The 8 Best Calf Raise Alternatives (2026)

The calf raise trains your calves through ankle plantarflexion, meaning you rise up onto the balls of your feet and lower back down under control. Done standing with straight knees, it loads the gastrocnemius, the diamond-shaped muscle that gives your calf its visible peak. Bend your knees, like you do in a seated calf raise, and the gastrocnemius goes slack while the soleus underneath takes over. Most calf work in a typical gym is a standing machine or barbell raise for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, but that’s really only half the muscle group.

You might want to swap it out for a few reasons. Your gym’s calf raise machine might be occupied or missing entirely, especially at a smaller commercial gym or a home setup. Calves are notoriously stubborn and respond well to more frequency and more variety than most lifters give them, so running the exact same standing raise every single session tends to stall out. Some lifters also find a locked-knee standing raise irritates their Achilles or knee joint under heavy load, and a different angle can take that stress away without cutting the muscle out of your program.

Here are the 8 calf raise alternatives I reach for most, picked to cover both the straight-knee gastrocnemius work and the bent-knee soleus work, spread across machines, free weights, and pure bodyweight so you’re covered no matter what your gym has. I’ll tell you when to use each one, exactly how to do it, and what to watch for on your first few sets.

Table of Contents

1 The 8 Best Calf Raise Alternatives
2 Reasons to Choose a Calf Raise Alternative
3 Muscles Worked by the Calf Raise
4 FAQs
5 Key Takeaways
6 Other Alternative Exercises

The 8 Best Calf Raise Alternatives

Leg Press Calf Raise
Seated Calf Raise
Donkey Calf Raise
Smith Machine Calf Raise
Hack Squat Calf Raise
Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise
Jump Rope
Farmer’s Walk on Toes

1. Leg Press Calf Raise

When to Perform the Leg Press Calf Raise

This is my go-to swap when the calf raise machine is taken, which happens a lot since most gyms only have one. It’s also a natural add-on right after your regular leg press sets, since you’re already sitting in the machine and don’t have to move anywhere. Your lower back gets full support from the seat, so it’s a safer way to load your calves heavy than a standing barbell raise if your back is cranky that day. I’ll run 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps here, usually second to last in a leg day.

How to Perform the Leg Press Calf Raise

Sit in the leg press and press the sled out until your legs are nearly straight, leaving a slight bend in your knees.
Slide your feet down so only the balls of your feet are on the bottom edge of the platform, heels hanging off.
Let your heels drop back toward you until you feel a deep stretch in your calves.
Press through the balls of your feet to extend your ankles fully, then lower back down under control.

Equipment: leg press machine.

This video from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) shows how to perform the leg press calf raise.

How to do a Leg Press Calf Raise | Proper Form & Technique | NASM

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Leg Press Calf Raise

Never let your knees lock out. A slight bend keeps the load on your calves instead of your knee joint.
Use less weight than you’d think, since your ankles are a much smaller, weaker link than the quads that just pressed the sled.
Turn your toes in slightly to bias the outer calf, or out slightly to bias the inner calf, and rotate through both over a training block.
Pause for a full second at the bottom stretch before pressing back up.

If your gym’s leg press is busy or you just don’t like the machine, see our leg press alternatives guide, and check our leg press muscles worked breakdown for how the rest of the machine trains your legs.

2. Seated Calf Raise

When to Perform the Seated Calf Raise

Bending your knees takes the gastrocnemius mostly out of the movement and shifts the work onto your soleus, the flatter muscle that sits underneath it. That makes this the real complement to a standing calf raise rather than a straight swap, and I’d program both across a training week if you want complete calf development. The soleus is built for endurance since it’s working every time you walk or stand, so it responds well to higher reps. I’ll use 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps here, with a slower tempo than I’d use standing.

How to Perform the Seated Calf Raise

Sit at the seated calf raise machine with the thigh pad resting just above your knees and the balls of your feet on the platform.
Release the lever and let your heels drop as far as comfortably possible for a deep stretch.
Drive up through the balls of your feet until your ankles are fully extended.
Pause and squeeze at the top before lowering back down slowly.

Equipment: seated calf raise machine. No machine? Sit on a bench, rest a loaded barbell across your lower thighs just above your knees, and raise up on a block or plate under your toes with a partner steadying the bar.

This video from PureGym shows how to perform the seated calf raise.

How To Do A Seated Calf Raise

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Seated Calf Raise

Don’t bounce out of the bottom stretch. Reverse direction under control every rep.
Keep your feet flat and square on the platform rather than letting your ankles roll in or out.
Slow the lowering phase down to 3 or 4 seconds once the weight stops being a challenge on the way up.
Expect to use noticeably less weight than a standing raise. The soleus is a smaller muscle working through a shorter range here.

3. Donkey Calf Raise

When to Perform the Donkey Calf Raise

Bending forward at the hips takes your glutes and hamstrings out of the rep, so your calves can’t cheat any weight up by rocking your hips like they can on a standing raise. That makes this one of the toughest calf exercises on the list, and I’ll pull it out once standing raises start feeling too easy or stop producing any soreness. It’s a classic old-school bodybuilding exercise for a reason. Use 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps toward the end of a leg session.

How to Perform the Donkey Calf Raise

Set up at a donkey calf raise machine with the hip pad resting across your lower back and the balls of your feet on the platform or block.
Bend forward at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, keeping your back flat.
Let your heels drop below the platform for a deep stretch through your calves.
Drive up through your toes to full extension, then lower back down under control.

Equipment: donkey calf raise machine. No machine? Strap on a dip belt loaded with plates, stand on a sturdy block or step with your torso bent over a bench or rack for support, and raise through the same range.

This video from Tiger Fitness shows how to perform the donkey calf raise.

Donkey Calf Raise Form Tips and Instruction | Tiger Fitness

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Donkey Calf Raise

Keep your knees soft, not locked, through the whole set.
Keep your back flat instead of rounding it under the hip pad.
Chase the stretch at the bottom first, then add load once your range of motion is solid.
If your gym has one, this pairs well right after leg press calf raises since your calves are already warm.

4. Smith Machine Calf Raise

When to Perform the Smith Machine Calf Raise

Use this when you want to load a standing raise heavy without babysitting a free bar for balance, since the fixed bar path handles that for you. It’s my pick for a strength-focused block on calves, where I’m working lower reps with real weight instead of just chasing a pump. I’d program 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps here, which is lower than most calf work but appropriate given how heavy you can load it safely.

How to Perform the Smith Machine Calf Raise

Set the smith machine bar to a low starting height and place a sturdy step or weight plate under it for your feet to stand on.
Position the bar across your upper traps like you would for a squat and unrack it.
Place the balls of your feet on the step with your heels hanging off the back edge.
Lower your heels for a full stretch, then drive up through your toes to full extension.

Equipment: smith machine and a step or plate to stand on.

This video from Live Lean TV Daily Exercises shows how to perform the standing smith machine calf raise on a step.

How To Do A STANDING SMITH MACHINE CALF RAISE ON STEP | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Smith Machine Calf Raise

Wear flat shoes, not running shoes with a raised heel, so you get the full range of motion.
Keep your knees straight but not locked out.
Use a taller step for a bigger stretch, once you’re confident in your balance up there.
Load this heavier than you would a standing raise on a dedicated calf machine, since the bar path is fixed and can’t tip over.

5. Hack Squat Calf Raise

When to Perform the Hack Squat Calf Raise

This is nearly the same movement as the leg press calf raise, just on a 45 degree sled with your back supported against a pad instead of a seat. I’ll reach for this one when the leg press is occupied but the hack squat is free, or when I just prefer the more upright, braced position the back pad gives you. It loads similarly heavy too. Stick to 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

How to Perform the Hack Squat Calf Raise

Load the hack squat machine light and step in with your shoulders under the pads.
Stand up out of the machine so your legs are nearly straight, with only the balls of your feet on the platform edge and your heels hanging off.
Let your heels drop down for a deep stretch.
Press through your toes to full extension, then lower back down under control.

Equipment: hack squat machine.

This video from Chris Gates Fitness shows how to perform the hack squat machine calf raise.

How to Do a Hack Squat Machine Calf Raise » Exercise Tutorial

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Hack Squat Calf Raise

Keep your core braced against the back pad rather than letting your hips shift around during the set.
Go lighter than you’d think, since your ankles will fatigue long before the machine’s load limit is a concern.
Angle your toes in or out between sets to work both heads of your calf over a training block.
Compare this against the leg press version and pick whichever your gym has free that day, since they train your calves almost identically.

If you don’t have a hack squat machine at all, our hack squat alternative guide covers other options, our hack squat muscles worked and benefits page breaks down what the machine trains, and our leg press vs hack squat comparison can help you pick between the two if your gym has both.

6. Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

When to Perform the Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

Most lifters have a dominant calf that does more work on every two-footed raise, and this is how you find and fix that gap. It also needs almost nothing, so it’s my pick for home training, hotel rooms, or any time your gym is packed and every machine is taken. The extra balance demand from standing on one leg strengthens your ankle stability too. I’ll run 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg, starting with whichever side feels weaker.

How to Perform the Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

Stand on the edge of a step or plate with the ball of one foot, letting your heel hang off the back.
Hold a dumbbell in the hand on the same side as your working leg, and rest your other hand on a wall or rail for balance.
Lower your heel below the step for a full stretch.
Drive up onto the ball of your foot as high as you can, then lower back down under control.

Equipment: one dumbbell and a step or plate (bodyweight alone works fine when you’re starting out).

This video from Precision Nutrition shows how to perform the single-leg dumbbell calf raise.

How To Do a Single Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Single-Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

Use your balance hand only for stability, not to help press the weight up.
Match reps on both legs, and note if one side fatigues sooner. That’s usually your weaker calf.
Slow the descent down, since a fast drop off the step is where most people lose their balance.
Skip the dumbbell entirely for your first few sessions if your balance needs work first.

7. Jump Rope

When to Perform Jump Rope

Jumping rope trains your calves for reactive, repeated ankle stiffness instead of the slow, heavy strength you get from the exercises above, and that carries over to sprinting, jumping, and general athleticism. Use it as a warm-up before a leg session to get blood into your calves, or as a conditioning finisher at the end. It’s also the easiest zero-equipment option on this list if you own a rope. Work in time rather than reps, 5 to 10 minutes broken into short rounds.

How to Perform Jump Rope

Hold a rope handle in each hand at hip height, with the rope resting behind your heels.
Swing the rope overhead and forward using mostly your wrists, not your whole arms.
Jump just high enough to clear the rope as it passes under your feet, an inch or two off the ground.
Land softly on the balls of your feet and repeat the rhythm continuously.

Equipment: a jump rope.

This video from Kyle Easter shows how to jump rope for beginners.

How To Jump Rope For BEGINNERS | Basics You Need To Know!

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for Jump Rope

Land on the balls of your feet every rep, never flat-footed.
Keep jumps small and quick instead of trying to clear the rope with a big bounce.
Start with 30 second rounds and rest as needed before building up your time.
Jump on a wood floor, turf, or a mat rather than bare concrete to save your calves and shins from unnecessary pounding.

8. Farmer’s Walk on Toes

When to Perform the Farmer’s Walk on Toes

This loaded carry variant trains your calves under sustained tension while your grip and core work at the same time, so it’s the option I use when I want conditioning and calf work in one set instead of two separate exercises. It pairs well as a finisher supersetted with a chest or back exercise, since you’re just walking, not resting on a machine. I’ll do 3 to 4 sets of 20 to 40 yards to finish a session.

How to Perform the Farmer’s Walk on Toes

Pick up a heavy pair of dumbbells or farmer’s walk handles from the floor with a straight back.
Rise up onto the balls of your feet before you take your first step.
Walk forward with short, controlled steps, staying up on your toes the entire distance.
Set the weights down under control once you reach your target distance.

Equipment: a pair of heavy dumbbells or farmer’s walk handles, and enough open floor space to walk.

This video from OriGym shows how to perform the farmer’s walk on toes.

How To Do Farmer's Walk on Toes | Exercise Demo

Watch this video on YouTube.

Tips for the Farmer’s Walk on Toes

Keep your steps short. Long strides tend to drop your heels back down between steps.
Brace your core the same way you would on a regular farmer’s walk, not just your calves.
Expect your grip to give out before your calves the first few times you try this. That’s normal, and your grip catches up with practice.
Straps are fair game if grip strength is the limiting factor and calves are what you’re actually training here.

Reasons to Choose a Calf Raise Alternative

There are a few good reasons to swap out or add to a standard calf raise. None of the options above are a downgrade, and a couple of them let you load your calves heavier than a dedicated calf machine ever will. For more machine options across your whole lower body, see our leg gym machines guide.

Your gym doesn’t have a calf raise machine. The leg press, hack squat, and smith machine calf raises all cover the same standing pattern using equipment nearly every gym already has.
Your calves have stopped responding. Calves are stubborn and adapt fast to the same stimulus. A donkey calf raise or a heavier smith machine calf raise gives them a angle or load they haven’t seen in a while.
You train at home with minimal gear. A single-leg dumbbell calf raise or jump rope needs almost nothing and still builds real calf size and endurance.
You want the bent-knee soleus work too. A seated calf raise trains a part of your calf a standing raise barely touches, and skipping it leaves half the muscle undertrained.
You want conditioning and calf work together. Jump rope and the farmer’s walk on toes double as cardio or grip work while still loading your calves hard.

Muscles Worked by the Calf Raise

Your calf is really two main muscles stacked on top of each other, and they don’t get trained equally by every variation on this list. Knee position is the deciding factor. Straight-knee exercises like the leg press, donkey, smith machine, and hack squat calf raises bias the gastrocnemius, while bent-knee exercises like the seated calf raise bias the soleus underneath it. Calf training also complements the calf work your legs already get from squats and lunges on a regular compound leg day.

Gastrocnemius: the two-headed muscle that forms your calf’s visible diamond shape, trained hardest with your knee straight, as in the leg press, donkey, smith machine, and hack squat calf raises.
Soleus: a flatter, deeper muscle that sits underneath the gastrocnemius and takes over once your knee bends, trained directly by the seated calf raise and worked isometrically during jump rope and the farmer’s walk on toes.
Plantaris: a small, thin muscle that runs alongside the gastrocnemius and assists with ankle plantarflexion on every exercise on this list, though it’s too minor to train in isolation.
Tibialis posterior: a deep calf muscle that helps stabilize your ankle and arch, especially active on single-leg work and the farmer’s walk on toes.
Forearms and grip: get real secondary work on the farmer’s walk on toes, since you’re carrying heavy weight the entire set.

Your calves also have an antagonist muscle on the front of your shin called the tibialis anterior, which lifts your toes instead of pressing them down. None of the exercises above train it, and it’s worth adding a set or two of tibialis raises into your program alongside your calf work, since a strong tibialis anterior helps keep your ankles balanced and can cut down on shin splints.

FAQs

What’s the closest alternative to a calf raise?

The leg press calf raise or the hack squat calf raise. Both keep your knee nearly straight and load the gastrocnemius the same way a standing calf raise does, just from a seated or back-supported position instead of standing free. If your gym has a leg press, that’s the easiest one-for-one swap.

Can I build calves without a calf raise machine?

Yes. Your calves grow from repeated loading through a full range over time, and they don’t care whether that load comes from a dedicated machine, a leg press, a smith machine, or your own bodyweight on one leg. Any exercise on this list will build your calves if you train it hard and add weight or reps over time.

What’s the best calf raise alternative for bad knees or ankles?

The seated calf raise is usually friendliest on the knee, since the bent-knee position takes stress off the joint compared to a locked-out standing raise. For a cranky ankle, drop the range of motion before you drop the weight, and give it a week or two of lighter loading before pushing hard again.

What’s the best calf raise alternative at home?

The single-leg dumbbell calf raise if you’ve got a dumbbell and a step, or jump rope if you want conditioning at the same time. Between the two you can cover both strength and endurance work for your calves without ever needing a gym machine.

Why won’t my calves grow no matter what I do?

Usually it’s not enough volume or frequency. Calves recover fast and respond well to being trained 2 to 3 times a week instead of once, and most lifters only hit them for a couple of sets tacked onto the end of leg day. Try rotating a few of the exercises above across the week and pushing your sets closer to failure before assuming your calves just don’t respond to training.

How many calf exercises should I do per workout?

One straight-knee exercise and one bent-knee exercise covers both muscles well, so something like a leg press calf raise paired with a seated calf raise. Piling on 4 or 5 different calf exercises in one session usually just adds junk volume without adding much extra growth.

Key Takeaways

If your gym’s calf machine is taken, go with the leg press or hack squat calf raise since they load almost identically to a standing raise. Pair whichever straight-knee option you pick with a seated calf raise so you’re not skipping the soleus entirely. Training at home, the single-leg dumbbell calf raise covers real strength work with almost no equipment, and jump rope or the farmer’s walk on toes are worth adding in even if you have full gym access, since neither one duplicates what the others are doing. Progress these the same way you’d progress any other calf exercise: more weight, more reps, or a slower tempo over time, and don’t be afraid to train calves more than once a week if they’ve been stalling.

Other Alternative Exercises

If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.