Increase calf strength without heel raises

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Some people find heel raises painful or difficult

The following exercises maybe easier for some people

This is not a deep squat with weights so the knees cam safely be bended farther for some people then when doing deep squats

Although normally it is recommemded not to move the knee past the toes and that is unsafe for some people it maybe safe for others if no weight other than body weight is used and the pelvis is not brought low down as in a deep squat and the torso or back is not flexed forward nor extended backward.  For those for whom it is safe the knees should be bent as much as possible even past the toes for the end range of the concentric and eccentric exercise and for the pose position for the isometric exercise, but the knees should not be bent that far for the those for whom it is unsafe.

Hip Turn Out - External rotation of the hip and or transverse plane hip abduction

Hip Turn In - Internal rotation of the hip and or transverse plane hip adduction

Each of these exercises when done standing symetrically on two legs can be done with the hips in neutral turned out, or turned in.  The feet can be far apart or close together but how far your knees can bend maybe limitted when the hips are turned in and the knees are close together if these exercises are done symetrically.

Feet should be kept in neutral even when the hips are rotated

The feet should stay in neutral relative to the hips and knees

The feet should rotate in the transverse plane as a result of staying in neutral relative to the hips when the hips turn out or turn in

These exercises should not be done with the feet rotated in the transverse plane through any means other than hip turn in or hip turn out.  Do not cause transverse foot rotation through transverse rotation of the knee, shin - tibia and fibula, ankle or foot joints.

When done with the hips turned out this exercise is called a shallow ballet plie according to the brittanica. 

Performed in all of the five basic foot positions, pliés may be shallow, so that the dancer’s heels remain on the floor (demi-plié), or deep, so that in all foot positions except the second the heels rise (grand plié).

https://web.archive.org/web/20150905233228/britannica.com/art/plie

In all positions each leg is turned sideways from the hip

https://web.archive.org/web/20150905192033/http://britannica.com/art/ballet-position

The hips turned out, two foot version of this exercise is discussed with certain extra details here.  You should access the most recent date if viewing from a archive.  You should not bother reading that longer article with extra details, however, without reading this shorter article first.

http://postscarcityfitness.blogspot.com/2022/08/how-to-increase-standing-hip-turn-out.html

web.archive.org/web/*/http://postscarcityfitness.blogspot.com/2022/08/how-to-increase-standing-hip-turn-out.html

Concentrically and Eccentrically

Two feet

Should be done with sagital plane symetry

Flexing and extending the knees while keeping both heels on the floor with the torso vertical - the back straight neither flexed forward nor extended backward

One foot

The same exercise can be done while standing on one foot keeping that foot's heel on the ground and only flexing and extending the knee for the leg you are standing on

Isometrically

Two feet

Should be done with sagital plane symetry

Flex the knees as much as safely possible while keeping both heels on the floor with the torso vertical - the back straight neither flexed forward nor extended backward

One foot

The same exercise can be done while standing on one foot keeping that foot's heel on the ground and only flexing the knee for the leg you are standing on

Will this build strength to make heel raises easier and less painful?

I do not know if it would work, but it might be possible to do this type of exercise first until you are strong enough to do heel raises easier and with less pain then move on to doing heel raises

Will deep squats accomplish this same thing?

I do not know, but they might fatigue the person faster so their calves do not get a chance to exercise for as much time isometrically or as many repetitions concentrically and eccentrically doing deep squats then the exercise above

You might not be able to bend the knees safely as far doing deep squats, resulting in less ankle dorsifkexion than these exercises

There are more muscles than the soleous and gastrochnemius that plantarflex the foot and or ankle that additionally invert or evert the ankle which might be activated in the hip turn in version of these exercises or if the person can turn out their hips farther in these exercises than in deep squats.  Hip turn in is probably something that I would guess should be avoided in deep squats for most people, and I do not know if there are any exceptions where it would be beneficial and not dangerous to do hip turn in for deep squats in specific situations.

Copyright Carl Janssen 2022