Exercise:

Smith Machine Calf Raise

Target Muscle:

Calves

Smith Machine

Place a block or weight plate on the ground underneath the bar in order to elevate your heels and position the bar at a height that allows you to comfortably unrack it.

Position the bar on your rear shoulders and the place balls of your feet on the platform with your feet spaced 1-2 inches outside of shoulder width. Unrack the bar by rotating it backwards.

Start with your calves in a fully stretched position by letting your heels hang down as far as they will go. Look straight ahead and keep your abs tight, back straight and knees very slightly bent.

Press the weight up as high as you can until your calves are fully contracted. Squeeze your calves hard at the top of the movement and then let your body back down by lowering your heels, and repeat.

- As you press the weight up, focus on raising yourself up onto your big toe rather than the entire front of your foot. This will prevent your feet from rolling outward and will maximize calf stimulation.

- To direct as much tension onto the calves as possible, use the following rep cadence: press yourself up as hard and fast as you can in proper form… pause in the top position for 1 full second… lower yourself in 4-5 seconds… and pause in the bottom position for 2 seconds. This cadence will minimize momentum and prevent the achilles tendon from taking over the work.

- Keep only a very slight bend in your knees to take pressure off of your knee joints. Don't bend them excessively though or this will direct the stress away from the gastrocnemius (the large head of the calf muscle where most of the mass is located) and onto the smaller soleus head.