Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise

Setup

1. 01Sit on a bench with a step, plate, or block under the balls of both feet.
2. 02Place a dumbbell vertically on each thigh just above the knee, or one heavy dumbbell across both.
3. 03Set knees at roughly 90 degrees with heels hanging off the edge.
4. 04Hold the dumbbells steady with your hands throughout.

Execution

1. 01Lower the heels below the platform for a full calf stretch.
2. 02Press through the balls of the feet to raise the heels as high as possible.
3. 03Pause for a second at the top contraction.
4. 04Lower slowly back to the stretched position.

Checkpoints

• -Heels travel through a full range, deep stretch to full rise.
• -The dumbbell stays directly over the knees, not sliding up the thigh.
• -Movement comes only from the ankles, no hip bouncing.
• -Each rep pauses at the top and bottom.

Common mistakes

• -Bouncing out of the bottom stretch.
• -Cutting range short at the top or bottom.
• -Placing the dumbbell too far up the thigh, reducing the load on the calf.
• -Rushing reps instead of controlling the tempo.