How many sets and reps of the bent-knee calf raise should a beginner do?

Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a light to moderate dumbbell, since the soleus responds well to higher volume and slower tempo. Rest about 45 seconds between sets. Add reps toward the top of that range before adding weight, and only increase the dumbbell once the knee bend stays fixed for every rep.

How do you make the bent-knee calf raise easier or harder?

Make it easier by doing it on flat ground with both hands lightly on a wall for balance and no added weight, keeping the same fixed knee bend. Make it harder by adding a heavier dumbbell, by pausing for one to two seconds at both the top and the stretched bottom, or by slowing the tempo to a three or four count in each direction.

Who is the bent-knee calf raise for, and when shouldn't it be your only calf exercise?

It's a joint-friendly way to target the soleus and build lower-calf thickness, useful for anyone chasing calf size after training the gastrocnemius with straight-leg raises. It's a poor choice as the only calf exercise in a program, since it deliberately takes the larger gastrocnemius mostly out of the movement.

Beginner

Bent-Knee Calf Raise (Dumbbell)

Bending the knees puts slack in the gastrocnemius so the soleus takes over, and doing it standing with a dumbbell makes soleus work possible anywhere. Holding the knee bend throughout is the key that separates it from a regular standing raise. It is a simple, joint-friendly way to build the lower calf and the thickness seen from the side.

Equipment: Box, Dumbbell
Body part: Calves
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Soleus Gastrocnemius
Browse by movement: Calf Raise

How to do it

1
Stand with the balls of your feet on a block or step and heels hanging off.
2
Hold a dumbbell in one hand and rest the other on a wall for light balance.
3
Bend your knees to about a quarter squat and hold that angle.
4
Lower your heels below the block until you feel a strong calf stretch.
5
Press up onto the balls of your feet while keeping the knees bent.
6
Squeeze at the top and lower slowly under control.

Tips

Hold the knee bend fixed the whole set; straightening turns it into a gastrocnemius raise.
Keep the torso upright and let only the ankles move.
Slow the tempo and add reps, since the soleus responds to volume.

Variations

Common mistakes

The heel drops only a shallow distance below the block instead of reaching a real stretch, since balancing on the edge of a step with a dumbbell in hand makes people cut the range short.
The free hand grips the wall hard and pulls the body forward for support, which quietly takes weight off the working calf instead of just steadying balance.
The dumbbell swings slightly with each rep since it hangs from one working arm, adding a side-to-side sway the ankle has to fight to control.
Rushing through reps to get the set over with skips the pause at the top where the calf gets its hardest squeeze.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the bent-knee calf raise should a beginner do?: Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a light to moderate dumbbell, since the soleus responds well to higher volume and slower tempo. Rest about 45 seconds between sets. Add reps toward the top of that range before adding weight, and only increase the dumbbell once the knee bend stays fixed for every rep.
How do you make the bent-knee calf raise easier or harder?: Make it easier by doing it on flat ground with both hands lightly on a wall for balance and no added weight, keeping the same fixed knee bend. Make it harder by adding a heavier dumbbell, by pausing for one to two seconds at both the top and the stretched bottom, or by slowing the tempo to a three or four count in each direction.
Who is the bent-knee calf raise for, and when shouldn't it be your only calf exercise?: It's a joint-friendly way to target the soleus and build lower-calf thickness, useful for anyone chasing calf size after training the gastrocnemius with straight-leg raises. It's a poor choice as the only calf exercise in a program, since it deliberately takes the larger gastrocnemius mostly out of the movement.

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