Triceps surae

Calf muscles

Musculus triceps surae

The gastrocnemius and soleus form the powerful muscle mass at the back of your lower leg. Together they raise your heel and create the push-off for walking, running, and jumping.

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Back view of the human muscular system with the calves highlighted — Back view · lower leg

At a glance

Region: Lower leg
Movement pattern: Calf raises and push-off during gait
Joint: Ankle and knee joints

Exercises

Exercises for the calves

Standing calf raise with shoulder pads, forefeet on a platform and raised heels.

Machine · Shoulder pads · Raised platform

Standing calf raise machine

Raise the heels with nearly straight knees against the machine to emphasize the gastrocnemius.

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Seated calf raise with lower-thigh pad, bent knees, supported forefeet and raised heels.

Machine · Thigh pad · Foot block

Seated calf raise machine

Raise the heels with bent knees to emphasize the soleus under a guided resistance.

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Standing calf raise on level floor with both heels lifted, one dumbbell at the side and the other hand on a support.

Dumbbell · Stable support

Standing dumbbell calf raise

Raise both heels while holding a dumbbell. The added load progresses the standing calf raise with the knees nearly straight.

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Standing bodyweight calf raise at the top position with both heels lifted and one hand lightly supported on a wall.

No equipment · Wall

Bodyweight standing calf raise

Rise onto both forefeet with light hand support. This simple straight-knee variation trains the calf without added weight.

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No equipment · Wall

Supported single-leg calf raise

One leg carries your bodyweight while light hand support keeps balance from limiting the calf.

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Dumbbell · Bench

Seated dumbbell calf raise

With your knees bent, raise the heels while a dumbbell rests securely across the thighs. This changes the role of the gastrocnemius while the soleus continues to work.

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Understand the muscle

Two muscles, one shared Achilles tendon

The visible gastrocnemius lies over the broader soleus. Their fibers merge into the Achilles tendon, which attaches to the heel bone.

Two-headed superficial calf muscle

Gastrocnemius

Musculus gastrocnemius

Its medial and lateral heads begin above the knee. Because it crosses both knee and ankle, it raises the heel most effectively when the knee is relatively straight.

Exercises for this region

Broad deep calf muscle

Soleus

Musculus soleus

It begins at the tibia and fibula below the knee and acts only at the ankle. It continues to plantarflex the foot with either a straight or bent knee.

Exercises for this region

The listed exercises involve this region alongside other parts of the muscle. A muscle head or deep portion is not necessarily trained in isolation.

Simply explained

What does the muscle do?

In simple terms, your calves lift your heel from the floor. The straight-knee and bent-knee versions change how strongly the two main calf muscles contribute.

Side view of a lower leg: the heel rises from the floor (1, dashed) to an elevated position (2, teal), while the forefoot stays planted. — Side view · forefoot stays planted

Raise your heel

Ankle plantarflexion

The forefoot stays down while the heel moves upward. This is the main movement in every calf-raise variation.

Push the body forward

Push-off

Near the end of a step, the calf raises the rear heel and transfers force through the forefoot to move the body ahead.

Often works with

Sources & illustrations

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.