If young women do calf exercises that stretch the muscle more, they gain more muscle size than doing the same exercises with less stretch — and stretching it fully gives the best results.

Doing calf raises through a shorter range of motion, when the muscle is more stretched, might build more calf muscle in young women compared to doing full up-and-down reps — especially in the inner part of the calf.

If young women do calf raises with their ankle stretched more, they might build more calf muscle than if they do the same move with a less stretched ankle — after 8 weeks, the stretched version led to almost twice as much muscle growth in one study.

Doing calf raises at the bottom part of the movement — where your calf is stretched — might build more calf muscle in young women than doing the full raise, according to this claim.

If young women do calf exercises with their toes pointed down and only move partway up, they’ll build more calf muscle in 8 weeks than if they do the full movement — 15% more growth compared to smaller gains with other methods.

Doing calf raises where you don’t lift your heel all the way up — but start from a stretched position — builds more calf muscle in young women than doing full or shortened versions of the move.