Calves
5 exercises that train the calves directly, compound lifts first. Pick one or two that suit your gym and train them hard and consistently. Steady progress on a few lifts beats rotating through all of them.
Surpass gives every set a target based on last time, so you know when to add weight.
A standing calf raise with a barbell across your upper back and the balls of the feet on a block. It lets you load the calves heavily without a dedicated calf machine. Good for lifters in gyms without a calf machine, as long as they can stay balanced.
A calf raise using only bodyweight, ideally on a step so the heels can drop below the toes. It is a good entry point for beginners, a warm-up for lower-body days, and a base for single-leg work. Anyone can do it anywhere.
A standing calf raise holding a dumbbell, most often done one leg at a time on a step. It is simple to set up and lets each calf work on its own. Good for home gyms, beginners, and anyone with one calf weaker than the other.
The seated calf raise is a machine exercise where you raise your heels with weight on your bent knees. The bent knee puts more emphasis on the soleus, the deeper calf muscle, making it a good complement to standing raises.
The standing calf raise is done on a machine with shoulder pads, raising your heels from a deep stretch. It trains the calves with straight knees, which favors the larger gastrocnemius, and suits anyone wanting bigger, stronger calves.
Direct weekly sets for the calves in each free program. Secondary work is not counted.