Primary Muscle: Calves
Equipment: Machine
Level: Intermediate
Purpose: To target the gastrocnemius and soleus of the calve muscle.
Execution: Stand shoulder width on the edge of a platform, supporting your weight on your toes. With the smith bar on your shoulders, lift the bar off its hinges. Keeping your knees straight but not locked, lower your heels as far as possible towards the floor allowing the calves to fully stretch. From the bottom of the movement, come up onto your toes as far as you can squeezing the calves. Exhale your breath on the way up. Note: When you are too tired to complete the full repetition, finish off the set with a series of partial repetitions to increase the intensity of the exercise. Also, you can turn your toes out if you want to work the inside of your calves, and your toes in if you want to work the outside of your calves.