Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Also known as: seated smith one leg calf raise, smith machine seated one leg calf raise, seated smith machine one leg calf raise

Intermediate

Calves

Smith Machine

What Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise really gives you is strength you can feel outside the gym, driven by a guided vertical bar path.

How to do Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet on the footrest.
Place one leg on the footrest and keep the other leg off the footrest.
Using your calf muscles, raise your heel as high as possible.
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your heel back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs and repeat.

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Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. The fixed path lets you push closer to failure safely.

Hypertrophy

4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Add load in small steps since the bar is stable.

Endurance

3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Set the safety catches so you can train hard alone.

Common Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise Mistakes

Standing in a spot that fights the fixed bar path

Set your feet so the bar tracks straight over the joint you are loading.

Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains

Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.

Easier and Harder Than Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise

Easier progression

Cable Standing Calf Raise

Harder progression

Exercise Ball On The Wall Calf Raise (tennis Ball Between Knees)

Swap Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise For

Box Jump Down With One Leg Stabilization

Cable Standing One Leg Calf Raise

Lever Seated Calf Press

Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise?

Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet on the footrest. Place one leg on the footrest and keep the other leg off the footrest. Using your calf muscles, raise your heel as high as possible. Use a Smith machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise work?

The Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise primarily targets the calves. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a Smith machine.

How many sets and reps of the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise should I do?

For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Add load in small steps since the bar is stable. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise good for beginners?

It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic legs patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.

What can I do instead of the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise?

Try the Box Jump Down With One Leg Stabilization, Cable Standing One Leg Calf Raise or the Lever Seated Calf Press. Each trains the calves with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.

Is the Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise the same as the seated smith one leg calf raise?

Yes. The Smith Seated One Leg Calf Raise is also commonly called the seated smith one leg calf raise or the smith machine seated one leg calf raise. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "seated smith one leg calf raise" and "smith machine seated one leg calf raise" refer to this same movement.