Exercise guide · Legs & Glutes

Machine Donkey Calf Raise

Donkey calf raises load your calves while you're bent forward at the hips with a pad across your lower back or hips. The machine angles your torso forward so your calves work through a long range under added weight.

Targets: Calves
Equipment: Machine
Type: Isolation

Step by step

How to do the Machine Donkey Calf Raise

Set the pad height and load the machine. Step onto the foot platform with toes on the edge and heels free.
Position your hips against the lower-back pad and bend forward at the waist per the machine design.
Hold the handles or support frame and keep your back flat from hips to shoulders.
Rise onto your toes as high as possible, squeezing calves hard at the top.
Lower heels below the platform under control until you feel a deep stretch.
Complete your reps without rounding your lower back or bouncing at the bottom.

Form cues

Hips stay in contact with the pad
Think straight legs, ankle movement only
Pause at the top—calves do all the work
Long, controlled reps through full range

Common mistakes

Rounding the lower back instead of hinging at the hips
Partial reps with minimal heel travel
Standing too upright and reducing stretch on calves
Using momentum to bounce out of the bottom

Muscles worked

Primary

Calves

Secondary

None significant

Safety: Adjust pad height so your lower back is supported, not compressed. Start light until you are comfortable in the bent-forward position.

Alternatives

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