Standing Cable Calf Raise

Setup

1. 01Set the pulley to its lowest position with a straight bar or two handles.
2. 02Face the stack and hold the attachment at hip height with straight arms, or rest a bar attachment across the front of the hips.
3. 03Place the balls of your feet on a low block or plate for extra range, heels hanging off.
4. 04Stand tall with knees straight but not locked hard.

Execution

1. 01Lower the heels under control until you feel a full calf stretch.
2. 02Pause briefly in the stretched position.
3. 03Drive up onto the balls of the feet as high as possible.
4. 04Hold the top for a second before lowering into the next rep.

Checkpoints

• -Knees stay extended so the gastrocnemius does the work.
• -Full range every rep, from deep stretch to full rise.
• -Ankles rise straight without rolling out over the little toes.
• -Torso stays upright; the cable does not pull you into a lean.

Common mistakes

• -Bouncing out of the bottom stretch.
• -Cutting the range to partial pulses.
• -Bending the knees and turning it into a soleus-dominant press.
• -Letting the cable drag the hips forward out of a stacked position.