Very muscly legs... Anything I can do?

fizzletto
fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've had very muscly calves all my life. I've never done dance classes or joined a sports team or exercised at all really. They are just naturally muscly. My mum is the same.

I have a bit of weight left to lose, but if I tense my calf muscles I can feel that there is no more fat on the bottom halves of my legs any more. It's all muscle, but I don't like it. I find it hard fitting in to skinny jeans because of my muscly calves and I want to go down another jeans size, but I can't because of my stupid legs!

Is there ANYTHING I can do to reduce the amount of muscle in my lower legs? Or am I stuck like this and have to try to embrace it somehow?
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Replies

  • SmileyFaceGuy
    SmileyFaceGuy Posts: 201
    Short of getting around in a wheelchair, I doubt it.
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    embrace what you got...some people would kill to have calves. I personally have cows so I am just going with it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,022 Member
    Can't change your genetics.

    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
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Please don't
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    Can't change your genetics.

    Pretty much- need to learn to love it- or at least be grateful you have legs...
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Can't change your genetics.
    ^ This. It is what it is.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    I WISH I had that problem. I have muscular thighs but chickeny calves. :laugh: It's not a good look, especially considering that I have big feet.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    Muscles are hot. Love them. Screw skinny jeans. Leave them for the hipsters.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    *sigh* You're all right. I could have it so much worse I guess.
  • I_am_katy
    I_am_katy Posts: 8
    Sorry but they're not going anywhere! I've got muscly calves to (and have gone through the same thing) and I've found heels elongate your calves and make them look skinnier?

    But apart from that embrace them! Just think, they'll help you jump higher and power your muscles when you're moving and exercising, think of all the positives and you'll realise you're really lucky!
  • alexbusnello
    alexbusnello Posts: 1,010 Member
    Be happy you're not like me - all mush.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Last time I heard is that calves are the last place to store fat, even on a big person. Whatever the shape you've got is pretty much decided by genes. :(

    I have hard time with skinnies as well. Everytime trying on a pair simply crushes that last drop of my self esteem. Slowly I learned not to look for depression by avoiding skinny but bootcut and wide legs. :)

    Also, if you live in US, you can check out the skinnies that DG2 makes. She sells these on hsn. They are extremely flattering on thicker legs.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Surgery?
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    *sigh* You're all right. I could have it so much worse I guess.

    Dude, I just looked at your photos, and your calves are not huge by any stretch. They look perfectly proportional. :)
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    *sigh* You're all right. I could have it so much worse I guess.

    Your calves probably are not as big as you think.
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
    Just enjoy it?
  • katiedid1226
    katiedid1226 Posts: 231 Member
    Love those legs! I know I'd rather mine were large & muscly than large and flabby.
  • ThatDarnZach
    ThatDarnZach Posts: 52 Member
    I'm the exact same way. I have to wear a size 34 slim fit just to fit my calves when I'm a size 30 waist! It's weird but it's something I've learned to embrace. It's always a nice pick-me-up when someone comments like "do you run a lot? you have KILLER calves" or "how do you have calves like that?! I want them" even though I don't do any calf exercises at all!
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Love those legs! I know I'd rather mine were large & muscly than large and flabby.

    Up to a point.
  • Monalisa85
    Monalisa85 Posts: 31 Member
    Take it from someone who doesn't have those muscular legs--embrace them! Most of us would LOVE to have legs like that!
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I'm the exact same way. I have to wear a size 34 slim fit just to fit my calves when I'm a size 30 waist! It's weird but it's something I've learned to embrace. It's always a nice pick-me-up when someone comments like "do you run a lot? you have KILLER calves" or "how do you have calves like that?! I want them" even though I don't do any calf exercises at all!

    *sigh* no nice pick-me-up here. Mine are just big, nothing nice about them. :(
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    I've had very muscly calves all my life. I've never done dance classes or joined a sports team or exercised at all really. They are just naturally muscly. My mum is the same.

    I have a bit of weight left to lose, but if I tense my calf muscles I can feel that there is no more fat on the bottom halves of my legs any more. It's all muscle, but I don't like it. I find it hard fitting in to skinny jeans because of my muscly calves and I want to go down another jeans size, but I can't because of my stupid legs!

    Is there ANYTHING I can do to reduce the amount of muscle in my lower legs? Or am I stuck like this and have to try to embrace it somehow?

    I can't see your diary, are you doing a lot of walking ? When started walking less and running more my calves reduced in size.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Thanks for the kind comments everyone. I suppose it's not all bad! My calves don't LOOK especially big from the front, but if you look at me side-on, they stick out at the back. I don't think they particularly look huge, but they are too big for skinny jeans to fit properly; either the jeans are just right in the leg but too loose around the hips, or they are too tight in the leg but just right on the hips. I'll have to start wearing straight leg or bootcut jeans. I don't think that's a bad thing. I'll just learn to embrace a new style. Thanks for the tip about the heels - that's a good idea. I'm very short too so most jeans are too long, so heels will help that aspect too!
  • ggcat
    ggcat Posts: 313 Member
    Muscles are hot. Love them. Screw skinny jeans. Leave them for the hipsters.

    :happy:
  • tpittsley77
    tpittsley77 Posts: 607 Member
    I have large muscular calves. Have a hard time finding boots that zip up over them. And until you said it, I had never thought that was a bad thing. Thanks for making me insecure about my large calves !:ohwell:

    J/k people!
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    I have large muscular calves. Have a hard time finding boots that zip up over them. And until you said it, I had never thought that was a bad thing. Thanks for making me insecure about my large calves !:ohwell:

    J/k people!

    Lol, I didn't really mean that I don't like the way my calves look, I just meant that I love to wear skinny jeans but they don't fit properly with my calves. I have the same trouble with boots as you, but I have the added trouble that my feet are a REALLY weird shape, so very few styles of shoe fit me in the first place :(
  • TallCurvyMuscles
    TallCurvyMuscles Posts: 50
    wow of all the things to complain bout in the world
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    embrace what you got...some people would kill to have calves. I personally have cows so I am just going with it.

    I have been called bird legs my whole life. I would kill for some muscles.
  • DollyMiel
    DollyMiel Posts: 377 Member
    I have the same issue. Find it hard to relate to others here because they all seem to want them and I want to get rid of them. You're definitely not alone. XD Fortunately there's always stretchy skinny jeans~
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    wow of all the things to complain bout in the world

    Everyone is unhappy with some part of their body. I could just have easily been talking about love handles or the shape of my nose or anything else. I don't see why me disliking my calves is any more ridiculous than someone else disliking a flat chest or big feet.

    Besides, I wasn't really complaining. I was asking if there was anything I could do. And if you'd read any of my follow-up posts, you'd know that as I've discovered, as I suspected, that there's nothing I can do about it, I'm now trying to embrace who I am and find a new style that suits me better.

    If you ask me I think it's even more silly to complain about someone else complaining...

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