Too many lifters dismiss bodyweight exercises as ineffective because there is no cold, hard steel in their hands. But one advantage they do have is that they improve relative strength—the weight you can lift in relation to your body weight.

One exercise that will improve your relative strength and more is the shrimp squat.

The name may make it sound funny, but the shrimp squat is a serious quad-busting move that’s going to provide plenty of lower-body benefits. Shrimp squats check off all the boxes: quad strength, balance, hip mobility, and knee stability. Once mastered, you’ll improve strength and control that carry over to squats, deadlifts, and sport-specific movements.

It’s simple but not easy, and it will torch your legs in the best way possible. Let’s dive into what makes the shrimp squat tick.

What is the Shrimp Squat?

The shrimp squat is a single-leg squat variation that sits somewhere between a Bulgarian split squat and a pistol squat. Instead of balancing on one leg with your back foot elevated, you hold your back ankle behind you while lowering into a single-leg squat. Unlike the pistol squat, which requires hamstring flexibility, the shrimp squat focuses on quad strength and balance. Think of it as a quad-isolating, balance-building test of grit, humbling but then rewarding once you lock it in.

How to do the Shrimp Squat

The shrimp squat may seem tricky, but once you learn the setup and cues, it becomes a test of unilateral strength. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it right.

Note: If balance is an issue, hold on to something secure.

1. Stand tall on one leg, with one hand grabbing the ankle of your non-working leg.
2. Squat down and guide your backside toward the floor while maintaining an upright torso.
3. Lower until your back knee touches the floor or as close as your hip mobility allows.
4. Push through your entire foot, keeping your chest up, core tight, and return to the starting position.
5. Reset, and repeat for desired reps, and then switch sides.

Shrimp Squat Muscles Trained

Because you’re balancing and lowering into a deep unilateral squat, this move requires multiple muscle groups to fire together.

• Quadriceps: The working leg bears most of the load, and with its deep knee bend, this becomes a quad-dominant exercise.
• Glutes: The deep hip flexion requires your glutes to be on high alert to drive you back up.
• Hamstrings: Stabilize the knee and assist with hip extension.
• Core: Keeps the torso upright and resists leaning too far forward or bending sideways.
• Adductors: Work along with the hamstrings on knee stabilization.
• Calves: Maintain balance on the standing foot, which controls ankle stability and assists the hamstrings in returning to the starting position.

Common Shrimp Squat Mistakes and Form Fixes

Squatting on one leg with minimal assistance, what could go wrong? Plenty. Here’s what to watch out for to get the best out of the shrimp squat.

Too Much Forward Lean

There’s going to be some forward lean due to the extensive range of motion. However, leaning the torso too far forward shifts tension away from the quads and into the lower back.

The Fix: Keep your chest tall and head up throughout the rep. Brace your core and think of dropping your knee down instead of hinging forward.

What’s The Rush?

Not controlling the eccentric, dropping quickly to the bottom, and bouncing the back knee off the ground reduces the muscle-building tension, which is a risk for your knee health.

The Fix: Use a controlled eccentric and lightly touch the back knee to the floor, then squat back to the starting position.

Losing Balance

With a complete lack of stability, balance is going to be challenging, especially if you are new to the movement. But excessive wobbling and losing balance mean no quad action for you.

The Fix: Keep your weight balanced over the midfoot, engage your core, and focus your eyes on a fixed point. If needed, use a secure anchor point for support while building stability.

Pulling With the Rear Leg

It makes sense that you are holding on tight and pulling on the back leg, but doing so means the working leg isn’t getting all the muscle-building tension it deserves.

The Fix: Keep the back leg passive; it’s only along for the ride. All the drive should come from the working leg.

Shrimp Squat Benefits

Once you iron out your form, the shrimp squat becomes a quad and balance builder. Here’s what makes it worth adding to your lower-body day.

Quad-Dominant Strength

Because you hold the back leg in position, the quads of the working leg experience pure, isolated tension. The shrimp squat is an excellent bodyweight move to increase quad size and strength.

Improves Balance and Coordination

Balancing on one leg while moving through a deep range of motion teaches proprioception and control in a hurry, making you more athletic and tougher to knock down.

Joint-Friendly Strength Builder

The shrimp squat provides a lower body challenge without the spinal loading associated with barbell squats. Since the resistance comes from your bodyweight, your knees, hips, and lower back aren’t under the same compressive forces, allowing you to increase volume without compromising recovery.

Mobility and Stability in One Move

The shrimp squat isn’t all about strength; it’s also about how your joints move and stabilize together. Each rep requires your ankles, knees, and hips to travel through deep ROM, stretching tissues while building strength at those same end ranges. The shrimp squat improves:

• Your ankle mobility is tested as your standing foot drives through dorsiflexion under load.
• Hip mobility as you sink deep into the squat.
• Knee stability is challenged because the knee must stay aligned.

Programming Suggestions

The shrimp squat is a high-skill, high-reward exercise because it demands strength, balance, and mobility. Here are a few suggestions depending on your goals. Use as a:

• Bodyweight strength exercise when you don’t have access to weights.
• Accessory exercise to balance out bilateral training.
• Athletic move to enhance single-leg stability and its transfer to sprinting, cutting, and jumping.

Strength: 4 sets of 4–6 reps per leg, resting two minutes between sets. Add load if bodyweight becomes easy.

Muscle: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps per leg, resting 90 seconds between sets. Focus on a controlled eccentric to increase muscle tension.

For many, calves are the ultimate stubborn muscle group. You can hammer them with endless sets of raises, but they don’t budge. Blame your genetics, your training approach, or both. I can help you with your training approach, but regarding genetics, please blame your parents.

Strong, well-developed calves aren’t all about vanity. They’re essential for balance, strength, and power. Calves absorb force when you land, propel you forward when you sprint, and stabilize your ankles during heavy lifts. Weak calves may limit your squat depth, compromise ankle mobility, and even increase the risk of Achilles injuries.

To maximize size and performance, you need more than a few half-hearted sets of standing calf raises. These 10 exercises combine heavy loading, controlled eccentric contractions, and low-level plyos to target your calves from every angle. They’ll build muscle, improve ankle stability, and develop the power you need for better performance.

If your calves are lagging, these 10 calf exercises are gamechangers. But first, let’s explain why I chose these 10 from many options.

Why These 10 Calf Exercises ?

Enhanced calf development involves more than just adding a few sets of calf raises at the end of your workout. You need a variety of loads, muscle contractions, and some tried-and-true muscle-building techniques to enhance both lower-body aesthetics and performance.

Here’s why these 10 made the list.

Full Development: Your calves comprise more than one muscle; they include the gastrocnemius, soleus, and supporting stabilizers such as the plantaris and anterior tibialis.

• The gastrocnemius is the diamond-shaped, visible muscle on the back of your leg and is noticeable when the knees are straight.
• The soleus lies underneath and plays a significant role in calf size, especially when the knees are bent.

These 10 exercises use both straight-leg and bent-knee positions to maximize growth and strength in all parts of the calf complex.

Muscle & Strength: Exercises like the eccentric calf raise and donkey calf raise create prolonged tension and deep stretches to drive muscle growth, while heavier moves, such as standing calf raises and leg press raises, maximize strength and muscle.

Joint Health & Mobility: Healthy and strong calves are crucial for optimal performance of the ankles, knees, and hips. Weak or tight calves can limit ankle dorsiflexion, which in turn affects your squat depth, running stride, and overall stability. The extended range of motion achieved with a few of the exercises below addresses this.

Variety & Versatility: From machines and free weights to sled work, loaded carries, and plyometric drills, these 10 exercises offer options to suit any training style. Whether your goal is to build bigger calves, develop athleticism, or enhance strength, these 10 exercises cover it all.

10 Best Calf Exercises For a Stronger Lower Body

It’s not like you don’t know most of these exercises; they’re likely out of sight, out of mind. Consider these a reminder to work those calves.

Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

The standing calf raise is the gold standard for building calf size and strength. By keeping your knees straight, you focus on the gastrocnemius—the muscle that gives your calf its shape. Whether done on a machine, a Smith machine, or with dumbbells, this exercise allows you to load and move through a full range of motion. Rise slowly onto the balls of your feet, hold for a full second at the top, and lower your heels all the way to achieve a deep stretch.

Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 15-20 reps.

Seated Bent-Knee Calf Raise

The seated bent-knee calf raise targets the soleus—the deeper, flat muscle underneath the gastrocnemius that contributes to calf thickness. Since the soleus is a slow-twitch muscle, it responds best to higher-rep training. Sit upright with your knees bent at approximately 90 degrees. Lower your heels as far as possible to achieve a full stretch, and drive through the balls of your feet to squeeze at the top.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 15–25 reps.

Donkey Calf Raise

The donkey calf raise delivers a better stretch and activation compared to standard standing raises. By hinging at the hips and leaning forward, you achieve greater dorsiflexion at the ankle, which enhances gastrocnemius engagement. This extended range of motion, combined with heavy loading, makes donkey calf raises a go-to for

building stubborn calves. Lower your heels slowly to maximize the loaded stretch, pause, then explode up and pause.

Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 15 reps.

Elevated Single-Leg Calf Raise

Single-leg calf raises performed on an elevated surface offer two benefits: a greater stretch at the bottom and the ability to address strength imbalances. It builds balanced muscle but also reduces injury risk by strengthening each Achilles tendon. Hold on a wall or rack for balance, lower your heel slowly to feel a deep stretch, and pause at the top.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 12–15 reps per side.

Eccentric Calf Raise

Eccentric Calf Raise harnesses your strongest muscle contraction, so your calves have no choice but to grow. Using a step or platform, rise onto both feet, then slowly lower down on one foot for five seconds. The time under tension enhances muscle-building potential while strengthening the Achilles tendon. Eccentric calf raises are effective as they emphasize the phase responsible for muscle remodeling and tendon resilience.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 6–10 per side.

Farmer’s Carry on Toes

The farmer’s carry on toes combines loaded carries with constant plantar flexion, giving you more bang for your exercise buck. By walking on your toes with heavy dumbbells or kettlebells, you place the calves under prolonged tension while improving balance and ankle stability. Keep your heels elevated, your core tight, and your steps short and deliberate.

Sets & Reps: 2–3 sets of 40 to 100 steps.

Leg Press Calf Raise

Leg press calf raise allows for heavy, stable loading while emphasizing peak contraction. By pressing through the balls of your feet and holding the top position, you create tension in both the gastrocnemius and soleus. Focus on controlled reps: lower

your heels fully for a deep stretch, pause for 2–3 seconds at the top, and avoid locking out your knees.

Sets & Reps: 4 sets of 12–15 reps.

Sled Drag (Calf Emphasis)

Sled drags target the calves, emphasizing a powerful toe-off on every step, which trains the calves as part of a kinetic chain involving quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Sled drags build strength, endurance, and athleticism without putting undue stress on the joints. Maintain an upright posture, lean slightly forward, and drive through your toes to maximize calf engagement.

Sets & Reps: 3–5 sets of 20–30 yards.

Jump Rope

Jump rope keeps the calves under constant, rhythmic tension while improving endurance, coordination, and explosiveness. Each small jump requires repeated plantar flexion while improving lower-body power. Adding weighted ropes or vests increases the difficulty and potential for calf hypertrophy. Stay on the balls of your feet, and keep jumps low to conserve energy.

Sets & Reps: 3–5 sets of 30–60 seconds.

Captain Morgan Calf Raise

The Captain Morgan calf raise, developed by Nick Tumminello, combines a large range of motion with an improved ankle dorsiflexion stretch for better ankle mobility. By placing your front foot on a raised platform and performing calf raises on the back foot, you pre-stretch the gastrocnemius, allowing for greater muscle recruitment and ankle mobility benefits. Keep your torso leaning forward, lift your back heel as high as possible, pause briefly at the top, and lower under control.

Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 10–15 reps per side.