocnemius activates at 49.2%, while the medial gastrocnemius shows 51.31% during the leg press. These levels reflect a similar engagement of the calf muscles in calf presses. Both exercises involve pushing through the balls of your feet, making their mechanics comparable for assessing muscle activity.

Soleus

The soleus muscle sits underneath the gastrocnemius. It's a long muscle with two heads: the lateral (outer) and medial (inner). The medial head starts from the back of your shin bone called the tibia. This shin bone is a large weight-bearing bone in the front of your lower limb.

The lateral head starts from the fibula, a thinner bone running alongside the tibia. The soleus mainly helps point the foot downward (plantar flexion), supporting activities like walking, standing, and calf pressing.

The soleus works alongside the gastrocnemius to push your foot upwards. It also helps stabilize the ankle joint and control the movement from start to finish. It activates at 50.76% during the leg press, which may be similar to calf presses due to their comparable mechanics.

Equipment

Leg Press Machine

Leg Press Machine

This machine helps to develop your quads, hamstrings, and glutes whilst taking some load off your lower back. Avoid hyperextending your knees on the lockout phase.

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

Bodyweight Calf Raise

High Knees

Jump Rope

Standing Calf Stretch

Smith Calf Raise

Bodyweight Single-leg Calf Raise

Single Leg Jumps

Sprinter's Calf Stretch

Seated Calf Raise Machine

Who Should Do?

Elderly Individuals

As we age we gradually lose muscle strength, coordination, and balance. Weight training, particularly leg strength training is crucial in preventing lower-limb weakness, which is associated with falls. 

Completing calf exercises can improve explosive force, strength, and overall neuromuscular function (coordination between nerves and muscles) in elderly individuals. This means they can maintain better position and control during movement. 

Calf presses can give similar benefits by building lower limb strength, that can counteract age-related declines in balance. It reduces the risk of falls and supports independence and quality of life for older adults.

Bodybuilders

Muscle definition is one of the most important aspects of bodybuilding. That’s why bodybuilders should train in both multi and single-joint exercises with varied loads and intensity. 

Multi-joint exercises, like squats and leg presses, engage multiple muscle groups at once. In contrast, single-joint exercises, like the calf press target a specific muscle. It isolates the calf allowing for a more targeted and detailed muscle development. 

Training both types of exercises helps bodybuilders reap the calf and leg press benefits equally. They can achieve balanced muscle growth and improve strength, size, and definition.

Athletes

Calf muscle power and endurance significantly impact sprinting performance and acceleration. Strong calves lead to faster 10-meter sprints, an important aspect of many sports like football and rugby.

Therefore, performing calf presses can help build the power and endurance needed for better acceleration and overall athletic performance.

Studies show that over one year, approximately 7% of endurance athletes reported calf muscle injuries and 10% Achilles tendon injuries. These numbers highlight the need for calf strength training for athletes, too. 

Calf presses strengthen the calf muscles, which are important for ankle movement, reducing injury risk and improving running performance.

Who Should Not Do?

Individuals With Achilles Tendon Injury

When you do calf presses, your calf muscles contract to help you push the platform up with your foot. When the calf muscles contract, they exert force on the Achilles tendon. 

The Achilles tendon is like a link that carries the force from your calf muscles to your foot, helping it to move. Injury to this tendon can make calf presses difficult or impossible. As the tendon is strained, it may be painful or unable to handle the force needed for this exercise.

It can also cause further strain. Therefore it’s recommended to avoid it until your injury heals. Make sure to consult with a physical therapist for exercise recommendations and recovery options.

Individuals With Knee Injuries

The gastrocnemius calf muscle crosses the knee joint and impacts knee movements. It contracts during calf presses, which can increase the force on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The ACL is a ligament in the knee, that helps stabilize and control its movement. Calf presses can put stress on the knee for those dealing with this type of injury. Therefore, individuals with knee injuries should be cautious with calf presses. 

Please follow rehabilitation recommendations from your doctor to prevent the worsening of your condition. 

Novice

Novice should be shown by a fitness pro how to use the leg press machine. The machine can be heavy and complex, with safety attachments that need to be properly understood.

Learning the correct setup and adjustments will keep beginners safe. A trainer can provide guidance on using the machine to prevent accidents and perform calf presses correctly. After a thorough introduction, you’ll be ready to perform your calf presses safely.

Benefits Of The Calf Press

Builds Strength

The calf press exercise builds strength by isolating the calf muscles, including the gastrocnemius and soleus. Consistently performing calf presses will stimulate muscle fibers to grow and to adapt to the stimulus.

Regardless of the load you use, low or high-load training can result in similar increases in muscle strength. 

Improves Coordination 

Calf presses help improve coordination by strengthening the muscles involved in ankle plantar flexion (toes pointing down). Strong plantar flexors, like the gastrocnemius and soleus, are critical for effective running and walking. 

They work together to push your foot off the ground. They generate the force needed for the leg swing and forward motion. The coordination between the calf and other muscles creates an efficient stride. 

Therefore, strengthening them with exercises like calf presses is essential. 

Helps Prevent Injuries

Strong calf muscles can reduce the risk of injuries by improving gait, balance, and overall functionality. The gastrocnemius and soleus play an important role in keeping the lower leg and ankle joints stable. 

They help to absorb and distribute forces during high-impact activities, like jumping and running. Therefore, the calf press can prevent common injuries, such as ankle sprains or strains. Calf presses can help improve your ability to sense and adjust the position of your ankle in space (proprioception). This is important for maintaining balance and reducing the risk of injuries, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I calf press?

Aim for a weight that challenges you but doesn’t compromise your technique. Start with lighter weights for 15 reps. As you build strength, gradually increase the weight and reduce the reps. 

Is training calves worth it?

Yes, training calves is worth it. It can improve your jumping, running, and balance abilities. Additionally, they contribute to better leg development, which is especially important for bodybuilders.

Should I hit calves every day?

No, you shouldn’t train calves every day. Your muscles, including the calves, need recovery. Train them 2–3 times a week for optimal growth and strength.

Can I skip calves?

We do not advise skipping calves if you want balanced muscle development. Strength exercises, including the calf press, can also prevent injuries and muscle imbalances. Schedule one or two calf exercises into your leg days.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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