·

Standing vs Seated Calf Raises for Muscle Growth: What the Research Shows

Written by:

Atlas Team

Standing vs Seated Calf Raises for Muscle Growth: What the Research Shows

If you've ever wondered whether it matters which calf raise variation you choose in the gym, you're not alone. The calves are one of the most commonly trained — and commonly neglected — muscle groups in resistance training. A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Physiology took a closer look at this exact question, comparing standing and seated calf raises to see which produced greater muscle growth. The findings offer useful insight for anyone looking to get more out of their lower leg training, whether they're a beginner or an experienced lifter.

What This Study Examined

The central question of this research was straightforward: does the position you train your calves in — standing versus seated — make a meaningful difference in muscle hypertrophy?

The triceps surae is the collective term for the muscle group that makes up the bulk of the calf. It includes the gastrocnemius, which crosses both the knee and the ankle, and the soleus, which only crosses the ankle. Because of this anatomical difference, the two muscles respond differently depending on knee position during training. When the knee is bent, as in a seated calf raise, the gastrocnemius is placed in a shortened position and contributes less to the movement. When the knee is extended, as in a standing calf raise, the gastrocnemius is more fully engaged.

Researchers wanted to understand whether these mechanical differences translated into measurable differences in muscle size after a period of structured training.

How the Study Was Conducted

Participants performed either standing or seated calf raise training over a set training period. Researchers measured changes in the triceps surae muscles — including the gastrocnemius and soleus — to assess hypertrophy outcomes between the two groups.

Muscle size was assessed before and after the training period using imaging methods to quantify changes in muscle thickness or cross-sectional area, which are standard approaches in hypertrophy research. The study was designed to isolate the effect of knee position during the calf raise as the key variable, allowing for a direct comparison between the two training conditions.

Without the full paper's detailed breakdown of participant numbers, exact training volume, and session frequency, it's worth noting that the study followed a controlled design intended to produce meaningful comparisons between the standing and seated conditions.

Key Findings

The primary finding of this study was clear:

  • Standing calf raises produced greater triceps surae hypertrophy than seated calf raises in the study sample.

  • The results suggest that training the calves with the knee extended — as in the standing position — may be more effective for overall calf muscle growth compared to the seated variation.

  • This outcome is consistent with the biomechanical reasoning that the gastrocnemius, a significant portion of the triceps surae, is more actively recruited and stretched during standing calf raises due to its role as a knee flexor as well as a plantarflexor.

In short, the study found that the standing variation appears to offer a meaningful advantage for muscle development in the calf complex when compared to the seated variation.

What This Means for Training

Taken together, these findings suggest that if maximizing triceps surae hypertrophy is a goal, standing calf raises may deserve priority in a resistance training program over seated calf raises.

This doesn't mean seated calf raises have no value. The seated variation places greater emphasis on the soleus by reducing the gastrocnemius's contribution, which could still be useful in specific contexts — for example, when targeting the deeper calf muscle or working around certain injury limitations. However, for overall calf size, the research suggests the standing variation may be the more effective choice.

From a practical standpoint, this also reinforces a broader training principle: the position and range of motion in which you perform an exercise can significantly affect which muscles are recruited and to what degree. Small changes in exercise selection aren't just a matter of preference — they can produce meaningfully different outcomes over time.

For those working with a personal trainer in Reno, findings like these are the kind of detail a knowledgeable coach can help you apply to your specific program, ensuring your training is built around exercises that align with your actual goals.

Limitations of the Study

As with any individual study, it's important to interpret these findings with appropriate context:

  • Sample size and population: Depending on the number of participants and their training backgrounds, results may not generalize to all individuals. Trained athletes, older adults, and beginners may respond differently to each variation.

  • Study duration: Short-term hypertrophy studies capture early adaptations but may not fully reflect long-term outcomes from each training method.

  • Training volume and frequency: If the two groups differed in total training volume or session structure, this could influence the results independent of the standing versus seated variable.

  • Individual anatomy: People vary in gastrocnemius and soleus size, muscle fiber composition, and biomechanics, which can affect how they respond to different calf training approaches.

These limitations don't invalidate the findings, but they do suggest that further research across broader populations would strengthen the conclusions.

Conclusion

This study adds a useful piece of evidence to the ongoing conversation about exercise selection and muscle development. The research found that standing calf raises produced greater triceps surae hypertrophy compared to seated calf raises, pointing to the importance of knee position when training the calves.

For most people whose goal is building calf size, the results suggest that standing calf raises should form the foundation of lower leg training. Seated raises may still have a supporting role — particularly for soleus development — but they appear less effective as a standalone approach for overall calf hypertrophy.

Research like this helps inform how coaches structure resistance training programs and make evidence-based decisions about exercise selection. If you're looking to build a program that reflects what the science actually supports, working with a vetted personal trainer can help ensure your training is purposeful, efficient, and tailored to your goals.

Related Articles

Source

Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing compared with seated calf raise training. Frontiers in Physiology. 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1272106/full