What's a good starting weight for cable ankle eversion?

The lightest pin on the stack for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per side, with a slow 2 to 3 second turn. Add the smallest increment available only once every rep feels smooth and pain-free.

What can you do for ankle eversion without a cable machine?

The banded version anchored at floor level trains the same motion, or a towel pulled by hand works as a no-equipment option.

What is cable ankle eversion good for?

It's rehab and prehab for ankle sprains and unstable ankles, useful for anyone returning from a sprain or playing cutting and jumping sports. It's a poor choice if you don't have regular gym access, since the band version travels; skip loading it heavier if there's still pain turning the ankle, since control is the goal here, not weight.

Beginner

Cable Ankle Eversion

The fibularis muscles on the outside of the lower leg turn the sole outward and stabilize the ankle against rolling. Direct eversion work is valuable rehab and prehab for anyone with a history of ankle sprains or unstable ankles. Use a light cable and slow, deliberate reps; this is control work, not a strength lift.

Equipment: Cables
Body part: Calves
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Fibularis Longus

How to do it

1
Sit sideways to a low cable with an ankle strap looped around the foot farthest from the machine, so the cable runs across in front of the other leg.
2
Position the leg so the cable pulls the sole of your foot inward across your body.
3
Anchor your shin and keep the knee still.
4
Rotate the sole of your foot outward against the cable, turning the ankle over.
5
Pause at the end of the range, then let the foot return slowly.
6
Complete all reps, then switch to the other foot.

Tips

Move only at the ankle; keep the knee and hip from rotating.
Use very light resistance and a slow tempo for this small stabilizer.
Keep the range pain-free, especially if you are rehabbing an ankle.

Variations

Common mistakes

The strap creeps toward the toes as the cable pulls, so the leverage, and the muscle doing the work, shifts partway through the set.
Sitting with the working knee unsupported lets the whole leg sway with the cable instead of the rotation happening only at the ankle.
Jumping up a full weight-stack plate at once is a big percentage jump for a muscle this small, and technique usually breaks down before strength catches up.
Once the strap digs into the top of the foot, favoring that discomfort by shortening the range quietly turns a full-range drill into a partial one.

Frequently asked

What's a good starting weight for cable ankle eversion?: The lightest pin on the stack for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per side, with a slow 2 to 3 second turn. Add the smallest increment available only once every rep feels smooth and pain-free.
What can you do for ankle eversion without a cable machine?: The banded version anchored at floor level trains the same motion, or a towel pulled by hand works as a no-equipment option.
What is cable ankle eversion good for?: It's rehab and prehab for ankle sprains and unstable ankles, useful for anyone returning from a sprain or playing cutting and jumping sports. It's a poor choice if you don't have regular gym access, since the band version travels; skip loading it heavier if there's still pain turning the ankle, since control is the goal here, not weight.

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