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Exercise Guide
How to do one leg floor calf raise
Master the setup, range of motion, and tempo for safer, more effective reps.
This unilateral exercise focuses on isolating the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the lower leg. By standing on one foot and lifting your heel off the ground, you increase the resistance and improve balance. It is highly effective for correcting muscle imbalances, enhancing ankle stability, and building explosive power for running and jumping, all without needing any specialized gym equipment.
Stats
DIFFICULTY
Untrained to Advanced
EQUIPMENT
None
TARGET MUSCLES
Calves
Instructions for Proper Form
Setup:
- Position: Stand on one leg, near a wall or sturdy object you can hold onto for balance.
- Stance: Lift your non-working foot off the floor, either by bending the knee or crossing it behind your standing leg.
The Movement:
- Raise: Press through the ball of your standing foot to raise your heel as high as possible off the floor.
- Squeeze: Squeeze your calf muscle at the top of the movement and hold for a moment.
- Lower: Slowly lower your heel back to the floor.
- Repeat: Complete all reps on one leg before switching to the other.
Tips:
- For a greater range of motion, stand on the edge of a step or a weight plate so you can drop your heel lower than your toes.
- To add resistance, hold a dumbbell in the hand on the same side as your working leg.
Common mistakes: Not using a full range of motion at the bottom and bouncing at the top of the movement instead of holding the contraction.
Alternatives
Barbell
barbell standing calf raise
Calves
None
calf raise
Calves
Bench
donkey calf raise
Calves
Bench
barbell seated calf raises
Calves
Seated Calf Raise Machine
machine seated calf raise
Calves
None
standing calf raise
Calves
Dumbbell
dumbbell standing calf raise
Calves
Dumbbell
dumbbell seated calf raise
Calves
Barbell
barbell standing calf raise on riser
Calves
None
one leg floor calf raise
Calves
Standing Calf Raise Machine
machine standing calf raise
Calves
Smith Machine
smith-machine reverse calf raise
Calves