Doing weightlifting exercises by only moving the weight through the longest part of the stretch actually builds more calf muscle than lifting through the full range or only the shortened part.

Doing certain leg exercises that only go partway through the motion—but stretch the calf muscle while lifting—might build bigger calf muscles than doing the full movement or shorter movements.

Even if you don’t move through the full range, doing the exercise where your muscle is stretched the most (like halfway down in a squat) builds more muscle than doing it where the muscle is bunched up (like a shallow squat).

Whether you're working your quads, calves, or biceps, stretching them fully during exercises helps them grow bigger — this works for many different muscles, not just one.

If you're someone who lifts weights and does calf raises, doing partial reps that stretch the muscle might make your calf grow just a bit more than doing full reps and then finishing with partials after you're too tired to do full ones.

If you're already strength-trained, doing full lifts (like fully curling a dumbbell) won't make your muscles grow more than just doing the stretchy part of the movement—so maybe stretching your muscles under load is the real secret to getting bigger.