Exercise Library
Smith Seated Calf Raise
The Smith seated calf raise targets the soleus, the deep calf muscle that works hardest when the knee is bent. Sitting on a bench under the Smith machine bar with the balls of your feet on a block, you raise and lower your heels against the load resting on your thighs. Because the bar path is fixed, you can focus purely on the stretch and squeeze.
Primary muscle
Primary: Calves (gastrocnemius
Secondary muscles
soleus)
Equipment
Smith Machine
Category
Calves
How to Do the Smith Seated Calf Raise
- Place a flat bench under the Smith machine bar and a block or step on the floor in front of it.
- Sit on the bench and set the balls of your feet on the block, heels hanging off.
- Position the bar across your lower thighs just above the knees, using a pad or towel for comfort.
- Unrack the bar by rotating it out of the hooks while holding it steady with your hands.
- Lower your heels slowly toward the floor until you feel a deep stretch in your calves.
- Press through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible.
- Squeeze at the top, then lower under control and repeat.
- Rack the bar securely before standing up.
Common Mistakes
- Placing the bar on top of the knees: loading the kneecap directly is painful and risky. Keep the bar on the lower thigh, just above the knee joint, with padding.
- Bouncing fast reps: the soleus is built for endurance and responds to slow, controlled work. Use a steady tempo with a pause in the stretch.
- Too little range: small heel pumps skip the stretch and the full contraction. Let the heels travel as far down and up as they can.
- Lifting the toes off the block: the balls of the feet must stay planted. If the foot slides, reposition the block closer to the bench.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your smith seated calf raise sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.