Lunges engage the calf muscles in multiple ways: The soleus helps stabilize the ankles, while the gastrocnemius helps stabilize the knees. If you want to make lunges an even more challenging exercise for your calves, lift the heel of the front foot. Add plié squats to your routine. These are squats performed with both heels lifted off of the ground. You can turn any squat into a great calf workout by either alternating which heel you lift or lifting both at the same time.

Without letting your heels touch the ground, walk forward on your toes for a set number of reps or time. Jumping rope is a good bodyweight endurance exercise for your calves, and also helps improve total-body coordination, Kelley says. Holding the handles of a jump rope in each hand, jump with both feet as you spin the rope under you and over your head. Keep your core engaged and your shoulders lowered. This plyometric exercise gets power from the calf muscles during the ascension of the jump squat, Braun says, as well as stabilization during the landing.