Legs
Suitcase Squat to Calf Raise
A suitcase squat that finishes up on your toes. You squat with a dumbbell at each side for your legs and glutes, then add a calf raise at the top of every rep.
- Works
- Quads, glutes, calves, forearms
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Medium to heavy
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.
- 2Sit your hips back and down until your thighs are about parallel, chest tall and arms long.
- 3Drive through your whole foot to stand all the way up.
- 4Rise onto the balls of your feet, pause, then lower your heels before the next squat.
Cues
- Finish the squat before you rise.
- Heels all the way up, then all the way down.
- Arms long and loose, like hooks.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the calf raise. Pause at the top for a second so your calves do the work, not momentum.
- Rolling onto the outside of your feet. Push up through your big toe and second toe so your ankles stay straight.
- Rounding your shoulders. Heavy dumbbells pull you forward. Keep your chest up and your shoulders back in the squat.
Easier
Go lighter, or keep the calf raise small and skip the pause.
Harder
Hold the top of the calf raise for 2 seconds, or take 3 seconds on the way down in the squat.
Try it: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
Do calf raises need weight?
Not to start. Your bodyweight is enough at first. Once slow bodyweight raises feel easy, holding dumbbells at your sides, like in this move, makes your calves work harder.
