Eccentric Single-Leg Heel Drop

About This Exercise

A single-leg eccentric calf drill performed off a step. Lowers slowly from a heel-up position to a heel-below-toe position, then resets passively (the other leg or both legs do the lift). Builds the slow-eccentric capacity that the gastrocnemius, soleus, and Achilles complex needs to absorb each foot strike — a strong evidence-based protocol for Achilles-tendon resilience in runners.

1Setup

Stand on a step or sturdy raised surface with the balls of one foot on the edge and the heel hanging off the back. Hold a wall, rail, or doorframe lightly with one hand for balance. Start in a lifted-heel position with the working leg heel high and the other foot lifted off the step (or lightly resting on the supporting surface during the lower).

2Execution

Lower the working-leg heel slowly under control (3-4 second eccentric) until the heel is below the level of the toes — full range, ankle dorsiflexed. At the bottom, place the non-working foot down or use both legs to drive back up to the start position; the working leg does not perform the concentric. Complete all reps on one side, then switch.

Pro Tips

• The work is in the slow lower — hurry or bounce and you lose the stimulus
• Full range — heel below toe level — is what trains the tendon
• Step optional: if no step is available, perform on flat floor with shorter range; stimulus is still useful, step gives the full Alfredson-protocol range
• For runners: this is the highest-evidence Achilles-tendinopathy resilience drill