Advanced Standing Calf Raise
Key notes
- Type of exercise: Isometric
- Muscles used: Gastrocnemius and soleus
- Good for: Developing strength and power. Increasing dorsiflexion range of motion
- When to use during rehab: Early to middle stages
Equipment options
If you’re doing this exercise with a patient in clinic, you’ll need an Olympic bar and gym step. If the patient does not have access to this equipment at home, it would be best for them to recreate this exercise in the gym.
Method
- Have the patient stand with their toes on the gym step (as their heels hang off the back) with the Olympic bar resting across the tops of their shoulders.
- Next, have them go up onto their tip toes in a slow, controlled manner.
- Once they have held this position for a second or two, they should return to their original position.
- It should take the patient between 2 and 4 seconds to go up onto their toes and around the same amount of time to come back down again.
