A calf raise performed at the bottom of a seated leg press position, training the calves in a knee-bent, soleus-biased position with heavy machine loading.
LegsMachinePlantarflexion
Start
End
Primary
Soleus
Secondary
GastrocnemiusQuadricepsTibialis posterior
Equipment
Machine
Pattern
Plantarflexion
Setup
01Sit in the leg press with the platform close and knees bent as in a deep seat position.
02Place the balls of the feet on the lower edge of the platform, heels off.
03Keep the knees bent at roughly 90 degrees throughout.
04Grip the handles and brace the trunk.
Execution
01Let the heels drop toward you into a full calf stretch.
02Press the platform away through the balls of the feet by pointing the toes.
03Squeeze at the top for a one count.
04Lower back into the stretch under control and repeat.
Checkpoints
-Knee angle stays fixed; only the ankles move.
-Every rep travels from full stretch to full toe point.
-The feet stay planted on the platform edge without slipping.
Common mistakes
-Extending the knees and turning the rep into a partial leg press.
-Bouncing at the stretched position.
-Using the whole foot so the heels cannot drop.
-Loading beyond what the fixed knee angle can control.
Programming notes
-Use 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 25 reps; the bent knee biases the slow-twitch soleus, which likes higher reps.
-Pair with a straight-leg calf raise in the same week to train both calf muscles.
-Convenient add-on after seated leg press without changing machines.
