Calf Raise with a Bent Knee

Teaching points

• Stand with the feet about shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight forwards
  
  
• Hold on to a wall and bend the knees slightly to relax the Gastrocnemius muscle
  
  
• Raise your heels off the floor as high as you can
  
  
• Return slowly to the starting position

Variations & progressions

• Progress by performing the exercise on a step, with only the toes on the step
  
  
• Hold onto the wall or banister as you raise the heels and then drop them down below the level of the step before returning to the starting position
  
  
• Alternatively perform on a single leg

Muscles worked

• Soleus
  
  
• Tibialis Posterior

Alternative exercises

• Seated calf raise machine

Related injuries

• Calf strain
  
  
• Tight calfs
  
  
• Achilles tendon tear
  
  
• Achilles tendon rupture
  
  
• Achilles tendinitis