This exercise involves sitting on a bench with a dumbbell resting on one knee, while raising the heel of the opposite foot to work the calf muscle. It is a unilateral exercise that helps to improve balance and stability while targeting the calf muscles.
Type
Strength
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Key Benefits
- Strengthens and tones the calf muscles
- Improves balance and stability
- Targets the soleus muscle, which is often neglected in traditional calf exercises
- Can be done with minimal equipment and in a small space
- Can be easily modified by adjusting the weight or number of repetitions
How to perform
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell resting on your right thigh.
- Place the ball of your right foot on a weight plate or step, with your heel hanging off the edge.
- Hold onto the bench for support.
- Raise your heel as high as possible, squeezing your calf muscles at the top of the movement.
- Lower your heel back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch legs and repeat.
FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Calves
Primary