Best Calf Exercises to Bulk Up Skinny Legs

1. Jumping Jack

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides.
2. Jump and spread your legs outside shoulder width as you clap your hands overhead.
3. Jump and return your hands and feet to the starting position.

2. Seal Jump

How to Do It:

1. Perform jumping jacks but extend your arms out to your sides as you jump your feet out.
2. When you jump back, clap your hands together in front of your body.

3. Seated Calf Raise (Toes Out)

How to Do It:

1. Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance).
2. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes turned out about 15 degrees.
3. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
4. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible.

4. Seated Calf Raise (Toes Neutral)

How to Do It:

1. Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance).
2. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes pointing straight ahead.
3. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
4. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible. 

5. Seated Calf Raise (Toes In)

How to Do It:

1. Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance).
2. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees and your toes turned inward 15 degrees.
3. Allow your heels to drift toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
4. Now drive the balls of your feet into the platform and raise your heels as high as possible. 

6. Ankle Mobilization

How to Do It:

1. Place your toes on a mat or block so they’re elevated above your heels.
2. Bend one knee, pushing it forward so you feel a stretch in your calf.
3. Draw your leg back.
4. Repeat this motion for the desired number of reps, and then switch legs.

7. Single-Leg Calf Raise

How to Do It:

1. Stand on a block or step with one leg. Keep your weight resting on the ball of your foot.
2. Wrap your free foot around the back of the working leg.
3. Allow your body to sink toward the floor and stretch your calf.
4. Hold for one second and then drive the ball of your foot into the surface as you raise your heel up.
5. Hold the top position for two seconds.

8. Hole Calf Raise

How to Do It:

1. Stand on a block or step with feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned out. Lower yourself into the bottom position of a squat (called “the hole”).
2. Perform a calf raise, coming up as high as you can on the balls of your feet without extending your hips or legs.

9. Tiptoe Walk

How to Do It:

1. Stand on your tiptoes and walk.
2. Don’t let your heels touch the floor at any time.
3. If you can, do this calf exercise barefoot for greater muscle activation.

10. Jumping Calf Raise

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with feet flat on the floor.
2. Jump, but use only your calves to propel you upward.
3. Land softly, absorbing the force by dropping into a half squat.
4. Try to land quietly.

11. Standing Calf Raise

How to Do It:

1. Use a standing calf raise machine or stand on a block or step with a dumbbell in one hand. With your free hand, hold onto something sturdy for support.
2. Lower your heels toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
3. Drive the balls of your feet into the footplate and contract your calves, raising your heels as high as possible. Control the descent on each rep.

12. Seated Calf Raise Machine

How to Do It:

1. Use a seated calf raise machine or sit on a bench and rest the balls of your feet on a block or step (and hold dumbbells on your thighs for resistance).
2. Perform a calf raise as described above, but with hips and knees bent 90 degrees.

13. Lateral Lunge to Curtsy Lunge

How to Do It:

1. Stand holding a plate or dumbbell, or perform this exercise without weight.
2. Step your right foot out to the side while hinge your hips back, and come into a lateral lunge.
3. Push off this foot and rise to a standing position. Then immediately bring your right leg into a curtsy lunge behind your body.
4. Alternate legs and repeat.

14. Agility Ladder

How to Do It:

1. Place an agility ladder flat on the floor and stand at one end of it.
2. If you don’t have an agility ladder, creating lines with tape or chalk on the floor is a great alternative.
3. Run (or hop) from one end of the agility ladder to the other, placing your feet within the boxes created by the ladder lines.
4. That’s one rep.

15. Bosu Ball Squat

How to Do It:

1. Place a Bosu ball dome-side down.
2. Carefully stand on the ball and get your balance.
3. Slowly lower into a squat under control.
4. Slowly raise yourself up. That’s one rep.

16. Sprinting

How to Do It:

1. Find a track (or measure out distances with cones in an open area), then do 55-, 100-, or 200-meter sprint repeats.
2. You can also work on a straight, flat stretch of road and estimate the distances above by time if you know your splits.
3. Focus on hitting top speed and propelling yourself by staying on your toes.
4. Sprinting—like any high-intensity activity—requires a lot of fast-twitch muscle fibers; it boosts protein synthesis, and increase the production of human growth hormone (HGH) in your body, which builds muscle.

17. Farmer’s Walk

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with a weight in each hand.
2. Maintain a tall chest, retract the shoulder blades, and keep the weights from resting on your thighs.
3. Walk forward. Instead of using choppy heel-to-toe steps, walk on your toes to engage your calves more.
4. Ensure your head is facing forward and your posture is rigid.

18. StairMaster

While plugging away on the StairMaster might not seem like the most entertaining workout, it’s a great way to develop more muscular calves, as it works the entire back of your legs.