Seated calf raises at home?

[user23960508710788]

Anyone come up with any genius new ways to do seated CR's at home?
The old barbell on the lap thing is no good, it's too hard to balance a 300lb barbell on your thighs, doesn't hit my calves at all since the entire time is spent trying to control the barbell from moving around.
Same problem with a dumbell, I need at least 100lbs for a single leg, which is really hard/painful to balance while focusing on what your doing.
Standing calf raises do nothing for me, so I need a way to do them seated.

[DJAuto]

Anyone come up with any genius new ways to do seated CR's at home?
The old barbell on the lap thing is no good, it's too hard to balance a 300lb barbell on your thighs, doesn't hit my calves at all since the entire time is spent trying to control the barbell from moving around.
Same problem with a dumbell, I need at least 100lbs for a single leg, which is really hard/painful to balance while focusing on what your doing.
Standing calf raises do nothing for me, so I need a way to do them seated.

Have someone sit on your lap?

[RIKTER]

Buy a seated calf machine. The one at fitnessdestination.com looks pretty good especially for under $200. Im thinking about getting one for the very reasons you mentioned. the DF805 model looks good.

[DJAuto]

Free shipping: http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/91460.html

[user23960508710788]

I don't have any more room for equipment though

[RIKTER]

Try doing one legged standing calf raises wearing a dipping belt and/or holding a DB in one hand.

[user23960508710788]

Yea I do those most of the time, I hold a 60lb dumbell in one hand, load 45lbs on a dip belt, and another 45 on a backpack... lol i look ridiculous, but I don't see much growth from standing calf raises.

[hecklerhk91]

I tried several things, but the only I noticed that would work for me is using the smith maching. It's the only way I could get the weight up high enough to make a diff. I stack 320lbs w/ the bar, I think my calves could take more, but I have a hard time hodling that much weight on my sholders, so my calves can take more than my body. I tried holding a 45 in each hand while doing them on a step, but one, not enough weight and two, it was a little difficult trying to balance on the edge of the step w/out a free hand. Like you, I couldn't stack enough weight sitting, so, the only way I found is standing w/ the smith machine.

[papi93]

Donkey calf raises with a dip belt:
http://forum1.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1008168

...or with a workout partner:
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gast...CalfRaise.html

It will be an exercise for the gastroc. so it wouldn't be a replacement for the seated calf raise (soleus).

[tomdana]

I do them on my smith machine. One of the most useful ways to use the Smith portion of my equipment. It works well. When I was a teenager I used to do seated calf raises using my leg developer. A few scary time shifting the weight to my knees. I used to get my knees under the pads and then load the weights and then unload a portion between sets. I had a leg developer that I could turn over so the post for weights was perpendicular to the ground.

If you cannot figure out another way, and cannot add equipment, just do a lighter weight with slow form and perfect, full ROM. Consider a spotter to help stabilize the weight.

Good luck.

[Tyciol]

http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gast...CalfRaise.html

Sweet I didn't know exrx had porn. Called 'donkey' no less, kinky.

[DanielX]

Yea I do those most of the time, I hold a 60lb dumbell in one hand, load 45lbs on a dip belt, and another 45 on a backpack... lol i look ridiculous, but I don't see much growth from standing calf raises.

lolol....now that's hard core dedication!

[superfunk]

Anyone come up with any genius new ways to do seated CR's at home?

Do seated calf raises without the seat. So you get in the bottom position of a squat, hold onto something sturdy with your hands for balance, and do calf raises one leg at a time. Keep your thighs parallel to the ground throughout the exercise. Use a backpack for adding weight.

[feltmann]

A friend of mine says he's getting an attachment so you can do them using just your normal flat bar, one end on the floor kinda like t-bar rows. He reckons there just a small hinge you screw either to the floor or to the skirting board. You just gotta use your own chair, but the height of the knee pads is adjustable. I'll find out more about this, might get one myself if its any good.

[_XYDREX_]

post some pics i cant imagine what this looks like ...

[|ceman]

I too work out at home and have limited space and limited equipment. I used to go the "barbell across the knees" route, but found it difficult to control it and despite a towel and bar wrap, it was still painful.

What I do now is sit on the bench and then stack 45lb plates on top of each other on my legs. I use a dumbbell handle (or other similarly shaped device) that will fit in the 2" center hole to stabilize the stack and then get to work.

It's cumbersome, and you can't really deload the weight between sets, but it does allow you to put some heavy weights on you calves without much equipment (just a bench and some plates).

HTH

[Sunshineslynn]

I would suggest just like some others donkey calf raises......just have someone with some good weight on them or if you have a rack wrap a towel around the bar then position the safety bars where they are inline with your top of your hips lay the bar on there, load up the weight then bend over just like donkey raises just without a person on your back you can also place a 2x4 underneath your toes for a stretch..

[_XYDREX_]

also with squats if you have a high block under your heels it will force calves to work harder. for smith or hack squats do the opposite & put the blocks under the top of the feet so the heel never touches the ground.

[QoorbaL]

why would you buy a seated calf machine when it only works the soleus of the calve?Id say just do jumping jacks...or jump up and down as fast as you can,first off one leg then the other...finish with 200 off both legs...burns calves like a muh****a