Pilates Machine Lying Calf Raise

Body WeightBeginner

Perform the Pilates Machine Lying Calf Raise to strengthen your calf muscles.

  1. Lie on your back on the Pilates machine with your feet positioned on the footplate.
  2. Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels off the footplate.
  3. Lower your heels back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Pilates Machine Lying Calf Raise

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Pilates Machine Lying Calf Raise using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your primary working muscles.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your working muscles rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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