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Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine

beginner · isolation

Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine

Setup

Sit into the leg press machine with your back and hips against the pad and place both feet on the lower part of the platform, shoulder-width apart, with only the balls of your feet on the plate and your heels hanging off. Wear shoes with good grip and pick a load you can control through the full range without your feet shifting, because if your feet slip off the edge the sled comes back toward you.

Execution

  1. Extend your knees to press the platform out, then release the machine's safety catches.
  2. Keep your knees straight but not hard-locked and hold that angle for the whole set; the motion happens only at the ankle.
  3. Inhale and lower your heels as far down as you can, feeling a stretch in the calves.
  4. Exhale and press through the balls of the feet to rise up onto your toes as high as possible.
  5. Hold for a beat at the top, then lower under control for the next rep.
  6. When the set is done, move your whole feet onto the middle of the platform, keep your knees extended while you swing the safety catches back in, then bend your knees to rest the sled on them.

Breathing

Inhale as you lower the heels, exhale as you rise up. Don't hold your breath to push a heavier load; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a hernia or you are pregnant, never hold it, and lighten the load instead.

Quick cues

  • Knees straight, not hard-locked.
  • Lower the heels all the way each rep.
  • Rise as high as you can.
  • Motion happens only at the ankle.

Common faults

  • Fault: Bending the knees with each rep instead of keeping them fixed

    Fix: Straighten the knees before you start, hold that angle without hard-locking them, and let only the ankle move.

  • Fault: Cutting the descent short instead of reaching a full stretch

    Fix: Lower the heels as far as possible before rising again.

  • Fault: Forgetting to release or reset the safety catches

    Fix: Check the safety catches before and after every set, following the machine's instructions.

  • Fault: Rising too fast and jerking at the top

    Fix: Rise under control and hold a beat at the top before lowering.

  • Fault: Feet creeping toward the edge of the platform during the set

    Fix: Stop right away, move your whole feet to the middle of the platform, swing the safety catches back in, then reset your feet.

Equipment

machine

Muscle groups

calves