Which part of the calf raise makes your calf muscles grow most?
Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Young women did calf raises in different ways for 8 weeks. Some moved their ankles the whole way, some only the first half, and others only the second half. Scientists measured how much their calf muscles grew.
Surprising Findings
Partial range of motion (initial half) led to greater muscle growth than full range of motion.
Conventional fitness wisdom says full range of motion is best for hypertrophy. This result flips that idea on its head — at least for the gastrocnemius.
Practical Takeaways
Try doing calf raises only from a fully stretched position (ankle −25° to 0°) to potentially maximize muscle growth.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Young women did calf raises in different ways for 8 weeks. Some moved their ankles the whole way, some only the first half, and others only the second half. Scientists measured how much their calf muscles grew.
Surprising Findings
Partial range of motion (initial half) led to greater muscle growth than full range of motion.
Conventional fitness wisdom says full range of motion is best for hypertrophy. This result flips that idea on its head — at least for the gastrocnemius.
Practical Takeaways
Try doing calf raises only from a fully stretched position (ankle −25° to 0°) to potentially maximize muscle growth.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2023
Authors
Witalo Kassiano, Bruna Costa, Gabriel Kunevaliki, Danrlei Soares, G. Zacarias, Ingrid Manske, Yudi Takaki, Maria Ruggiero, Natã Stavinski, Jarlisson Francsuel, Ian Tricoli, Marcelo A. S. Carneiro, E. Cyrino
Related Content
Claims (4)
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 three times a week for eight weeks, only moving their ankle partway up gives bigger calf muscles than going through the full motion — so how far you move might really matter for muscle growth.
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.
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.