Heel Raise
The heel raise, also called a calf raise, lifts the body onto the balls of the feet against resistance to train the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon. It closes the NSW guide's lower body exercise list and is the only exercise in the program that isolates the lower leg.
How to Perform It
Stand with the balls of the feet on the edge of a step or on a calf raise machine, with the heels hanging free and the legs straight. Rise as high as possible onto the toes, pause at the top, then lower under control until the heels drop below the level of the step and the calves stretch. Hold dumbbells or use the machine's load once body weight is too easy. Perform the reps slowly rather than bouncing out of the bottom. The guide's prescription is one set of 8 to 12 reps with a weight that cannot be lifted more than 8 to 12 times with maximal effort and proper technique.
Why It Matters for BUD/S
Soft-sand running, the surf zone, and miles of boots on pavement all load the calves and Achilles far beyond what most candidates have trained for. Shin splints and Achilles problems are among the most common overuse injuries in the first weeks of selection. The heel raise builds strength and tendon tolerance in the lower leg before that volume arrives, which is exactly the injury-avoidance purpose the guide gives for strength work. Strong calves also improve the push-off on the 1.5-mile run and add power to the scissors kick and the flutter kick in the water. The exercise is low skill and low risk, so it suits any training setup.
Where It Sits in the 26-Week Plan
Heel raises are in the Lower/Push-Sit-Pull sessions on Tuesday and Saturday for all 26 weeks. In the guide's format of 8 to 12 exercises with one set each, the heel raise is nearly always the last lower body station because it needs no warm-up from the bigger lifts and recovers fast. Progress by adding weight when 12 full-range reps are clean, or use the guide's option of an occasional lighter set of 15 to 20 reps, which suits the calves well. Since the running volume climbs every week, keep the eccentric half slow and the range full so the calves adapt to length as well as load.
Pause for a second at the top and drop the heels below the step at the bottom. Full range builds the tendon; bouncing does not.
Related Terms
Lower body strength training in the NSW preparation program builds the leg and posterior chain strength needed for running, swimming kicks, load carriage, and the high-volume physical demands of BUD/S. These sessions target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves through compound movements.
The 1.5-mile run is the final event of the Physical Screening Test (PST) and measures a candidate's running speed and cardiovascular endurance. Performed after the swim and calisthenics events, it tests the ability to produce a fast run effort on fatigued legs — a skill directly relevant to BUD/S demands.
The lunge is a single-leg exercise in which you step forward, lower until both knees are bent to about 90 degrees, and push back to standing. It builds the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings one leg at a time and opens the NSW guide's lower body exercise list.
The leg press is a machine exercise in which you push a loaded sled away from the body with both legs, and the squat is its free-weight equivalent, lowering the body under a bar and standing back up. The NSW guide lists them as alternatives, and either one is the main quadriceps and glute builder in the lower body list.
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