Fast Calf Raises

How to do it

Stand perfectly tall with feet shoulder-width. Explosively drive up onto the balls of the feet, lifting the heels as high as mechanically possible, then rapidly drop back down, stopping just millimeters before the heels touch the floor.

The coaching cue

"Spike the heels up, control the crash down." Do not just bounce mindlessly; force full plantar flexion at the top of every single rep.

What changes inside an AMRAP

As the calves fill with lactic acid, your body will naturally try to shorten the range of motion. Fight for maximum height on the 20th rep just like you did on the 1st rep.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the lift short, so the heels never reach full height.
• Letting the heels bang down instead of stopping just above the floor.
• Bending the knees to bounce, which takes the calves out of it.

Workouts that use fast calf raises

• The Hemodynamic

  10 minute AMRAP — 15 Fast Air Squats, 10 Down-Ups, 20 Fast Calf Raises

• The Springboard

  5 minute AMRAP — 20 Pogo Jumps, 20 Fast Calf Raises

• The Spire

  15 minute AMRAP — 10 Diamond Push-ups, 20 Fast Calf Raises, 20 Bicycle Crunches

• The Centurion

  20 minute AMRAP — 10 Diamond Push-ups, 15 V-Ups, 20 Fast Calf Raises, 40 High Knees

• Shockwave

  20 minute AMRAP — 15 Down-Ups, 10 Diamond Push-ups, 15 Fast Calf Raises, 15 Butterfly Sit-ups

• The Shield

  20 minute AMRAP — 20s Hollow Hold, 10 Diamond Push-ups, 20 Fast Calf Raises, 15 Combat Sprawls

• The Iron Yoke

  20 minute AMRAP — 20s Hollow Hold, 12 Back Widow, 15 Combat Sprawls, 20 Fast Calf Raises

Run one with your friends

Every workout above runs on a shared countdown — one clock for the whole crew, one leaderboard, wherever everyone is training.