Legs · Bodyweight
Ankle Cars
How to do the ankle cars, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on a chair or stand on one leg and lift the opposite foot off the ground. Holding your leg still, draw slow, controlled circles with your toes, moving only at the ankle. Rotate your foot through its full range of motion clockwise for several reps and then counter-clockwise, keeping your knee and shin steady. Focus on smooth movement and avoid any jerking.
- 1Move your ankle through slow, controlled circles and you should feel a gentle stretch and activation through the joint
- 2Keep your leg still so you isolate the movement to your ankle
- 3Explore your available range of motion without forcing it
Common mistakes
- Don't push into pain or sharp discomfort, stay within a comfortable range
- Avoid moving your knee or hip; the rotation should come from the ankle
- Don't rush; jerky movements defeat the purpose of the drill
Muscles worked
The ankle cars mainly works the calves.
- CalvesPrimary
- QuadsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the ankle cars for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More calves & shins exercises
- How to do the ankle circles
- How to do the ankle rocks
- How to do the resistance band ankle mobilization
- How to do the calf press
- How to do the calf raises with hold
- How to do the calf wall stretch
Last reviewed April 2026.