You have two major calf muscles, the soleus and gastrocnemius, which both attach to your Achilles tendon. Calf raise machines allow you to work these muscles against resistance, through a set range of motion. The guided range of motion makes using calf raise machines easier for beginners, since you can focus on pushing the weight instead of stabilizing it too.
Parts
All standing calf raise machines have a non-slip foot platform that elevates your feet to allow for greater range of motion and a padded shoulder yoke that rests on your shoulders. Levers connect the shoulder yoke to additional weights, which provide resistance as you plantarflex your feet, or point your toes. You can also adapt some T-bar setups for use as a standing calf raise machine, grasping the handles instead of resting a yoke across your shoulders.
Muscles Worked
Because standing calf raise machines invariably position you with your legs straight, they focus on the gastrocnemius instead of the soleus. Seated or bent-knee calf raises, by comparison, work your soleus. Theoretically you could work your soleus in a standing calf raise machine by standing with your knees bent, but unless you're very tall you might not be able to move through the full range of motion. You'd also put yourself at risk of falling while maintaining a partial squat on the foot platform and lifting weight at the same time --- not recommended.
Adjusting Resistance
Standing calf raise machines allow you to slowly increase the resistance as you get stronger, so you are always fatigued by the time you've done your target number of repetitions. Most machines adjust in one of two ways. Plate-loading machines have bars mounted to the machine; you slide weight plates onto the bars to adjust the resistance. For selectorized machines, you slide a selector pin into a stack of weight plates to select how much weight you lift.
Using the Machine
Proper range of motion is one of the most important considerations when using standing calf raise machines. The raised platform allows you to lower your heels, but you should never confuse stretching with strength training. Always limit yourself to a range of motion that doesn't cause tightness or stretch in your calf muscles. In a similar vein, always keep the weight under control; bouncing out of control into the bottom of the range of motion poses a serious risk of injury to your calf muscles and Achilles tendon.
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