Bent-knee Calf Stretch

Bent-knee Calf Stretch is a flexibility – soleus exercise involving Soleus. Use these steps to learn the movement and work with your coach to choose a suitable level.

Last updated: 2026-10-31 · DynPerformance

Primary muscles: Soleus
Secondary muscles: Gastrocnemius, Tibialis posterior
Exercise type: Flexibility – soleus

Exercise technique

Start
Face a wall, support yourself with your hands and step one foot back.
Feet
Point the rear foot forward and place its heel on the floor.
Bend the knee
Bend your rear knee slightly and lower your hips a little.
Move forward
Move your rear knee forward in line with your toes without lifting the rear heel.
Trunk
Keep your chest upright and balance between both feet.
Hold
Hold the stretch in your lower calf while breathing slowly.
Switch sides
Straighten the rear knee, bring that foot forward and set up the other side.

Key technique points

Keep the stretching leg’s knee bent.
Maintain heel contact with the floor.
Move your knee in the direction of your foot.
Do not load the front foot excessively.
Reduce the range if you feel pinching at the front of the ankle.
Use gentle pressure to find the soleus stretch.

Common mistakes

Straightening the knee

Do not lose the soleus focus and turn this into a straight-knee calf stretch.

Lifting the heel

Do not lift the rear heel as you move your ankle forward.

Knee collapsing inward

Do not let your rear knee fall inside the foot arch.

Squatting excessively

Do not move into an unnecessarily deep squat to find the stretch.

Turning the foot

Do not turn your toes outward just to keep the heel down.

Leaning too far forward

Do not load the front leg so much that you lose the stretch in the rear leg.

Frequently asked questions