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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

Leg Press Calf Raise vs Smith Machine Calf Raise

For calf growth, the two are close. Leg press calf raise rates slightly higher: more stretch.

Smith machine 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.

S
#1
of 9
Leg Press Calf Raise
Machine
S
#3
of 9
Smith Machine Calf Raise
Machine
Research score
95
94
Target tension
Excellent
Excellent
Loaded stretch
Excellent
Strong
Progression
Excellent
Excellent
Low cost
Strong
Excellent
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 leg press calf raise

  • You want more load on the calves while they’re stretched

Good reasons to choose Smith machine calf raise

  • You want something easier on your joints
Leg Press Calf Raise
Smith Machine Calf Raise
You need
Machine
Smith machine, weight plate
Skill
Easy to learn
Easy to learn
Type
Isolation
Isolation
Why they rank where they do

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

Smith Machine Calf Raise. Straight knees keep the gastrocnemius working, and the rails make heavy, deep raises safe and easy to load.

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, leg press calf raise or Smith machine calf raise?

For calf growth, the two are close. Leg press calf raise rates slightly higher: more stretch. Smith machine 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 leg press calf raise or Smith machine calf raise easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do leg press calf raise or Smith machine calf raise at home?

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

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

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

More comparisons

  • Leg Press Calf Raise vs Standing Calf Raise
  • Donkey Calf Raise vs Leg Press Calf Raise
  • Smith Machine Calf Raise vs Standing Calf Raise
  • Donkey Calf Raise vs Smith Machine Calf Raise
Leg Press Calf RaiseSmith Machine Calf RaiseAll calves exercises