Donkey Calf Raise Exercise: How to Master Donkey Calf Raises

The donkey calf raise is a bodyweight exercise designed to target your lower leg muscles. Perform donkey calf raises by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge your hips and bend your upper body forward. Push into the fronts of your feet, activating your calf muscles as you stand on your tiptoes. Return to a regular stance and repeat the movement pattern.

Consider some of the benefits of regularly performing donkey calf raises.

1. 1. Donkey calf raises can help you build bigger calves. Donkey calf raises target the main muscles on the backs of your lower legs—specifically the gastrocnemius muscle that runs down your leg and the soleus muscle near your Achilles tendon.
2. 2. Donkey calf raises activate your hamstrings more than standing calf raises. By hinging your hips forward, you put the back of your legs in a stretched position, allowing for additional hamstring activation.
3. 3. Donkey calf raises can promote ankle stability and mobility. With practice, donkey calf raises can help you build strong calf muscles, which protect your ankles.
4. 4. Donkey calf raises can increase explosive power. By strengthening the muscles responsible for knee flexion and plantar flexion in your feet, donkey calf raises can improve your performance during exercises that require explosive movements like sprinting and jumping.
5. 5. Donkey calf raises are versatile. Donkey calf raises are an easy option to include in your home workout. If you’re looking for a more challenging variation, consider wearing a weight belt or using a donkey calf raise machine.

For donkey calf raises, begin with 2–3 sets of 10–20 repetitions. Choose your sets and reps based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Stand in front of a sturdy object such as a bench and adjust it to waist height.
2. 2. While holding on to the bench, take a couple of steps backward and place your feet on an aerobic step or two larger weight plates. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats.
3. 3. Hinge your hips backward until your back is parallel with the floor. Pre-tension your shoulders and engage your core. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. The balls of your feet should be on the aerobic steps with your heels toward the ground, stretching your calf muscles. All repetitions should begin from this position.
4. 4. While maintaining your alignment, push the balls of your feet into the aerobic steps and squeeze your calves to initiate the upward movement. Squeeze your calves at the top position and pause.
5. 5. Slowly lower back to the starting position. Allow your heels to travel toward the floor, stretching your calf muscles. Come to a complete stop at the bottom before beginning the next repetition.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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