Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

The seated dumbbell calf raise trains the calf with the knee bent, and that position changes which muscle does the work. The gastrocnemius crosses both the knee and the ankle, so bending the knee slackens it and leaves the soleus underneath to do most of the lifting. The soleus is a predominantly slow-twitch muscle that carries you through every step you take, and it responds to higher repetitions and full range rather than to heavy, short sets. Resting a dumbbell on the knee just above the ankle provides the load without needing a machine, which makes this one of the few calf exercises that works properly at home. Let the heel drop as far as it will go before pressing up, since the stretched position is where most of the stimulus lives. Work one leg at a time so the loaded side carries the whole dumbbell, and pause deliberately at both the top and the bottom of every repetition.