So, you’ve heard about the soleus muscle. First off…congrats. Most people don't know much about this deep calf muscle. But secondly…I’m sorry. Because chances are, if you’ve heard about the soleus muscle, it’s causing you pain. And you’re here to find the best soleus exercises to help you get out of pain!
You’re in the right place.
In fact, today I’ll cover the 5 best soleus exercises. All the soleus muscle exercises in this article help isolate and target the soleus muscle. And they'll help you strengthen against any future weakness or tightness in the muscle.
I’ll get super detailed about the soleus muscle and what it does later in this article, but before we dive in, let’s cover the basics:
What is the soleus muscle?
The soleus muscle is a deep calf muscle. It lies beneath its more popular counterpart–the gastrocnemius AKA the gastroc, which is considered by most to be the main calf muscle.
What does the soleus muscle do?
The soleus muscle helps you whenever you bend your foot forward. This is used whenever you run, walk, cycle, or cilmb.
What does soleus muscle pain feel like?
If you have soleus muscle pain, you’re most likely experiencing pain in your feet, ankles, or calves. The soleus muscle is connected to Plantar fasciitis, and it can be caused by running, walking, or standing. However, both active and sedentary people from soleus-induced pain.
How do you fix soleus pain?
At Back Muscle Solutions, we teach a 4-step approach to healing any muscle-induced pain.
STEP 1: Massage
STEP 2: Stretch
STEP 3: Strengthen
STEP 4: Habit Correction
Today’s article is all about soleus strengthening exercises. And if you want to learn about soleus massage and stretching, I’ll cover this later in the article. Here's the order of things:
- 5 Best Soleus Exercises
- What is the Soleus?
- Soleus Function: What Does the Soleus Do?
- Soleus Pain & Weakness: Causes
- Soleus Pain & Weakness: Symptoms
- Before Soleus Muscle Exercises: Soleus Massage
- Before Soleus Muscle Exercises: Soleus Stretch
- Soleus Exercises FAQs
5 Best Soleus Exercises
Now that we’ve answered all your burning questions about soleus…let’s get to what you came here for–the 5 best soleus exercises!
So, with the soleus being such a dark horse of a muscle, you may be wondering:
→ What exercise works the soleus?
→ And how do you isolate the soleus muscle?
All good questions.
To start, there are many great options when it comes to soleus exercises.
And that’s because to isolate the soleus muscle, all you need to do is perform a simple movement:
Knee flexion + plantar flexion
But to get less bookish:
Bending the knee + bending your foot forward = soleus isolation
So think about a calf raise. In this exercise, you perform plantar flexion–bending your foot forward.
But typically, this exercise is performed with a straight leg. So a typical calf raise would work the gastroc muscle.
Straight leg + plantar flexion = gastroc isolation
So, bend the knee in a typical calf raise, and you’ve got the basic form for all soleus exercises out there. And you’ll notice all 5 of the soleus exercises in this article involve some kind of knee bend and plantar flexion.
All of the soleus exercises below are great options as:
→ Soleus exercises for runners.
→ Soleus exercises for people with Plantar fasciitis.
→ Soleus strengthening exercises for anyone with symptoms of a weak soleus.
Let’s get started.
Soleus Exercises #1: Seated Soleus Calf Raise
This is one of the best soleus exercises because it naturally employs knee flexion. Your knees are automatically bent when you sit down. In fact, the seated calf raise machine might be the only truly soleus-focused machine you’ll find at the gym.
You can perform this at home by holding a dumbbell on your knee.
My instructions below are based on using a seated calf raise machine at a gym.
How to Perform This Soleus Exercise
1) Load up a seated calf raise machine with your desired amount of weight.
2) Sit down at the calf raise machine, and lower the leg pad over your thighs.
3) Place your toes on the bottom platform.
4) Raise your heels up, lifting the weight on the top of your thighs.
5) Slowly lower back down.
6) Take a good pause at the bottom–ideally 4 seconds or so.
7) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Soleus Exercises #2: Standing Soleus Calf Raise
Unlike the seated calf raise, the standing calf raise typically uses a straight leg, which we know by now is NOT IT when it comes to soleus exercises.
So, how do we get around this and make the calf raise a soleus exercise?
Easy.
Just bend the knees.
For this soleus exercise, you can stand on a box or elevated bench and hold onto a wall.
Or you can also use a standing calf raise machine at your local gym, which is what I’ll focus on in my instructions below.
How to Perform This Soleus Exercise
1) At a standing calf raise machine, set the weight as necessary.
2) Position yourself so your shoulders fit under the shoulder pads.
3) Next, bend your needs, and lower the shoulder pads with you as lower your body down.
4) Position your toes on the bottom platform.
5) Raise your heels up, lifting the weight on the top of your thighs.
6) Slowly lower back down.
7) Take a good pause at the bottom–ideally 4 seconds or so.
8) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Soleus Exercises #3: Tiptoe Squat
With the squat being a movement that naturally bend the knees, all you have to do is add some plantar flexion to make this one of the best soleus exercises.
How to Perform This Soleus Exercise
1) Using a steady bar or a post to hold onto–dip back into a squat.
2) Next, go up on your tiptoes.
3) Slowly lower your feet back down.
4) Take a good pause at the bottom–ideally 4 seconds or so.
5) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Soleus Exercises #4: Tiptoe Lunge
You can also turn the typical lunge into a soleus strengthener simply by going up on your tiptoes. In my opinion, the best soleus exercises are ones you’re familiar with.
So if the lunge is an exercise you already enjoy, try this out.
How to Perform This Soleus Exercise
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2) Bring your right foot forward, staying balanced on your tiptoes and bending at the knee as you lower down into a lunge.
3) Hold for a few seconds.
4) Then, raise yourself back up.
5) Then, alternate with the other leg.
Soleus Exercises #5: Soleus Wall Sit
Similar in form to the soleus squat, the soleus wall sit is one of those soleus exercises that you can perform anywhere–as long as there’s a wall.
How to Perform This Soleus Exercise
1) Sit back against a wall with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
2) Shift your feet, so you are on your tiptoes.
3) You can choose to hold this position, or you can increase the difficulty by lowering and raising your heels back up repeatedly.
What is the Soleus?
Now that you now the best soleus exercises to add to your routine, let's get a bit more technical about this undercover muscle.
The soleus may be the less popular calf muscle, but if you suspect pain as a result of the soleus, it’s worth learning about.
This muscle starts in the back of your shin–just below your knee joint–and runs all the way down to your Achilles tendon.
At the top, it’s hidden behind the larger gastroc.
Near the bottom, however, it’s the soleus muscle that you can find just beneath the skin. [1]
Soleus Function: What Does the Soleus Do?
So, if the soleus is the sneaky calf muscle no one thinks about–is its function irrelevant?
Quite the opposite.
Plantar Flexion
In fact, the soleus works in tandem with the gastroc to help with plantar flexion–in other words, any time you push your foot forward, leading with your toes.
As you know, the more your knees are bent, the more the soleus takes over with this action, hence the bent-knee theme of the soleus exercises above.
So, remember:
Plantar flexion with a straight knee = more gastroc-dominant
Plantar flexion with a bent knee = more soleus-dominant
So, what does this translate to in real life?
The soleus muscle gets involved basically every time you walk, run, cycle, or climb. Think about bending your foot forward to push off from the ground when you run. That’s your soleus.
Or to pedal on a bike. You get the picture.
For this reason, many athletes end up complaining of soleus-related pain, which is why I recommend soleus exercises for runners experiencing foot or heel pain.
But athletes are not the only people affected by soleus pain. It can also affect:
→ People who are on their feet for most of the day for work.
→ People who regularly take long walks.
→ And sometimes, even people who are mostly sedentary will find themselves facing soleus pain issues. [1]
Pumping Blood
Not only is the soleus muscle a pivotal contributor any time you run or walk–this muscle also literally helps keep you alive.
What’s crazy is that many people call the soleus the body’s second heart due to its ability to pump blood up from the feet and legs to the rest of the body. [1]
In fact, sometimes people with low blood pressure and frequent fainting can trace this to a weak soleus muscle. [1]
Soleus Pain & Weakness: Causes
Now, let’s talk about what tends to cause soleus-related issues. Knowing what causes a tight soleus could help you get clarity on whether or not this sneaky muscle is the culprit for your pain.
A weak soleus muscle can happen for a variety of reasons, but here are some common causes:
→ Running
→ Walking for long periods of time
→ Standing on your feet for long periods of time
→ Skiing
→ Skating
→ Dancing
→ Wearing unsupportive, hard leather shoes
→ Wearing shoes with a heel that’s higher than the sole [1]
Any of this resonating? If so, keep reading–and let’s make your symptoms match.
Soleus Pain & Weakness: Symptoms
So, what are the symptoms of a weak soleus? How do you know that your soleus is causing you grief?
Due to the concept of referred pain–people with a tight soleus muscle may actually experience pain in various parts of their body–not necessarily just the soleus muscle itself.
If you have a tight soleus muscle, you might feel pain in your:
→ Heel
→ Back of ankle
→ Calf [1]
Okay, those ones make sense…but are you ready for the wacky ones?
Some people have even reported referred pain from the soleus muscle to their:
→ Jaw [1]
These are less common but still good to be aware of! Check out the image below, which shows a visual of the trigger points I just mentioned.
Plantar Fasciitis
Planar fasciitis is a term often used as a term to describe pain in your foot or heel.
Over a million people visit doctors due to plantar fasciitis every year, and it’s the most common running-related musculoskeletal issue. [2]
Based on what we’ve learned about soleus anatomy, It shouldn’t surprise you to learn about the correlation between plantar fasciitis and the soleus muscle. [2]
So, if intense foot or heal pain is causing you grief…our recommendation?
Don’t start with painkillers or surgery.
Start with a soleus massage.
Before Soleus Strengthening Exercises: Soleus Massage
So, how do you release a tight soleus? Massage.
At Back Muscle Solutions, we teach a 4-step approach to pain relief.
STEP 1: Massage
STEP 2: Stretch
STEP 3: Strengthening
STEP 4: Habit Correction
So for context, we’ve been talking about soleus exercises in this article–which would be STEP 3.
But if you have a weak or tight soleus muscle, starting with a soleus exercise might be jumping the gun. Start with soleus massage and work your way up to soleus strengthening exercises.
Soleus Massage From Someone Else
You can ask a friend or partner to help you massage your soleus. See the photos below for a reference on where to find the soleus muscle.
Soleus Self-Massage
You can also self-release your soleus muscle.
Lying Down: While lying down, cross your legs, placing your soleus muscle against the opposite knee. [3]
Sitting: You can also use a pincer grasp to self-massage your soleus muscle. [3]
[3]
Foam Roller: You can also use a foam roller on your soleus muscle. Simply kneel down, placing the foam roller between your hamstrings and calf muscles. Sink into the massage, rocking your body back and forth.
Before Soleus Strengthening Exercises: Soleus Stretch
After massage, stretching your soleus is the next step–before soleus exercises.
Sitting Soleus Stretch: Sitting on the ground, bend your knee, and place a resistance band around the sole of your foot while keeping your foot perpendicular to your calf. [3]
Standing Soleus Stretch: Lean against a wall, bending one leg at the knee behind you. Place a towel on the inside of this foot to maintain an arch in your foot while stretching. [3]
[3]
Soleus Exercises FAQs
What exercise works soleus?
The best exercises to work your soleus muscle will involve bending your knee while performing some sort of calf raise.
What are the symptoms of a weak soleus?
If you have a weak or tight soleus, you may feel pain in your calf, ankle, heel, or even your lower back and jaw.
How do you isolate the soleus muscle?
To isolate the soleus muscle in an exercise, perform a calf raise–but with a bent knee instead of keeping your leg straight.
How to release a tight soleus?
A tight soleus can be released through soleus massage. You can self-massage using your hands, or you can use a foam roller.
What causes tight soleus?
Causes of a tight soleus include running, walking, standing for too long, dancing, skiing, skating, or walking on hard, unsupportive shoes.
Should I massage a soleus strain?
Yes, massaging a soleus strain is an effective intervention. However, it is recommend that you wait around 72 hours after the incident of the strain to begin massage. Before this, apply RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate.
Should you foam roll soleus?
Yes, foam rolling a soleus muscle is effective. You can roll back and forth on the muscle. Or you can kneel–with a foam roller between your hamstrings and calves.
How to self massage soleus muscle?
To self-massage a soleus muscle, cross your legs, and place your soleus on the opposite knee. You can also self-massage using a pincer grip with your fingers directly on the muscle.
Sources:
[1] Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.
[2] https://lermagazine.com/article/do-the-fasciae-of-the-soleus-have-a-role-in-plantar-fasciitis-part-i
[3] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.