Legs · Kettlebell
Kettlebell Calf Raise and Front Squat
How to do the kettlebell calf raise and front squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a kettlebell in the front-rack position against your chest with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down by bending your hips and knees, drive back up to standing, then rise onto the balls of your feet for a calf raise before lowering your heels and repeating.
- 1Feel your quads and glutes drive you up out of the squat with the bell
- 2tight to your chest
- 3Push through the balls of your feet and feel your calves contract at the top of the raise
- 4Keep your torso upright and core braced through both movements
Common mistakes
- Don't let your knees cave in or your heels lift during the squat
- Don't rush the calf raise; pause and squeeze at the top
- Don't round your back or let the kettlebell pull your elbows down
Muscles worked
The kettlebell calf raise and front squat mainly works the quads, glutes, and calves, with the lower back, upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, and adductors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- CalvesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the kettlebell calf raise and front squat 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 quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.