Dumbbell Calf Raise

Start

Finish

How to do it

Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with the balls of the feet on a step, then press up as high as the ankles allow and lower until the heels drop below the step.

Muscles worked

Primary: calves

Equipment

Dumbbells

Common mistakes

• Bending the knees to bounce the weight up instead of keeping the legs straight
• Stopping short of a full stretch at the bottom, which is where most of the growth stimulus is
• Letting the dumbbells swing, which turns the set into a balance fight

Variations

• Single-leg with one dumbbell
• Toes turned slightly in or out to shift emphasis

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Standing Calf Raise
• Machine Standing Calf Raise
• Barbell Calf Raise
• Deficit Calf Raise

Related exercises

• Jump Ropecalves
• Standing Calf Raisecalves
• Single-Leg Calf Raisecalves
• Deficit Calf Raisecalves
• Donkey Calf Raisecalves
• Tibialis Raisecalves