is calf size more genetic?

brscott22

I have always had very small calves no matter what I do. My 11 year old daughter pointed out to me that mine were smaller than hers. I work as a roofer on my feet all day carrying things up ladders and the guys I work with doing the same thing have massive calves. I measured them at 11.25 and looking at the average on line that is quite small.

Do genetics play a big role in calf size?

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

In small part genetic, mostly diet and activity level. I'm fairly lean but my calves are a pretty good size. I've noticed throughout my weight loss/fitness journey my bust, waist, and hip measurements have decreased, but my forearm, upper arm, thigh, and calf measurements have gone up. It really just comes down to how much muscle you have on your calves and how much fat you have. Where you store fat is genetic so you might not carry much in your calves. This doesn't mean that you can't increase your calf size. I don't store much fat on my calf, but through exercise I've increased my calf size.

brscott22

In small part genetic, mostly diet and activity level. I'm fairly lean but my calves are a pretty good size. I've noticed throughout my weight loss/fitness journey my bust, waist, and hip measurements have decreased, but my forearm, upper arm, thigh, and calf measurements have gone up. It really just comes down to how much muscle you have on your calves and how much fat you have. Where you store fat is genetic so you might not carry much in your calves. This doesn't mean that you can't increase your calf size. I don't store much fat on my calf, but through exercise I've increased my calf size.

I don't think I carry any extra fat in my lower body unfortunately, just my stomach

Dave198lbs

In small part genetic, mostly diet and activity level.

flip this around and you have your answer

ilovedeadlifts

do some calf work?


Typically people who were pretty large most of their lives have huge calves.

ErinGBragh

My family all have huge calves. Even when I was 199 lbs 11 years ago, my calves looked like I'd been working out. My daughter went to a gymnastics preschool class when she was 2 and one mom turned to me and said "How long has she been going here??? Her calves are super developed!" LOL. So in my case, the genes are strong!

Hendrix7

if you want bigger calves train your calves 4-6 days a week.

Every (natural) person I have ever come across that has made significant progress with calves did a ton of frequency.

AntWrig

if you want bigger calves train your calves 4-6 days a week.

Every (natural) person I have ever come across that has made significant progress with calves did a ton of frequency.

You mean eat in a surplus and then.....

amishabbie17

do some calf work?


Typically people who were pretty large most of their lives have huge calves.

That is me... I would like to get smaller calves and do tons of cardio but you can only fix sooo much

chocl8girl

My calves have always been enormous and muscular. In fact, one of the first more hurtful comments that I always remember about my weight was a boy saying how huge my calves were when I was around 11. lol. BUT, I also always played soccer as a child, and once, at summer camp, a group of us were playing soccer, and this boy and I happened to go for the ball at the same time, and kicked each other instead, and I ended up with a bruise on the top of my foot, and his leg broke in two places. :blushing: So yeah, my calves may be big, but the force is strong hah. I'd say just work on the muscles as much as you can...

Dauntlessness

IMO Women are built for muscular lower bodies as to bare children and Men have muscular upper bodies to adapt to physical work. forage for food, kill things with their caveman bat...you know, the typical things we do these days. haha

-I don't mean it as a sexist comment but that's just how our genetics played out and what we have evolved into over thousands of years. It is what it is.

brscott22

IMO Women are built for muscular lower bodies as to bare children and Men have muscular upper bodies to adapt to physical work. forage for food, kill things with their caveman bat...you know, the typical things we do these days. haha

-I don't mean it as a sexist comment but that's just how our genetics played out and what we have evolved into over thousands of years. It is what it is.

Lol

professorRAT

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html

"Of all of the bodyparts that bodybuilder types want to grow, calves have traditionally been one of the most difficult. In fact, in the field, calves are often thought to be one of the most genetic muscle groups, you either have them or don’t have them."

Good article and website, check it out.

brscott22

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html

"Of all of the bodyparts that bodybuilder types want to grow, calves have traditionally been one of the most difficult. In fact, in the field, calves are often thought to be one of the most genetic muscle groups, you either have them or don’t have them."

Good article and website, check it out.

thanks

brscott22

Mine are pretty much straight up and down just hoping for a little definition in the middle so it looks better in shorts

sjohnny

Cow milk will apparently grow a calf into a 1000 pound steer.

EvgeniZyntx

You can call it genetics but also general physiology like bone length and height/weight play a role. These are partially defined by the nutrient environment in childhood.

I have big beefy calves - unfortunately it is also one othe last places where I lose fat, so unless I go down into ridonculo low bf% mine look like furry Lincoln Logs.

lorcart

I would GLADLY do a calf donation for you! lol I have PLENTY of ginormous calf to spare!

brscott22

I would GLADLY do a calf donation for you! lol I have PLENTY of ginormous calf to spare!

sounds good lol

ninerbuff

Calves are mostly genetic. Higher insertions of the gastrocnemius will make the calf appear "high" while a lower insertion gives a fuller appearance. You can't change the insertion and muscle shape, although you can increase it's size. Whether you have high /full calves, blame your parents.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Nataliaho

Agree with calves being largly genetic.. sorry

juliec33

I've lost 80 lbs since my highest weight and the measurment of my calves hasn't changed at all - 15.5in. I know that I have the same legs that my Dad does with super muscular calves. I always just assumed it was pretty much genetic.

Nataliaho

I went to high school with a family of big-calved kids, freaky musclular calves. The three boys were all football players and generally big, though their calves were still obviously large proportionately. The sister unfortunately went through a bad time where she was bulimic. Even when she was very very underweight, her calves were buff.

brscott22

Maybe a little longer climbing ladders will help. The guys I work with have been doing it a long time.

Lconsla

Maybe a little longer climbing ladders will help. The guys I work with have been doing it a long time.

My husband is a roofer and has the same problem. All his weight is in his belly (i think it just needs tapped lol), but his lower body has always been defined. His calves are super muscular from going up and down ladders for 20+ years.

dorianaldyn

I've always had larger calves. Even at my lowest weights (I'm currently a size 4 in most things), my calves are big. I'm also short (5'2") and have a long torso - so basically I can never, ever find tall boots that fit me properly. They don't fit around my calves, they're too long... I'm just destined to never wear tall boots. Of course that makes me really want some.

Dave198lbs

I've always had larger calves. Even at my lowest weights (I'm currently a size 4 in most things), my calves are big. I'm also short (5'2") and have a long torso - so basically I can never, ever find tall boots that fit me properly. They don't fit around my calves, they're too long... I'm just destined to never wear tall boots. Of course that makes me really want some.

custom made

brscott22

Maybe a little longer climbing ladders will help. The guys I work with have been doing it a long time.

My husband is a roofer and has the same problem. All his weight is in his belly (i think it just needs tapped lol), but his lower body has always been defined. His calves are super muscular from going up and down ladders for 20+ years.

hopefully I'll get there doing the same

love22step

Calf size seems to be genetic. I seem to have inherited my large, muscular calves from my mother. In my younger days, I wished they were smaller, but I've gotten used to them over the years.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

My calves got much bigger when I started riding my bike like crazy. I was eating more than twice what I'm eating now and biking 25-40 miles a day.

brscott22

My calves got much bigger when I started riding my bike like crazy. I was eating more than twice what I'm eating now and biking 25-40 miles a day.

Im big into mountain biking but I probably need to do it more