Bent-Knee Soleus Raise
A standing heel raise done with a constant knee bend on a low platform, biasing plantarflexion toward the soleus.
How to do it
- Stand on a low platform with the balls of both feet on the front edge and the heels free to hang.
- Bend both knees slightly and hold that angle; do not squat deeper during the set.
- Brace the trunk, keep the hips still, and clasp the hands behind the lower back or let them hang.
- Lower both heels behind the platform until they approach the floor.
- Press through the balls of the feet and raise the heels as high as the ankles allow.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower under control and repeat without changing the knee bend.
Key technique cue
Keep the knees bent the whole time — don't straighten them as you rise.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Straightening the knees on the way up, which hands the work back to the gastrocnemius.
- ✕ Bouncing out of the bottom instead of pausing in the stretched heel-drop.
- ✕ Letting the hips rise and fall, which turns the raise into a mini squat.
- ✕ Stopping the heels halfway down so the soleus never sees a full stretch.
Benefits
- ✓ Biases plantarflexion toward the soleus by keeping the knees bent.
- ✓ Uses a small platform instead of a seated calf machine, so it needs no equipment.
- ✓ Trains full heel travel, including a deficit stretch at the bottom.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Bent-Knee Soleus Raise
- Seated Calf Raise
- Dumbbell Seated Calf Raise
About the exercise
The bent-knee soleus raise is a standing calf raise performed with the knees held in a shallow bend so the gastrocnemius is shortened and the soleus does more of the plantarflexion. Both forefeet stay on a low platform so the heels can drop below the edge, then lift onto the balls of the feet. Only the ankles should move. The hips stay quiet and the knee angle stays fixed, which is what keeps the work in the deeper calf rather than turning the drill into a squat or a straight-knee gastroc raise. It is the standing partner to a seated calf raise: same soleus bias, no machine, only a small step.
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