Nicole L. Campbell: To do a calf raise with dumbbells, hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang straight below your shoulders. Rise up onto your toes, then slowly return to the starting position. You'll feel tension in the muscles in the back of your lower legs.

Standing dumbbell calf raise increases strength of the calve muscles in the lower leg. Instructions With a dumbbell in each hand, rest the ball of each foot on a weight plate. Keep your torso upright and rest your heels firmly on floor. Press the balls of your feet into the weight plate and rise up on your toes as high as possible.

The single-leg standing dumbbell calf raise develops size and strength in the lower leg. Instructions Grab a dumbbell in one hand and stand with the balls of your feet on a weight plate. Lift one foot off of the plate and cross it behind your calf. The dumbbell should be on the same side as your supporting leg.

The one-leg calf raise holding a dumbbell is a great exercise for working the calves at home without machines. Set up by grasping a dumbbell in your right hand and standing on the edge of a calf raise block or step with the balls of your feet on the edge. Take your right leg and hook it behind your left. Let your left heel drop as far as possible.