Make Calves Smaller

If you have bulky, fatty, or just disproportionately large calves, then help is on the way. If your calves are overly toned, then you can make them smaller by avoiding exercise that adds resistance to the calf muscle. If you have fatty calves, however, then you'll need to take the opposite approach -- doing exercises that make you use up more calories than you take in. That way you will lose weight (fat, if your nutrition is good). Please note spot fat reduction is physically impossible through nutrition and exercise. No matter what kind of large calves you have, stretching will help tone them down too. If you want to know how to make your calves smaller, just follow these steps.

Steps

Stretches for Shrinking Any Calves

  1. Reach for your toes when you're sitting down. Simply sit down with your legs close together and slowly lean forward as you reach your hands toward your toes. Flex your toes and move closer to them, as far as is comfortable for you, until you feel a nice burn in your calves. Hold this pose for 15 seconds and repeat it three times.
  2. Do the wide stance stretch. Just stand with one leg stretched out in front of you with the other leg behind you, separating your legs as far as they can comfortably go. Then, bend your front knee and keep your back foot flat on the ground, feeling the burn in your back calf. Keep your torso and back straight, looking straight ahead as you continue to elongate -- and therefore, shrink -- that back calf muscle.
    • Hold this pose for 10-15 seconds and repeat it on the other side. Do five of these stretches on each calf.
  3. Do the step stretch. To do this, just stand with one foot flat on the ground, with the other foot flexed straight out in front of you, with about half your foot planted over the top of a stair. Lean forward and feel the stretch in the calf of the planted foot. Hold this stretch, making sure to keep your planted foot flat on the ground and the leg on the stairs completely straight, as you feel the burn in the calf muscle.
    • Hold this pose for 15-20 seconds and repeat it on the other side. Do five of these stretches on each calf.
  4. Do the Downward Facing Dog pose in Yoga. This basic yoga pose is perfect for stretching out the calves and can be repeated many times during a yoga practice or just done on its own to shrink down your calves. To do the downward dog pose, lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and your feet unflexed behind you. Use your hands to push yourself off the floor, shifting your weight to your heels while your hips move in the air. Your body should be making a reverse "V" shape, with your ears near your elbows and your heels as close to the floor as they can go.
    • Hold this pose for at least 25-30 seconds as you feel the burn in both of your calves. This is one of the best exercises that stretches both calves at once.
    • The closer you get your heels to the floor, the more effective the stretch. If you're up high on your toes, then you'll actually be toning your calves instead of slimming them down.
  5. Do Yoga. Though the downward facing dog pose is great for stretching out your calves, making yoga a part of your weekly exercise routine in general can help you stretch out your calves and tone them down. There are many yoga poses that target the calf muscle and stretch it out without adding tone or bulk to the calf. Here are some yoga poses that are especially helpful for stretching out those calves:
    • The warrior one pose. For this pose, stand with one foot in front of you and one foot behind you, with your hips centered and your arms lifted in the air.
    • The triangle pose. Stand with your feet wide apart, with one foot in front and one foot behind you, and lean in toward the front foot with the hand on the same side.
    • The forward fold. To do a forward fold, simply stand up with your feet close together and fold forward, reaching your hands toward your legs.
  6. Do Pilates. Pilates is another great workout that is designed to not only build strength, but to improve your flexibility and focus. Pilates is a great workout that is traditionally done on an exercise mat, using a variety of apparatuses to help strengthen and stretch your body. Make Pilates a part of your weekly routine if you want to slim down, strengthen up, and reduce the size of those calves.
    • The saw and the wall roll-down are two Pilates exercises that will stretch the back of your legs.

Shrinking Overly-Toned Calves

  1. Step on your entire foot whenever you can. This is the easiest way to make your toned calves smaller. Your calves may be overly toned because you're walking, running, or exercising on your toes instead of stepping onto your heel and your toes. Though there are some exercises or movements that will require you to step on your toes, such as ballet, any time you're stretching, squatting, running, or even just walking to the bus stop, take a minute to pay attention to your feet to make sure you're planting your foot on your heel and then your toes, and not just walking on your toes and letting your heels lift to the ground.[1]
    • You may not even realize that you walk on your toes. Ask a friend to observe you walking and get an honest opinion.
    • For an exaggerated motion, you can even curl up your toes a bit when you're exercising. For example, if you're doing squats, try to lift your toes off the ground and put your weight on your heels for an added effect.
  2. Avoid exercises that build too much resistance against your calves. If you have toned calves already, then doing exercises that build resistance against your calves will make them even bigger. You should avoid any activity that makes your calves burn as they feel an increased pressure. Here are some activities that you should avoid unless you want to make those calves even bigger:[1]
    • Walking or running on hills. Though walking and running builds resistance against your calves, you shouldn't avoid these activities all together, but you should try to walk or run in a flat area whenever you can.
    • Climbing. Take it easy on the stair climber, walking up stairs, or even rock climbing.
    • Jumping rope. Jumping up and down on your toes is a great cardiovascular exercise, but it will also make for larger calves.
    • Calf raises. This is a quick way to increase the size of your calves if you already have toned legs.
    • Sprinting. Sprinters run on their toes, and this will bulk up those calves.
  3. Take up a cardiovascular exercise routine. A cardiovascular routine can help you slim down and lose some overall body weight while slimming down your calves. You may not need to lose weight, and you can add more healthy foods to your diet if you don't want to shed the pounds, but doing a cardiovascular exercise routine 2-3 times a week that doesn't put pressure on your calves will help you shrink them. Here are some great exercises to do:
    • Taking long walks on flat roads
    • Endurance running in a flat area
    • Swimming
    • Biking on flat surfaces or on an exercise bike without a high-resistance setting
    • Using the elliptical

Shrinking Fatty Calves

  1. Do weight training using small weights. If you want to lose weight overall, helping you shrink down your calves, then you should try weight training using small weights that help you slim down instead of adding bulk to your calves. If you have fatty calves, then chances are that the rest of your body can benefit from weight loss.
  2. Jump rope. Jumping rope is a great cardiovascular exercise that puts pressure on your toes, flexing your calves and making them build muscle tone while burning the fat around those calves. Start by jumping rope for thirty seconds at a time and build up to jumping for one minute at a time or more. Jumping rope will make your calves pretty sore after a while, so when you're starting out, jump for no more than a few minutes at a time.
    • Jumping rope causes you to jump on the toes and balls of your feet. Both actions tone calves.
    • If possible, do double jumps (passing the rope under your feet twice for every single jump). This slims legs even faster.
  3. Do squats. Use your body weight as resistance. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, put your hands on your hips, and bend down at the knees, so you're toning your calves and thighs. For added effect for your calves, try to lean your weight into your heels, not your toes, so you'll be burning fat more and toning those calves less. Hold each squat for 2-3 seconds and come up again, standing straight. Do 10-15 squats at a time.[2]
    • Adding extra weight when squatting can add bulk to calves.
    • For added balance, extend both arms directly in front of you with your palms facing the floor, parallel to the floor.
    • In conjunction with the proper exercise routine, this will help you reduce calorie and fat intake and increase positive muscle development.
  4. Do calf raises. To do a calf raise, simply stand with your legs a hips' distance apart and hold on to a surface like a chair or a table with your hands. Then, lift up your legs so you're just standing on your toes and the balls of your feet, lifting your heels in the air. Hold each calf raise for at least one second before coming back down on your heels, feeling your calves getting toned. Do a series of 20 calf raises at a time.[3]
    • For variety, you can also do calf pulses. Just do a calf raise, but keep moving up and down without coming all the way back down on your heels. Lift higher on your toes, and then lower, and keep moving up and down without holding the raise. Just 10-15 of these will wear you out as much as 20 calf raises.
  5. Do soccer kicks. To do the soccer kick, simply stand in front of a surface that is elevated about as much as a soccer ball. Put your hands on your hips and then kick one foot so that the toe is touching the surface of the area, or the "ball," while the other foot is about a foot's length behind it. Then, kick so that the feet switch positions, with the other foot pointed at the other surface while the other is on the ground. Repeat this quickly, so you're not pausing in between kicks, and feel the burn in your calves.
  6. Climb stairs. Whether you're on a stair climber at your gym or just making an effort to walk up five flights of stairs at work instead of taking the elevator, climbing stairs is a great way to burn fat on your legs while toning those calf muscles and getting rid of the fatty area around them. Make a goal of climbing stairs for at least 10-15 minutes a day.
  7. Walk up hills. If you live in a hilly area, make a goal of walking up some hills instead of taking the easier and flatter route, next time. Walking up hills will build resistance to those calf muscles and will tone them while burning the fat around them at the same time.
  8. Eat a low-fat diet. If you have fatty calves and need to lose weight, then you can't really target the calves with a weight loss plan, but you can eat a low fat diet that reduces your overall weight. To eat a low fat diet, focus on eating fruits and vegetables, eating healthy carbohydrates (such as eating wheat bread instead of regular bread), and lean proteins (such as lean turkey instead of juicy ribs).



Tips

  • Remember that genetics also plays a part in the size and proportion of your calf muscles. If you are predisposed to larger calves, it may be that much more difficult and time consuming to make calves smaller.
  • Walk on a treadmill.
  • Have your walk analyzed by a trained physician or physical therapist. It may be possible that you're overemphasizing the use of calf muscles when walking, which contributes to bulky calves. By strengthening your shin muscles, it is actually possible to achieve leaner, thinner calves.

Warnings

  • Avoid walking in high heels for extended periods of time. In addition to potential foot and back problems, walking in high heels can contribute to calf muscle development.
  • Consult a physician before undertaking a new exercise regime or dietary plan. This is especially true if you have any potentially conflicting health concerns such as diabetes.

Things You'll Need

  • Weights (light)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-slim-calves.html
  2. ↑ http://www.leancurves.com/the-best-calf-exercises-to-get-you-sexy-legs
  3. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ze_6pm_A5c

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