Legs · Calf raise
Cable Calf Raise
The Cable Calf Raise mainly trains your calves.
Both cables
Stable
How to do it
- Balls of your feet on a raised surface, heels free
- Rise as high as you can onto your toes
- Hold for one second at the top
- Drop your heels low and stretch
Coach’s tip
With the dip belt instead of handles you can use far more weight without your grip giving out.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the bottom
Grip
Single handles beside your hips
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (calf raise). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Cable Calf Raise work?
Mainly the calves.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Cable Calf Raise?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Single handles beside your hips.
Can I do the Cable Calf Raise on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Cable Calf Raise needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Single-Leg Calf Raise and Supported Calf Raise instead.
What can I do instead of the Cable Calf Raise?
For the same movement: Belt Calf Raise, Single-Leg Calf Raise and Supported Calf Raise. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Cable Calf Raise in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.