Can beginners do this exercise?

Yes, it's beginner-friendly and allows controlled resistance with the machine.

How many reps should I do?

Aim for 15 to 25 reps per set for endurance or 8 to 12 reps with heavier weight for muscle growth.

Is this better than standing calf raises?

Not for the calves themselves, since the knees stay straight in both and the calves work through the same ankle range. The difference is that this machine loads the hips instead of the shoulders, which suits lifters who find shoulder pads or spinal loading uncomfortable.

Does bending over at the hips stretch the calves more?

No. The gastrocnemius crosses the knee and ankle but not the hip, so hip angle does not lengthen it. In a study of nine adults, bending the hip to 90 degrees reduced how far the ankle could be passively flexed upward, yet gastrocnemius tension at any given ankle angle was unchanged, and the authors pointed to nerves and fascia as the likely limit.

Should my knees stay straight?

Yes, keep them straight but not forced back. Bending the knees slackens the gastrocnemius and shifts more of the work to the soleus, which is the job of the Machine Seated Calf Raise.

Machine Donkey Calf Raise

What Is the Machine Donkey Calf Raise?

Machine Donkey Calf Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the calves, working the gastrocnemius hardest with strong help from the soleus. It is a beginner-level movement performed bent forward at the hips on a dedicated machine, with a pad across the hips and lower back supplying the resistance while the knees stay straight and the ankles do all the moving.

Unlike traditional donkey calf raises, which require a partner seated over the hips or additional weight hung from the hips, the machine version offers a padded support system that allows for safer and more consistent resistance. This makes it an excellent option for those looking to isolate their calves without unnecessary strain on the lower back.

Because the knees stay straight, the gastrocnemius stays lengthened across the knee and does a large share of the work, just as it does in a Machine Standing Calf Raise. A 12-week study in untrained adults found that calf-raise training on a standing machine with the knees straight grew both gastrocnemius heads far more than seated training with the knees bent, while soleus growth was similar between the two. The bent-over hip position does not add to that, since the gastrocnemius does not cross the hip. For more soleus work, pair this exercise with a bent-knee option such as the Machine Seated Calf Raise. Turning the toes slightly out tends to bias the inner (medial) head and turning them slightly in the outer (lateral) head, though a straight-ahead foot suits most sets.

The main difference from shoulder-loaded calf machines is where the weight sits. The pad loads the hips rather than the shoulders, so the spine is not compressed from above, which suits lifters whose back or shoulders dislike a standing calf machine. It is usually done at the end of a lower-body session and suits anyone who wants bigger or stronger calves, from bodybuilders to runners building plantar flexor strength. Anyone who cannot yet control the bottom stretch under load should start with the Bodyweight Calf Raise.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): Primary
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): Primary
Soleus: High
Peroneus Longus: Medium

Instructions

Adjust the machine so the hip pad rests across your hips and lower back when you are bent forward.
Step onto the foot platform with the balls of your feet on its edge, feet about hip-width apart and toes pointing forward, heels free to drop below it.
Bend forward at the hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor, rest your forearms on the front pad and grip the handles.
Straighten your knees without forcing them back, and keep them straight for the whole set.
Lower your heels slowly below the platform until you feel a deep stretch in your calves, and pause for a moment.
Push through the balls of your feet and raise your heels as high as you can, keeping your hips and torso still.
Hold the top position briefly, then lower back down under control.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, then lower the weight fully before stepping off.

Common Mistakes

Bouncing at the bottom
Dropping into the stretch and rebounding lets the Achilles tendon's recoil do part of the lift and loads the tendon abruptly, so pause for a moment at the bottom before rising.
Cutting the range short
Quick, pulsing reps that stop well above the bottom or short of the top leave out much of the ankle's range, so lower until the heels drop below the platform and rise as high as the ankles allow.
Bending the knees
Letting the knees bend at the bottom and straightening them to drive up turns part of the rep into a leg push and slackens the gastrocnemius, so keep the knees straight throughout.
Using too much weight
A stack too heavy to control shortens the range and invites bouncing, so choose a load you can lower slowly and pause with.
Rolling onto the outer edges of the feet
Letting the ankles roll outward toward the little toes at the top shifts pressure off the big toe and away from a straight line through the ankle, so push through the balls of the feet evenly.

Injuries

Machine Donkey Calf Raise is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The machine supports the torso on the forearm pad and places the load on the hips rather than the shoulders, so the ankle is the only joint moving and the spine is not compressed from above.

The Achilles tendon and the calf muscles take the most stress, especially when a heavy stack is dropped quickly into the bottom stretch or when load and volume jump suddenly from one week to the next. Lower each rep under control, pause briefly at the bottom instead of bouncing, and add weight in small steps. If the lower back or the backs of the thighs feel strained, set the hip pad so it sits across the hips and lower back rather than the middle of the back, and keep the knees straight but not forced back.

To regress, use a lighter stack and a shorter range at the bottom, or switch to the Bodyweight Calf Raise on flat ground. To progress, add load gradually, slow the lowering phase or hold a longer pause in the stretch. Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the Achilles tendon or calf, a sudden pull or pop in the calf, or pain at the back of the heel that is still there the next morning.

Overview

Primary Focus: Calves
Equipment: Machine
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can beginners do this exercise?: Yes, it's beginner-friendly and allows controlled resistance with the machine.
Q: How many reps should I do?: Aim for 15 to 25 reps per set for endurance or 8 to 12 reps with heavier weight for muscle growth.
Q: Is this better than standing calf raises?: Not for the calves themselves, since the knees stay straight in both and the calves work through the same ankle range. The difference is that this machine loads the hips instead of the shoulders, which suits lifters who find shoulder pads or spinal loading uncomfortable.
Q: Does bending over at the hips stretch the calves more?: No. The gastrocnemius crosses the knee and ankle but not the hip, so hip angle does not lengthen it. In a study of nine adults, bending the hip to 90 degrees reduced how far the ankle could be passively flexed upward, yet gastrocnemius tension at any given ankle angle was unchanged, and the authors pointed to nerves and fascia as the likely limit.
Q: Should my knees stay straight?: Yes, keep them straight but not forced back. Bending the knees slackens the gastrocnemius and shifts more of the work to the soleus, which is the job of the Machine Seated Calf Raise.