Where Your Achilles Hurts Matters More Than You Think. 5 Exercises to Fix Stubborn Achilles Pain
- Marie Whitt
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
January rolls around and your training shifts.
More speedwork starts creeping in.
Maybe some hills in for good measure.
And depending on your base mileage or race goals, long runs start to get longer again.
And then, an unwelcomed guest arrives.
Your Achilles beings talking back.
You do what you’re “supposed” to do:
Calf raises
Eccentric off-the-step calf raises
Foam rolling
And begrudgingly add rest days that turn into lost momentum
But the pain doesn’t go away.
Even after a couple of rest days, it's still spicy as you try and add in your missed speed workouts.
Here’s what most runners don’t realize:
You might be doing the right exercises, but for the wrong type of Achilles injury.
Let's break this down quickly.
Where it hurts changes how you train and rehab
Is your Achilles pain at your heel bone?
Does it feel worse...
after or during speed work
with repeated hill sprints
feels the most tender at the point where the tendon meets the heel, but more so on the outside (lateral) portion of the tendon
and if you've been biking to cross train, it sometimes feels worse at the bottom of the pedal stroke
If this is you, you're probably struggling with insertional Achilles tendinopathy where traditional calf raises may have "worked" at first, but now they don't.
Or is your Achilles pain above your heel bone, lingering near the middle of the tendon?
It probably feels worse...
first in the morning
Feels thick, ropey, and maybe even looks a little swollen, roughly 2cm or more above your heel bone
You can physically pinch your tendon, causing some tenderness
often feels better the more calf raises you do
If this is you, you're probably fighting mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy which responds well to more load, but the right kind, at the right time.
Why Your Regular Calf Raises aren't Working
If you’ve been treating your Achilles pain with all the tact of mashing potatoes for your carb load, it makes sense that your progress has stalled.
Because here's the key:
Pain and injuries at different tendon locations = different loading rules.
And as you add in hills or speed, potentially running on ever changing wintery-surfaces with different footwear, you're challenging your achilles to the max without providing strength-reinforcements.
Fortunately for you, you now have answers.
Because your goal isn’t to stop running and keep resting. It’s to stop guessing and start training.
So let me show you the 5 different, running-specific exercises to load, heal, and strengthen your Achilles to finally kick discomfort to curb and get you back to running strong and fast again.
The Achilles Exercises Every Runner Should Doing
Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy (Heel Bone):
2-3 sets each // LIGHT & medium weights
2 Feet to Weight Shift Iso Hold Calf Raise
45 secs hold x 5 sets with rest as needed in between
RPE 8 // calves should be cooked by end of 45 secs
Weighted Calf Raises for Tempo
Double or single leg calf raises as tolerated but with 2 secs up; 3 secs down.
3-4 sets of 8 @ RPE 8
2 Legged Hurdle Jumps
4 sets of 8-10 jumps with a stop between individual jumps
Mid-portion Achilles Tendinopathy (Middle of Tendon)
2-3 sets each // LIGHT & medium weights
Mid-Range Iso Hold Calf Raise
45 secs hold x 5 sets with rest as needed in between; RPE 8 // calves should be cooked by end of 45 secs
Can be single or double leg; about 55% of full calf raise *see notes below.
Single Leg Weighted Calf Raises
4 sets of 8 SL calf raises with dumbbells or BB for an RPE of 8
Why Your Achilles Rehab Isn’t Working (It Might Be the Wrong Type)
2 Feet to Weight Shift Iso Hold Calf Raise
I know what you're thinking: "This will be too easy. There's no way this will help..."
Like the name implies, you travel to the top of your calf raise with both feet, then shift your weight onto the injured side while staying tall at the top. Some runners will get enough stimulus with bodyweight alone, but others will need to add weight.
THE REASON: This calf raise variation is designed to train the very top of your calf raise, which a lot of runners lose when they struggle with insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
However, you 100% need this lost range because this is where speed happens. So the goal of this calf raise is your ability to hold the height, because the Achilles experiences the most compression at its insertion right at the tippy top of the calf raise.
This is the position your tendon needs to tolerate for hills and speed work. If you feel like you could hold it all day, add weight until the calf is fully cooked by the end of the hold.
Weighted Calf Raises for Tempo
Here me out. This is actually the secret sauce...
THE SECRET: This weighted calf raise is about control, not just load. It can be done single-leg or double-leg at an RPE of ~8 with minimal pain. What most runners miss they stack weight on their calf raises, crank out 3×10, and wonder why their insertional Achilles never settles down.
The issue isn’t the exercise: it’s the tempo and form. Every rep should be slow and intentional: 2 seconds up, 3 seconds down, with no heels spinning out, no feet collapsing or bowing, and full control through the movement.
While heavy load helps build calf and tendon strength, a painful Achilles often reacts more to speed than weight. Slowing the reps is what tells the tendon it’s safe to tolerate load again. Perform 3-4 sets of 8 slow, high-quality reps.
2 Legged Hurdle Jumps
I need you to be smart adding this one in...
because technically you should only be starting these once you can do 25-35 single leg calf raises without pain.
WHY YOU NEED THESE: This double-leg hurdle jump reintroduces energy storage and release in a controlled way, something your Achilles must tolerate for hills and speed work. Jumping is important, but doing too much too soon can flare symptoms just as quickly as avoiding it altogether.
That’s why this drill is non-continuous: you jump, land, reset, then jump again. Using two legs reduces stress while still training the tendon to absorb and release force safely. This gradual exposure helps rebuild tolerance so when speed or hills return, your Achilles is actually ready for it.
Mid-Range Iso Hold Calf Raise
"Didn't we just do this exercise?" Not quite.
THE KEY: This exercise looks similar to the top-range hold, but the position is different. And that difference matters for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.
You rise up on two feet, shift your weight to the injured side, and hold a mid-range calf raise. Think roughly halfway up, where the tendon feels loaded but not fully compressed at the heel. This position targets the exact area where mid-substance Achilles pain typically lives.
Use enough weight that the calf is fully cooked by the end of a 45-second hold (RPE ~8). Complete 5 holds, resting between each. If you drift too high, you change the stimulus, so stay honest about the height.
Single Leg Weighted Calf Raises
Hmmhmm, don't skip these. There's nuance here...
WHAT YOU'RE MISSING: These single-leg weighted calf raises may look basic, but for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy, they’re very specific. Perform 4 sets of 8 reps per side using a barbell, dumbbell, or some other weight.
There’s no fancy tempo here, just steady, controlled reps with no rushing. But the priority is excellent form: staying tall, moving your heel straight up and down, and keeping the foot and heel aligned. Many runners dismiss this exercise because they’ve “done it a million times,” but that’s exactly why it works when done correctly. Quality loading in this pattern builds tendon capacity, supports a return to speed work, and helps the Achilles tolerate running again without pain.
WRAPPING UP
What I need you to walk away with:
Achilles tendinopathy isn’t a one-size-fits-all injury, and that’s why generic calf work so often falls short.
Where your pain is located determines how your tendon needs to be loaded, how fast, and through which range.
When exercises match the type of Achilles issue you’re dealing with, progress finally starts to happen and pain stops dictating your training.
If you want a clear, runner-specific plan to strengthen your calves and Achilles without guessing, I’ve put one together for you.
You can grab my Calf & Achilles Cure to learn exactly how to load your tendon the right way so you can get back to hills, speed work, and consistent running with confidence.
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit