exercises to decrease calves

arobles28
arobles28 Posts: 42
in Fitness and Exercise
My calves are actually bigger than my thighs and would love to make them smaller. It might be tough because they are all muscle from riding bikes all my life but my thighs stayed the same size. Are there any good exercises to make them smaller?

Replies

  • aalpass
    aalpass Posts: 124 Member
    Just wear heels :P I love my calves and i'm sure its all because of wearing heels constantly.
  • rainghirl
    rainghirl Posts: 203 Member
    Not without losing the muscle, and I think you need that for your cycling. I have the same problem, and I've never found an exercise to decrease them. You could try making your thighs bigger possibly? Some of the lifting people on here might know more about that than me.
  • rainghirl
    rainghirl Posts: 203 Member
    Just wear heels :P I love my calves and i'm sure its all because of wearing heels constantly.

    Psst he's a bloke - I think wearing heels might not be the answer he's looking for. It made me laugh though, which is a good thing for a Wednesday morning!
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    Not without losing the muscle, and I think you need that for your cycling. I have the same problem, and I've never found an exercise to decrease them. You could try making your thighs bigger possibly? Some of the lifting people on here might know more about that than me.
    heals aren't my thing lol. That may be a better idea increasing my thighs since they are a measly 19.25".
  • aalpass
    aalpass Posts: 124 Member
    Just wear heels :P I love my calves and i'm sure its all because of wearing heels constantly.

    Psst he's a bloke - I think wearing heels might not be the answer he's looking for. It made me laugh though, which is a good thing for a Wednesday morning!

    Hahahaha! Sorry arobles28!! Had no idea WOOPS
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I've always had big calves - legacy of a lot of dance classes and riding. But my thighs are whopping too.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    to make a muscle smaller you have to stop the exercise that is making it big, I have a feeling that you don't want to give up cycling. So the only other option is to work on your Quads to make them bigger, there are a lot of squatting and lunging exercises that work on your quads, and you probably would need to lift heavy to catch up with your calves.
  • FitSuga
    FitSuga Posts: 259 Member
    Instead of decreasing your pure muscle calves. Increase the size of your thighs. Maybe go through a bulk phase.
    Squat, dead lifts...
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    Its really wierd because cycling is a great whole leg workout and all my friends have huge thighs to go along with their calves. I guess I pedal a different way lol
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    Its really wierd because cycling is a great whole leg workout and all my friends have huge thighs to go along with their calves. I guess I pedal a different way lol

    Have you ever seen a doctor about it, to find if there is some issue preventing your upper leg from getting bigger? If there were, then the lower leg would grow bigger in compensation, so any leg exercise you do (ie cycling) might continue to grow the lower leg rather than the upper.
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    My calves are actually bigger than my thighs and would love to make them smaller. It might be tough because they are all muscle from riding bikes all my life but my thighs stayed the same size. Are there any good exercises to make them smaller?
    I mentioned it at s physical 1 time because she commented on my calves but she didn't do anything but say wow. That's a good idea
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    Funny thing is my wife rides the same as me and her calves are big but her thigh is 9" bigger than her calf
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    u have sick calves not many ppl have those genetics embrace it ... NO ONE is ever happy with what they got , its a shame
  • dani_1977
    dani_1977 Posts: 557 Member
    u have sick calves not many ppl have those genetics embrace it ... NO ONE is ever happy with what they got , its a shame

    ^^^ SO TRUE
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
    Instead of decreasing your pure muscle calves. Increase the size of your thighs. Maybe go through a bulk phase.
    Squat, dead lifts...

    ^This^
    Lots and lots of squats.
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    u have sick calves not many ppl have those genetics embrace it ... NO ONE is ever happy with what they got , its a shame
    I like them but I look abnormal
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    Not without losing the muscle, and I think you need that for your cycling. I have the same problem, and I've never found an exercise to decrease them. You could try making your thighs bigger possibly? Some of the lifting people on here might know more about that than me.
    good idea
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    Just wear heels :P I love my calves and i'm sure its all because of wearing heels constantly.

    Psst he's a bloke - I think wearing heels might not be the answer he's looking for. It made me laugh though, which is a good thing for a Wednesday morning!
    lol
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Funny thing is my wife rides the same as me and her calves are big but her thigh is 9" bigger than her calf
    Genetics.

    Calves are arguably the muscle in the body most influenced by genetics. If you don't have big ones, you'll have a hard time getting them big; if you have big ones (and not a lot of fat on them), you're going to be hard-pressed to shrink them. I've worked out with guys who had legs like spiders who were able to absolutely crush me on calf raises, even though my calves were significantly bigger than theirs.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    Its really wierd because cycling is a great whole leg workout and all my friends have huge thighs to go along with their calves. I guess I pedal a different way lol
    Try adjusting your bike seat, height and position until you feel more of a burn on your thighs quads

    Rule #20// There are only three remedies for pain.
    These are:

    If your quads start to burn, shift forward to use your hamstrings and calves, or
    If your calves or hamstrings start to burn, shift back to use your quads, or
    If you feel wimpy and weak, meditate on Rule #5 and train more!
  • jesroxy
    jesroxy Posts: 5 Member
    I seem to be losing a lot of inches from my thighs. Once they were 30 and now they're 25. My calves have always been huge especially for a lady. Currently 18.5 inches. I fear that one day I might run into your same problem so I do squats deadlifts and lunges. If you come across anything else feel free to keep me posted.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Do you spin slow and really push the pedals hard rather than higher spin?

    If you have longer thighs than normal proportion, it can put more emphasis on your calves if you go slower spin. Bigger lever, more weight on calves. And since it's the glute pulling the leg down at first, quad not so involved.

    Got strong glutes?

    Hope they aren't proportionally larger like the calves! ;-)

    And how is your bike fit, feels great? To Tadpole's point, you may have the distances right, like reach to the pedals and stem and such, but if scooted back in your seat with corresponding shorter stem, then would give quad more opportunity.

    If thigh is longer, you aren't going to totally get rid of bigger level bigger calf, but you can at least give more work to the quad and hamstring for fast spin, than to the glute.

    Just a few other suggestions. I have a longer thigh, which is said to be great for biking speed, but I have to sit farther back for good balance then, and narrow window for it feeling right. Few lbs in gut throws it all off.

    oh yeah, bigger crank arms too if thigh is longer.
  • earlswimsuit
    earlswimsuit Posts: 63
    Jogging slowly and steady. Avoid steppers and strength things that use your calve. Do low (easy) weights for a longer time. Do pilates.. I know this is a more girly work out but give it a go :laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9adXZJNLGdM
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    You just need longer trousers if it bothers you ;-)
  • arobles28
    arobles28 Posts: 42
    I seem to be losing a lot of inches from my thighs. Once they were 30 and now they're 25. My calves have always been huge especially for a lady. Currently 18.5 inches. I fear that one day I might run into your same problem so I do squats deadlifts and lunges. If you come across anything else feel free to keep me posted.
    I will thanks

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