← EXERCISE LIBRARYMobility
Calf and Soleus Stretch off a Step
Two-position heel drop off a step: knee straight for gastrocnemius, knee bent for soleus. Covers both calf muscles, which need different knee angles to load properly.
- 01Stand with the balls of both feet on the edge of a step and hold the rail or wall for support.
- 02Shift onto one foot and lower that heel below the level of the step with the knee straight.
- 03Hold for thirty seconds, keeping the weight through the middle of the forefoot.
- 04Bend the same knee about twenty degrees while keeping the heel low and hold another thirty seconds.
- 05Press back up to level, switch feet, and complete two rounds per side.
- 01Keep the foot pointing straight ahead, not turned out.
- 02Bend the knee to move the stretch lower into the calf.
- 03Lower slowly — do not drop onto the heel.
- 01Only doing the straight-knee version — the soleus, which sits under the gastrocnemius, gets missed entirely.
- 02Letting the foot roll inward — the arch collapses and the load moves off the calf.
- 03Bouncing at the bottom — the tissue tightens against the speed rather than lengthening.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.