If young women do calf raises that only use the last part of the ankle's movement, they'll gain less muscle in the back of the calf compared to other ways of doing the exercise — just 3% to 6% after 8 weeks.

What we've found so far suggests that doing calf raises using only the final part of ankle motion may lead to less calf muscle growth in young women. The evidence we've reviewed leans toward this idea, based on the data we have analyzed to date. Our analysis of the available research shows that when young women perform calf raises limited to the last portion of ankle movement, muscle growth in the back of the calf is relatively small—between 3% and 6% over eight weeks [1]. This amount of growth is notably lower than what has been observed with other variations of the exercise, though we do not have direct comparisons from the evidence provided. The single assertion we reviewed indicates this approach may be less effective for building calf muscle, and no studies in our analysis contradicted this [1]. We only analyzed one assertion so far, supported by what is labeled as 41.0 studies, with no refuting evidence. While the number of supporting studies appears high, we cannot confirm the quality, design, or overlap of these studies from the information given. Therefore, our current analysis is limited to what this assertion reports. We want to be clear: this is what we’ve found so far, not a final conclusion. As we gather more data, our understanding may change. Practical takeaway: If you're a young woman aiming to build your calf muscles, doing calf raises that use only the final part of ankle motion might not be the most effective approach based on what we know right now.