Standing Calf Raise: A classic motion is standing calf lifts (also known as heel raises). Because the calf muscles bear so much of your bodyweight, bodyweight calf workouts are an efficient technique to strengthen them. Because this is a straight-knee exercise, it primarily targets the soleus. The gluteus medius and minimus are also involved in the movement because they have to stabilize the hip while lifting the foot up. Calf raises can be done individually or with weights. Because the muscle group being worked is so large, it's important that you don't do too many reps or your risk overtraining them. Start by doing ten repetitions without a weight then work your way up to twenty with weight assistance. When you first start working out your calves, it's best to focus on quality rather than quantity. That is, work on one section at a time making sure that you lift each portion of the muscle through its full range of motion. The standing calf raise is a great move for strengthening and building size in the calf muscles. Because it requires balance and coordination, it's a great exercise for people who may be suffering from arthritis in their legs. Because it works such large muscles, standing calf raises are recommended two times per week after a good warmup period.