The Calf Raise Lever: Standing Grew the Gastrocnemius 9-12 Percent Against 1-2 Percent Seated, the Soleus Grew the Same Either Way, and 12 Weekly Sets Beat 6
3 days ago
4 min read
Every calf exercise is the same lever: the ball of the foot is the pivot, the load sits above the ankle, and the Achilles tendon pulls up on the heel to lift it. What changes between a standing and a seated calf raise is not the lever but the muscle available to pull it. The gastrocnemius crosses the knee as well as the ankle, so a straight knee stretches it and a bent knee slackens it, leaving the single-joint soleus to do the seated work. That anatomy is the folklore behind "standing for the gastrocnemius, seated for the soleus," and it has now been tested with MRI in the same people.
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