The smith seated one leg calf raise is a lower leg exercise performed on a smith machine, targeting the calf muscles by raising one heel at a time while seated.
Also Works
Hamstrings
How to Perform
1
Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet on the footrest.
2
Place one leg on the footrest and keep the other leg off the footrest.
3
Using your calf muscles, raise your heel as high as possible.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your heel back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs and repeat.
Pro Tips
•Place the ball of your working foot on a raised surface so the heel can drop below level for a full soleus stretch.
•Position the Smith bar pad across the top of your working thigh, just above the knee.
•Press through the ball of the foot slowly and hold the top contraction for a full 2 seconds.
Common Mistakes
•Placing the bar too far up the thigh toward the hip, which reduces the leverage on the calf.
•Not using a raised surface for the foot, limiting the range of motion to a tiny fraction of what is possible.
•Using the non-working leg to push off the ground subtly, reducing the single-leg challenge.