Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Setup

1. 01Place a flat bench under the Smith bar and set the bar just above thigh height when seated.
2. 02Sit with the ball of the working foot on a block or plate, knee bent to about 90 degrees.
3. 03Pad the bar and position it across the lower thigh, close to the knee.
4. 04Rotate the bar to unrack while holding it steady with both hands.

Execution

1. 01Let the heel sink below the block for a full stretch.
2. 02Press through the ball of the foot to lift the knee and bar as high as possible.
3. 03Hold the top contraction for a second.
4. 04Lower slowly back into the stretch and repeat.

Checkpoints

• -Knee stays near 90 degrees so the soleus does the work.
• -Bar sits over the lower thigh, not on the kneecap.
• -Heel travels through the full stretch and full lift each rep.
• -Torso stays upright without rocking to hoist the bar.

Common mistakes

• -Resting the bar directly on the kneecap without padding.
• -Bouncing out of the bottom stretch.
• -Rocking the body to lift the weight instead of the calf.
• -Skipping the block and losing the stretched half of the range.