Calf Groups / Gastrocnemius

The gastrocnemius is the larger of the two primary calf muscles and plays a key role in pointing the foot downward and bending the knee. Working alongside the soleus, it provides the strength and power needed for movements such as walking, running, jumping, and climbing stairs while helping maintain balance and stability. The exercises below target the gastrocnemius using only dumbbells.

Exercise Menu

Seated Calf Raise

Primary muscle(s) targeted: Gastrocnemius & Soleus

Secondary muscle(s) targeted: Plantaris Muscle

Compound/Isolation: Isolation

Set-up:

Sit on a sturdy chair/bench
Knees straight and not moving
Lean slightly forward, adding pressure

with hands or dumbbells

Execution:

Use the balls of feet to push heel and weight up
Squeeze the soleus muscle at the peak
Control descent for a few seconds to stretch

the gastrocnemius

This exercise primarily activates the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle, both of which can be found along the top part of the calf. The primary muscle group involved is the calves.

Full Detailed Breakdown

One secondary muscle involved is the plantaris muscle, which is an accessory muscle that helps the soleus and gastrocnemius, located between those two muscles. Together, they compose the triceps surae [3].

This movement exclusively involves flexion and extension at the ankle joint, as it is an isolation exercise.

To set up, sit on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep the knees aligned with your feet. Lean slightly forward, and place your hands on your thighs near your knees. To add resistance, push down with your hands or add a dumbbell of manageable weight on each knee.

To begin this movement, exhale powerfully and drive down through the balls of both feet to push the weight upward. Raise the heels as high as possible and squeeze the soleus muscle tightly at the very top. Inhale deeply while slowly lowering both heels toward the floor over a controlled three-second count. Allow the weight to gently pull the ankles down until feeling a deep stretch in the lower calves [2] [3].

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Primary muscle(s) targeted: Gastrocnemius

Secondary muscle(s) targeted: Lower Leg/Foot Muscles (Plantaris, Peroneals) & Core Muscles

Compound/Isolation: Isolation

Set-up:

Stand firmly on one working foot
Hold a dumbbell on the same side
Touch the wall lightly for balance

Execution:

Rest your resting foot on a step or bend it up
Push the heel up through the big toe and/or

ball of the foot to the top

Stay steady without leaning over at all times

The primary target is the gastrocnemius muscle, a rhombus-shaped muscle on the back of the calf. This exercise forces each leg to lift your entire body weight without any help from the other leg.

Full Detailed Breakdown

The secondary muscles that are heavily involved include the small stabilizing muscles around your ankle joint, the muscles in the arch of your foot, and your side abdominals.

This movement acts as an isolation exercise, fixing any uneven strength differences between your two calves.

Stand on your right foot next to a sturdy wall, and hold one dumbbell in your right hand down at your side, placing your left hand lightly on the wall for balance. Bend the resting left leg so it doesn’t interfere with weight distribution of the sides. You could also stand on a step with your resting leg.

Balance yourself firmly on the working leg, then exhale as you squeeze your calf muscle tightly. Lift your body as high as possible on the ball of that one foot. Hold the peak contraction at the top to test your balance, breathe in, and slowly guide your heel back down to the floor over a very controlled 3-second descent [2] [3].

Standing Double-Leg Calf Raise

Primary muscle(s) targeted: Gastrocnemius

Secondary muscle(s) targeted: Lower Leg & Foot Muscles (Soleus, Plantaris)

Compound/Isolation: Isolation

Set-up:

Stand on a level floor
Grip your dumbbells tightly at your sides
Let arms hang loose and relaxed

Execution:

Lock the knees
Push up onto the balls of the feet
Add one hand on a wall for balance

The primary target is the large gastrocnemius muscle on the back of your lower leg. Throughout this movement, you must keep your knees completely straight to activate both the inner and outer heads of this muscle body.

Full Detailed Breakdown

This movement requires supporting assistance from the deeper soleus muscle underneath the calf, the tiny plantaris muscle, and your hands which have to grip the weights firmly [3].

This lift is known as a strict isolation exercise because the entire movement is centered around moving the heel and ankle [1].

To set up, stand completely upright with your feet placed about hip-width apart on a flat floor. Then, hold a dumbbell in each hand, and let your arms hang straight down toward the ground.

To begin, start with your feet flat on the floor, then breathe out as you push and add force through the front balls of your feet to raise your heels into the air. To end the movement, breathe in and slowly lower your heels back down to the floor [1] [3].

References

[1] Fry, T. (n.d.). The power of isolation exercises for muscle growth. 1st Phorm. https://1stphorm.com/blogs/news/isolation-exercises

[2] Muhune, N. (2026, January 23). How to perform the seated calf Raise with dumbbells. BetterMe . https://betterme.world/articles/seated-calf-raise-dumbbell/

[3] Taylor, R., & Booth, S. (2025, January 2). Best exercises for strengthening calf muscles. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/strengthening-calf-muscles