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 pogo hops

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose Smith machine calf raise

You want the calves to do the work, not other muscles
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the calves while they’re stretched

Pogo Hops

Smith Machine Calf Raise

You need

Nothing but the floor

Smith machine, weight plate

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

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

Questions

Which is better for calf growth, pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise?

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

Is pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise at home?

Pogo hops need no equipment, so you can do them anywhere. 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, pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise?

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

More comparisons

Pogo Hops Smith Machine Calf Raise All calves exercises

Pogo Hops vs Smith Machine Calf Raise

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

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 pogo hops

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose Smith machine calf raise

You want the calves to do the work, not other muscles
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the calves while they’re stretched

Pogo Hops

Smith Machine Calf Raise

You need

Nothing but the floor

Smith machine, weight plate

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

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

Questions

Which is better for calf growth, pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise?

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

Is pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise at home?

Pogo hops need no equipment, so you can do them anywhere. 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, pogo hops or Smith machine calf raise?

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