For calf growth
For calf growth, leg press calf raise and standing calf raise score the same on every criterion, so use whichever is free, or both.
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.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Leg Press Calf Raise. Same stretch advantage, and the setup used in that study.
Standing Calf Raise. Straight knees keep the gastrocnemius stretched: standing raises grew it 9–12% where seated raises barely did, and bottom-range reps grew it twice as much as full reps.
For calf growth, leg press calf raise and standing calf raise score the same on every criterion, so use whichever is free, or both. 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.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Leg press calf raise needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Standing calf raise needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.