BIP.

Exercise library · Quads

Squat to calf raise

Squat pattern for the quads with your bodyweight.

How to do it

1 of 4

Whole feet on the floor

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width with your whole feet on the floor, toes slightly turned out and hands in front of your body.

  2. The movement

    Lower into a squat, stand all the way up and raise your heels high, then lower your heels smoothly to the floor.

Most common mistake

Don't rise onto your toes before your legs are straight, finish the squat first and then perform the calf raise.

Watch the video larger →

Muscle group
Quads
Equipment
Bodyweight
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The exercise combines two movements in one rep. The squat trains your quads, glutes and inner thighs, and the calf raise adds your calves. Because your knees are straight when you rise onto your toes, the large calf muscle nearest the surface does most of the work. Your trunk and the small muscles around your ankles keep you balanced on your toes. With body weight alone it rarely gets heavy for your thighs, so the point is to get plenty of work for your whole lower body in a single set, for example in a home workout.

Common mistakes

  • Your ankles roll out on your toes. Many people roll onto the outer edges of their feet as the heels lift. Keep the pressure over your big toe and the toe next to it, so your ankles stay straight.
  • The squat gets shallow. With your attention on the calf raise, your legs only make it halfway down. Squat to the same depth every rep and treat the calf raise as an add-on.
  • You wobble at the top. Rising onto your toes straight after a squat takes balance. Pause for a second at the top and keep a finger on a wall or chair back until your balance settles.

Variations and alternatives

  • The bodyweight squat without the calf raise, when you want all your focus on depth and technique.
  • The bodyweight calf raise when you want to give your calves sets of their own.
  • The jump squat makes the same mix of thighs and calves explosive, with a jump in place of the calf raise.

Sets and reps

Two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps suit most people, and a set like that is felt in both thighs and calves. It works well in a circuit, and with fewer reps as part of your warm-up. If you want to tailor the plan to a particular goal, start with the guide to sets and reps.

Once 20 reps feels easy, hold the top for two seconds, lower more slowly into the squat or hold a rucksack against your chest. Logging reps and the version you did each session makes progressive overload simple, because you can see straight away what to beat.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

Want it in a programme?

Tell BIP your goal and your equipment, and BIP builds a week with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and watch yourself get stronger. The first week is free.

Create a programme →