Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Hammer Grip exercise animation (Männlich)

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Hammer Grip

Zielmuskel
Gastrocnemius
Synergistenmuskeln
Soleus
Equipment
Dumbbell
Körperregion
Calves
Typ
Strength

The dumbbell seated one leg calf raise with a hammer grip is a unilateral lower-leg exercise that targets the gastrocnemius while strongly loading the soleus, which works hard in any bent-knee (seated) calf raise. Holding one dumbbell with a neutral hammer grip on the thigh of the working leg, you train one calf at a time to even out side-to-side strength and build ankle drive.

Dumbbell Seated One Leg Calf Raise - Hammer Grip: So führst du sie aus

  1. 1Sit upright on a bench with your back straight and place the ball of one foot on the edge of a step, weight plate, or block so your heel can drop below the platform.
  2. 2Hold a single dumbbell vertically with a hammer (neutral) grip and rest its bottom end on top of the thigh of the working leg, just above the knee.
  3. 3Keep your knee bent at roughly 90 degrees and steady the dumbbell with your hand so the load presses down through that thigh.
  4. 4Let your heel sink slowly toward the floor until you feel a deep stretch through the calf and Achilles.
  5. 5Drive through the ball of your foot and raise your heel as high as possible, squeezing the calf hard at the top.
  6. 6Pause briefly at peak contraction, then lower under control back into the full stretch.
  7. 7Complete all your reps on one leg, then switch the dumbbell and foot position to train the other side.
  8. 8Finish by setting the dumbbell down safely and stepping off the platform.

Technik-Tipps

  • Move through the fullest range you can on each rep — a deep heel drop into a high heel raise builds the calf far better than short bounces.
  • Keep the working knee bent near 90 degrees to bias the soleus, which is the calf muscle most responsible for force when the knee is flexed.
  • Use a slow, controlled tempo and pause for a count at the top to maximize tension rather than relying on momentum.
  • Position the dumbbell securely on the thigh and keep a hand on it throughout so it cannot roll or slip during the set.
  • Match the rep count and effort on both legs so the unilateral work corrects any strength imbalance instead of widening it.

Häufige Fehler

  • Bouncing quickly out of the bottom, which uses tendon rebound instead of muscle and cuts the stretch that drives growth.
  • Cutting the range short by not letting the heel drop fully, which trains only the top portion of the calf.
  • Letting the dumbbell drift or balance loosely on the thigh, risking it sliding off and onto your foot.
  • Rushing the reps with momentum so the calf never reaches a hard peak contraction, reducing the training stimulus.
  • Doing more reps or weight on your stronger leg, which reinforces the imbalance this single-leg version is meant to fix.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What muscles does the dumbbell seated one leg calf raise work?

It targets the gastrocnemius and heavily recruits the soleus. Because the knee is bent in the seated position, the soleus does a large share of the work even though the gastrocnemius is the listed target muscle.

Why do seated calf raises hit the soleus so much?

Bending the knee shortens and slackens the gastrocnemius, so it can contribute less force. The soleus, which sits underneath and isn't affected by knee angle, takes over as the main driver of the heel raise.

Why use one leg at a time?

Training one calf at a time exposes and corrects left-to-right strength differences, lets you focus fully on each side, and provides enough load from a single dumbbell to challenge the smaller calf muscles.

How many sets and reps should I do?

Calves respond well to higher reps, so aim for around 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps per leg, using a controlled tempo and a full stretch on each rep.

Do I need a raised surface for this exercise?

Yes — placing the ball of your foot on a step, block, or plate lets your heel drop below the platform for a full stretch. Flat on the floor you lose the lower half of the range and most of the benefit.

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