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Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Calves/Compare

For calf growth

Dumbbell Calf Raise vs Leg Press Calf Raise

For calf growth, leg press calf raise rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the calves.

Dumbbell calf raise is easier on the joints.

Both are good choices that train the calves the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

A
#7
of 9
Dumbbell Calf Raise
Dumbbell
S
#1
of 9
Leg Press Calf Raise
Machine
Research score
75
95
Target tension
Strong
Excellent
Loaded stretch
Strong
Excellent
Progression
Good
Excellent
Low cost
Excellent
Strong
See the full calves ranking
What these mean
Target tension.
Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.
How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.
How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.
How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose dumbbell calf raise

  • You train at home
  • You want something easier on your joints

Good reasons to choose leg press calf raise

  • You want to keep adding weight in small steps
  • You want the calves to do the work, not other muscles
  • You want more load on the calves while they’re stretched
Dumbbell Calf Raise
Leg Press Calf Raise
You need
Dumbbells, weight plate
Machine
Skill
Easy to learn
Easy to learn
Type
Isolation
Isolation
Why they rank where they do

Dumbbell Calf Raise. Works the calves well on a step, but holding the dumbbells limits how heavy you can go.

Leg Press Calf Raise. Same stretch advantage, and the setup used in that study.

From the research

  • Kassiano et al., 2023: Calf raises in the stretched (bottom) range grew the medial gastrocnemius more than full or top-range reps (+15.2% vs +6.7% and +3.4%). (42 young women; 8 weeks.)Cited for leg press calf raise in calves

Questions

Which is better for calf growth, dumbbell calf raise or leg press calf raise?

For calf growth, leg press calf raise rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the calves. Dumbbell calf raise is easier on the joints. Both are good choices that train the calves the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Is dumbbell calf raise or leg press calf raise easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do dumbbell calf raise or leg press calf raise at home?

Dumbbell calf raise needs dumbbells and a weight plate, so a home gym covers it. Leg press calf raise needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, dumbbell calf raise or leg press calf raise?

Dumbbell calf raise: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for leg press calf raise.

More comparisons

  • Dumbbell Calf Raise vs Seated Calf Raise
  • Dumbbell Calf Raise vs Single-Leg Calf Raise
  • Donkey Calf Raise vs Dumbbell Calf Raise
  • Leg Press Calf Raise vs Standing Calf Raise
  • Leg Press Calf Raise vs Smith Machine Calf Raise
  • Donkey Calf Raise vs Leg Press Calf Raise
Dumbbell Calf RaiseLeg Press Calf RaiseAll calves exercises