The Best and Worst Calf Exercises for More Proportioned Legs
The calf muscle isn’t just about looking good in shorts (although that’s a nice bonus)—it’s one of the most important muscle groups for movement, stability, and athletic performance.
However, calf training can feel frustrating, especially when these stubborn muscles seem unresponsive. While genetics do play a role in calf aesthetics, proper exercise selection, progressive overload, and technique can still make a difference.
This article will discuss the best and worst calf exercises to achieve a bigger and more proportioned leg.
The calf muscle is critical to lower-body function, athletic performance, and aesthetics. It is found on the back of your lower leg and is a group of muscles working together to power movement, stabilize your body, and enhance balance.
When you're sprinting, jumping, or simply standing upright, your calves are constantly being engaged, making them essential for both dynamic and static activities.
Well-developed calves also complete the aesthetic of a proportional, muscular physique, ensuring your lower body doesn’t lag behind in terms of development and appearance.
The calf is composed of two main muscles - the gastrocnemius and soleus that make up the bulk of your calf, forming the triceps surae:
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus
We’ve chosen the best and worst calf exercises based on their ability to stimulate muscle growth through constant tension, ability to progressively overload, provide maximum stretch, and safety.
The gastrocnemius muscle forms the “bulge” you see when you flex your calf muscle. It crosses both the knee and ankle joints, allowing you to bend the ankle and knee effectively. This muscle is heavily involved in explosive leg movements such as sprinting and jumping.
While bodyweight calf raises exercise helps you build endurance and foundational strength in your calf muscles, it could be a huge time-waster in the gym in terms of providing muscle growth.
This exercise mimics the calf action similar to walking patterns which doesn’t provide significant resistance to challenge the muscle and promote substantial muscle growth. This exercise should only be used for perfecting exercise form, muscle activation and building foundation strength, especially if you are a beginner.
Machine standing weight calf raise is suitable for progressive overload and optimal muscle activation because it allows deep stretch and maximum contraction at the top of the movement. Studies have shown that focusing on the bottom half of this exercise, where the muscle is fully stretched, results in 2x the growth of calf muscle.
This exercise can also be performed in a Smith machine, using an elevated surface for stretch and muscle activation.
Other great exercises for the gastrocnemius muscle:
Positioned beneath the gastrocnemius, the soleus plays a vital role in endurance and stability. It is primarily composed of slow-twitch muscle fibers, making it highly resistant to fatigue and essential for activities that require sustained effort, such as walking, long distance running, and maintaining posture.
During running, the soleus bears the majority of the load, enduring forces that can be 3 to 8 times your body weight. This muscle is key to propelling the body forward and absorbing impact, reducing stress on the joints and other muscles.
Additionally, the soleus acts as a skeletal muscle pump, aiding circulation by pushing deoxygenated blood from the lower legs back to the heart, which is crucial for recovery and preventing blood pooling. While it may not contribute significantly to sprinting power, the soleus is critical for long-distance running and postural control, making it a vital part of leg muscle to train for athletic purposes.
The horizontal positioning significantly limits the range of motion, preventing the soleus from achieving the deep stretch and full contraction needed for optimal muscle activation. Without this stretch-contraction cycle, the exercise lacks the intensity required to effectively stimulate the slow-twitch fibers that dominate the soleus.
Another major drawback is the reduced gravitational resistance in the horizontal setup. Unlike standing or seated variations, the horizontal leg press calf raise doesn’t provide enough direct load against gravity, diminishing the challenge to the soleus.
Unlike standing calf exercises that primarily emphasize the gastrocnemius, the seated position places the knees in a flexed position, effectively isolating the soleus. This exercise allows for a full range of motion, starting with a deep stretch at the bottom and ending with a strong contraction at the top, optimizing soleus activation.
The seated calf raise is ideal for progressive overload, enabling gradual increases in resistance to build strength and endurance. Its focus on slow-twitch muscle fibers makes it essential for improving long-distance running performance, maintaining posture, and enhancing lower-leg stability.
Other great exercises for the soleus muscle:
Here’s a plan for men you should do while training your calves:
And for women:
Recent studies have highlighted the soleus muscle's critical role in metabolic health and longevity. The soleus push-up (SPU), a simple seated exercise where the heel is raised while the front of the foot remains stationary, has been shown to significantly enhance oxidative metabolism. Unlike most muscles, the soleus primarily uses blood glucose and fats as energy sources, allowing it to sustain prolonged activity without fatigue.
Research demonstrates that SPUs can reduce blood glucose spikes by 52% and insulin demand by 60% after carbohydrate intake. Additionally, they double fat metabolism during fasting periods, helping lower blood cholesterol levels.
The goal of the soleus push-up (SPU) is to keep the soleus muscle active during idle periods, such as while working at a desk or watching TV. Perform SPUs for 30–60 minutes per session, with multiple sessions spread throughout the day. Since the soleus is highly resistant to fatigue, you can sustain these sessions without feeling significant muscle exhaustion. This consistent activation helps regulate blood glucose, boost fat metabolism, and improve overall metabolic health, making it an ideal exercise for sedentary periods.
However, building stronger, more functional calves goes beyond aesthetics—it’s about creating a foundation for stability, endurance, and power that supports every lower-body movement.
Avoid exercises that compromise efficiency, which waste time and limit results. Instead, prioritize movements that emphasize the technique and biomechanics of your calves.