Standing Barbell Calf RaiseMuscles Worked
The standing barbell calf raise works your calves, mainly the gastrocnemius because your knees stay straight, with the soleus assisting. Balancing a free barbell also asks your core and feet to keep you steady, which makes it a good option when there's no calf machine.
PrimaryCalves
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Set the bar in a squat rack just below shoulder height, with the safety arms a few inches lower.
- Step under, rest the bar across your upper back, and stand up to lift it off the hooks, then take a step or two back.
- Set your feet about hip width with your toes forward or slightly out, knees straight but soft and eyes forward.
- Rise onto the balls of your feet as high as you can, pause for a second, then lower your heels slowly.
- Step back into the rack and set the bar on the hooks when you finish the set.
Form tips
- Keep your eyes up and your torso tall; looking down tends to tip you forward.
- Once you're steady on the floor, you can stand on a low, stable block for a deeper stretch, but only if it can't shift under you.
Why it made the list
No. 7 of 11
Best Calf Exercises
Free weight standing calf raise for gyms without a calf raise machine. Barbell on back, toes on a platform.
More calf exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Standing Barbell Calf Raise sets in KasMaker and watch your calves fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
