Big calves, how to reduce them

[london402]

use high reps?
dont workout calves?

jog till the cows come home?

[Cogar]

My guess (not being a woman) would be to avoid working them. Anything you ignore will start to lag, eventually. Also, find a type of cardio that does not use them either, like rowing or you will be "accidentally" exercising them during your aerobic training.

[london402]

aerobic training doesnt ad muscle
if anything its catabolic.

wouldnt high reps, say 20....make the muscle harder and much tighter?

[clc0303]

What's wrong with large calves?? I used to play tennis w/a girl who had the biggest, most muscular calves I have ever seen in my life-no joke, and the guys drooled over them. And she never worked out (lifting) in her life....it's genetics.

My guess--and I'd like someone who really knows to jump in here-would be to work them, yes, but only once a week and like one or two sets...
I don't think you want to skip them entirely.

[london402]

big calves/ankle?

no thanks.

long and sleek is what i like.

[maxxxwell]

Hey, guys like meat. period.

I say keep the calves!

[LadyStarlight]

Originally posted by london402
big calves/ankle?

no thanks.

long and sleek is what i like.

I got 'em too.......I hear you.......

[london402]

apparently this is permanent.

I even walk with my feet out like a penguin to make it worse.
My parents shoulda hooked me up with those forest gump boots when i was a kid

[MomWantsRipped]

I'd say, you have big calves, if they are LEAN big calves, just keep 'em. Live with what you are and build on that, don't try to destroy it. No eating dosorders to try to lose them.

I have *always* had big muscular calves. It takes me a while to get the rest of me in proportion to my monster calves. Male athletes have made cracks about my legs before. It doesn't phase me now, at 39, but at 13-23 or so I didn't take it so well...

Sandi

[london402]

anyone else?

maybe its just matter of bodyfatt %

[hotgymchick]

Avoid stairs or inclines (run on flat surface, bike on flat). It could also be genetics. I'd switch up the cardio and see how it goes.

[qtnsxygurl]

Count me in on the big calfes and ankles.. it's so unattractive.

[MomWantsRipped]

Just because a woman has large calves does NOT mean that she also has big ankles! I don't know where this preposterous notion got started. Some of us have large, developed calves, and reasonable ankles!

Originally posted by qtnsxygurl
Count me in on the big calfes and ankles.. it's so unattractive.

Sandi

[Metal Mikey]

Originally posted by clc0303
What's wrong with large calves?? I used to play tennis w/a girl who had the biggest, most muscular calves I have ever seen in my life-no joke, and the guys drooled over them.

I know I sure as hell do!
Women with some (well) developped calves have even MORE of the "curves" we guys so crave in them...

God, I could kiss and lick a pair till there's no tomorrow.
Better stop typin' 'cuz I'm gettin' carried away.

[SKorn]

Originally posted by london402

I even walk with my feet out like a penguin to make it worse.

You have weak hamstrings. Strengthen them to help fix this.

[Eyes Open]

Generally if you do a lot of cardio, your muscle bulk will reduce.

If you're one of those people who have large calves in the family, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do to reduce them...just based on the way your skeleton is put together and how gravity pulls at you.

You can definitely work to shape your muscles to lengthen them as much as possible, thus reducing any bunched up appearance (major months-long stretching project...maybe forever, even), but that's a whole body effort, not just the calves.

Good cardio to do for shaping and trimming the lower legs are running and cycling, but you really have to do hard work and sprinting. Long, steady state is good for overall fat loss, but real sculpting comes from the high intensity bursts and painful lactic acid inducing efforts (I know, it sucks, but that's the price you gotta pay for the piper).

Have patience, too. You're trying to work against your genetic tendency...not an easy task.

Good luck!

[london402]

SKorn.....
How is this so? Hamstrings are what keep the legs straight?

The legs are kinda bull legged, and feet go out a bit to the sides.

[Eyes Open]

Talking to a physical therapist would be a great place to start. You can simply make a few phone calls.

As Skorn has suggested, muscular imbalances cause your skeleton to become out of alignment. Physical therapists can tell you which exercises to do to regain proper function.

Good luck.

[goddezz]

I also have very large muscular calves and have always had them. Even when I weighed 105 lbs (which I obviously am far from now). I have always gotten comments on how great they look. Right now I don't work them exclusively but as a secondary they get worked like in squats and deads etc. I don't want them bigger but I also don't want them to turn to mush and flab :shrugs:

[egoatdoor]

Originally posted by london402
use high reps?
dont workout calves?

jog till the cows come home?

If your calves are truly" big" as opposed to muscular, I wouldn't train them at all. Let them atrophy a bit.

I saw a girl at the beach today, the server at a concession stand. She had not "big" calves, but very developed, vascular calves which I thought looked fine.

[hotgymchick]

Egoatdoor, do you think its bad to not train calves at all, even if they are already developed? I don't have "big" calves, but I have high definition and development. However, I think not training them is detrimental to my other workouts, namely, stair running. I feel like they are so weak, yet do not want them to develop more-what do you think I should do?

[egoatdoor]

Originally posted by hotgymchick
Egoatdoor, do you think its bad to not train calves at all, even if they are already developed? I don't have "big" calves, but I have high definition and development. However, I think not training them is detrimental to my other workouts, namely, stair running. I feel like they are so weak, yet do not want them to develop more-what do you think I should do?

I only recommend this for extreme cases. If she is really concerned about the size, then a possible solution is to let them atrophy a bit. I wouldn't say stop training them permanently, but until they get more in balance with the rest of the leg and body.

Myself, my thighs have a habit of growing too big for the rest of me, so periodically I will only train legs every 2 weeks (instead of one) for maybe 2 or 3 months and train the upper body more to get everything back in balance.

In your case, H, I would not say to stop training the calves. Again, if you have other weaker points, then an idea may be emphasizing those parts and do not spend a lot of energy on training your already superior calves.

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally posted by Agressor
I am a guy, and this is an example of my type of calves i prefer on a hoe/lady.

dont like skinny legs on chicks.

I don't know about anyone else, but your definition of skinny is apparently different than mine. Personally that woman does not have the kind of look I like, including her calves. I'd rather see more muscular calves than hers, but that's just me.

I don't think I've actually ever seen defined calves on a natural female bodybuilder that I thought were too big. In all the cases I've seen, they look great!

[RippedUp]

Originally posted by Agressor
I am a guy, and this is an example of my type of calves i prefer on a hoe/lady.

Dude, either you get the hell out of this section, or you control your language.

If neither works, you are gone.

[buffmama33]

God I'm sick about all these women posting about how their calves are too big. PUUHHLLLEEASSSSEE.

[mommy*2*3]

Sorry, but I think it's a matter of bodyfat.

[playmaker]

i agree with mommy!

[fitgirlinidaho]

So let me borrow your calves for a day...mine are too skinny! LOL

[user423337]

I'm a guy and I think big calves look great.

[sweetphysique]

Hey, good for you--if you mean, you have a lot of muscle in your calves. I want more muscle there! My calves are somewhat developed, but they are overshadowed by all the muscle mass of my thighs. To make my legs look more proportional, I am trying to bring my calves out.

Also, in bodybuilding competition, a side-chest pose on stage is accented beautifully when you can flex your calf and show a deep soleus groove and a bubbly gastrocnemius! People like you are often the envy of people like us From what I've seen, many women generally neglect focusing on their their calves compared to other muscle groups...Maybe you should compete since you are ahead of the game