Drop the heel, open the calf.
Keep your knees straight, bending them shifts the stretch off your calves.
Standing on the edge of a step lets your heels drop below your toes, taking the calves into a deeper stretch than flat ground ever allows. With the knees locked straight the tension runs right up the back of the lower leg, hitting the length that heavy calf raises and running steadily shorten. It earns its slot as a finisher after leg day or as prep before anything that needs ankle range, like deep squats.
Anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes per hold works. The magic is in relaxing into it, so breathe slow and let the heels sink a little deeper as the stretch eases off.
Keep them straight for this version. Bending the knee shifts the stretch lower toward the soleus and Achilles, which is a different drill, so pick one and be deliberate about it.
After training or on rest days is ideal. It also makes solid prep before squats if your heels lift at the bottom, just keep pre-lift holds shorter so your calves are not sleepy under load.
