Single-Leg Calf Raise — bottom hold
Achilles and calf capacity at full stretch — the position that decides whether a sprint start or a landing hurts
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Stand on the edge of a step on the ball of one foot, a dumbbell in the hand on the same side and the other hand on a rail or wall. Knee straight.
The rep
Rise up to full height on the toes, then lower over five seconds until the heel drops below the step. Hold at the bottom for twenty seconds with the knee straight, then rise again. Swap sides.
On the exercise card
- Full height, then lower for five
- Let the heel drop below the step and hold
- Keep the knee straight
- Tempo
- 5s to lower
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| Bending the knee | A straight knee loads the calf and Achilles at full length. Keep it straight. |
| Bouncing at the bottom | Hold still once the heel is below the step. |
| Rolling onto the outside of the foot | Keep the weight over the big toe and second toe. |
| Rushing the lowering | Five seconds down, every rep. That is the part that does the work. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Both feet on the step, or no dumbbell.
- Harder
- A heavier dumbbell, or a longer hold.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
In netball, every landing and every first step loads the calf and Achilles at full stretch. The program carries it in its prehab rotation alongside the ankle and shin work.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netball | Strength + Landing | 2 × 20s/side | DB, off a step |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Calves
- Region
- Lower body
- Classified as
- Mobility
- Prescribed in
- netball
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Standing Calf Raise | Gastrocnemius — the calf bulk |
| Standing Calf Raise Machine | Machine: heavy bilateral calf — Anytime Fitness staple |
| Seated Calf Raise | Soleus — lower-calf fullness |
| Seated Calf Raise Machine | Machine: dedicated soleus loading |
| Smith Machine Calf Raise | Machine: heavy loaded calf raise on a stable bar |
| Leg Press Calf Press | Machine: heavy calf work using the leg press |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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