MONS Athletics
Kettlebell exercises

Single-Leg Heel Raise: Slow, Heavy and Held at the Top

Stand on one foot with a kettlebell in your hand and your toes on a rolled towel. Rise for three seconds, hold for two, lower for three. Works your calf, your Achilles and the sole of your foot.

3 min read · In Structure · Anti-Folding, Structure · Sideways, Structure · Anti-Rotation

Why it works: Chapter 13, Why stretching your hamstrings will not loosen them

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand side-on to a wall

    One hand flat on the wall for balance, the bell hanging in the other hand, on the same side as the standing leg. The wall keeps you steady; it never lifts you.

  2. 2

    Toes on the towel

    Roll a towel into a log about two fingers thick. Put it under your toes only, the ball of your foot on the floor just behind it and your heel down. It bends your toes up, so the sole of your foot works too.

  3. 3

    Lift the other foot

    Bend the other knee and hold that foot off the floor. Stand tall, knee straight but not locked.

  4. 4

    Up for three

    Rise onto the ball of your foot over three seconds, as high as you can go. Keep your weight over your big toe.

  5. 5

    Hold two at the top

    Hold the top for two seconds, still and tall.

  6. 6

    Down for three

    Lower over three seconds until your heel touches the floor. That is one rep. Do all 8, then switch feet.

  7. 7

    The test

    Every rep reaches the same height and you can hold the top still. When you can't, the set is over.

Watch for

  • Bouncing at the bottom. A quick drop and spring lets the bounce do the work, and the slow load is what you came for.
  • Pulling on the wall. Your hand balances you. If it helps you up, the bell is too heavy.
  • Rolling out onto your little toe. Keep the weight over your big toe so your ankle rises straight.
  • Cutting the top short. The hold is part of the rep.

Questions

Why do heel raises slowly?

A tendon gets stronger from a heavy load held for a few seconds. Three seconds up, two held and three down keep the load on your calf and Achilles for the whole rep, instead of letting a bounce carry it.

How heavy should the bell be for single-leg heel raises?

Heavy enough that the last two reps are slow and hard to hold at the top, light enough that every rep reaches full height. The bell you use for windmills or get-ups is often about right.

Why put a rolled towel under your toes?

It bends your toes up, which tightens the sole of your foot. As you rise, the sole works under the load as well as the calf.

How many heel raises, and how often?

Three sets of 8 each side, in every Structure routine, so about twice a week. They go with the routine's first move, one set of each, then rest until you feel fresh. In Structure · Anti-Rotation the get-up joins them, so it is a round of three.