Forefoot Leg Press Calf Raise
In SetGrip: Leg Press Calf Raise (Forefoot)
- Primary muscleCalves
- EquipmentSled Machine
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Knee-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings, Quads
- Body part
- Lower Legs
- Position
- Seated
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Sliding your feet down the sled so only the forefoot stays on the plate converts the leg press into a calf movement, with the knees nearly straight and all motion coming from the ankles. The sled loads calves far heavier than standing raises without putting a bar on your spine; a full stretch at the bottom matters more than the stack.
How to do the Forefoot Leg Press Calf Raise
- Adjust the seat of the leg press machine so that your knees are slightly bent when your feet are on the sled.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the sled, with your toes pointing forward.
- Release the safety handles and push the sled away from you by extending your knees and ankles.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the sled back down by bending your knees and ankles.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Push through the whole foot and keep your knees tracking in line with your toes rather than caving inward.
Muscles worked
Primary
Calves · Legs
On a leg press calf raise, the calves push the platform away with the ball of the foot; go for a full stretch at the bottom and a slow lowering.
Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Quads — The quads extend the knee and do most of the work, and they should feel it hardest in the bottom half of each rep.
Common mistakes
- Lower back peeling off — if your hips lift at the bottom, the range is too deep for your hip mobility; stop just before the pelvis tucks.
- Slamming into lockout — slamming to full extension under a heavy sled loads the joint, not the muscle; stop just short of lockout and keep tension.
- Feet too low — a low foot position pushes the knees far forward and shifts everything onto the quads and knees; move the feet up to bring in the glutes.
- Half reps, too much weight — the leg press invites ego loading, so pick a weight you can take to at least 90 degrees of knee bend with control.
Where it fits in a workout
Use the leg press after squats as a way to get more quad volume without the bracing demand, or as the main lower body lift on a lighter day. Follow each set with calf raises on the same sled to save time.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without sled machine
Easier and harder
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.