Cankles

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wibutterflymagic
wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just curious to know if anyone has had success in improving this horrible affliction?? Please, someone say yes!!

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  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    Unfortunately you don't have the ability to change the shape of your ligaments and tendons
  • Kanuenue
    Kanuenue Posts: 253 Member
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    It comes down to losing body fat. So yes, you can improve the look of your legs but spot reduction is a myth. Building big muscle groups (like on your legs & back) will burn off the extra calories and reduce body fat giving you that sleek ankle you are striving for.

    I would also keep in mind that edema/fluid retention can also add to the "cankle" effect. Keep an eye on high sodium foods in your diet so you don't encourage the swelling you are trying to prevent.
  • Me48Plus2
    Me48Plus2 Posts: 73
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    When you lose weight, the cankles will go too :)
  • bakerseve17
    bakerseve17 Posts: 37
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    ugh! I retain water BAD! but as i began to workout & lose weight, the swelling is very rare & yes sodium makes it 10x worse and the time of the month!
  • jehavin
    jehavin Posts: 316 Member
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    Weighted calf raises (and biking in general) has helped me with my still-present cankles. I agree with a previous poster that said that leg shape/makeup is genetic (seriously, my husband's family and I have totally different ankle/ligament structures---praying that my girls, after they lose their baby fat, will end up with "his legs!") but there is also truth to the fact that what we consider "cankles" is actually fat deposits and decreasing fat or sodium that makes them swell will somewhat decrease in size. Same with knees and elbows. Some people just "accumulate" their fat in those joint areas and that is the last place to lose it. I've always had thick legs and elbows but very thin/lithe trunk/shoulders. My delts and abs pop like crazy but I still have a hard time getting definition in my lower biceps and my quads above my knees. (shrug)

    In the meantime, I prefer to bulk up my calves/quads so that the contrast will make my knees/calves more "shapely" and less like (smaller) sausages stuffed into shoes ;) In the end, it's all about how you look at yourself. If you work on your legs, then you will notice the progress you've made and feel proud. If you are always trying to "lose" the cankles or worry about it, then they will never look "good enough" to make you happy. That said, resistance training (and biking) have finally made me proud of my bigger legs rather than being ashamed like I was most of my life.

    Good luck!
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    Weighted calf raises (and biking in general) has helped me with my still-present cankles. I agree with a previous poster that said that leg shape/makeup is genetic (seriously, my husband's family and I have totally different ankle/ligament structures---praying that my girls, after they lose their baby fat, will end up with "his legs!") but there is also truth to the fact that what we consider "cankles" is actually fat deposits and decreasing fat or sodium that makes them swell will somewhat decrease in size. Same with knees and elbows. Some people just "accumulate" their fat in those joint areas and that is the last place to lose it. I've always had thick legs and elbows but very thin/lithe trunk/shoulders. My delts and abs pop like crazy but I still have a hard time getting definition in my lower biceps and my quads above my knees. (shrug)

    In the meantime, I prefer to bulk up my calves/quads so that the contrast will make my knees/calves more "shapely" and less like (smaller) sausages stuffed into shoes ;) In the end, it's all about how you look at yourself. If you work on your legs, then you will notice the progress you've made and feel proud. If you are always trying to "lose" the cankles or worry about it, then they will never look "good enough" to make you happy. That said, resistance training (and biking) have finally made me proud of my bigger legs rather than being ashamed like I was most of my life.

    Good luck!

    Perfect. Those are the thoughts I'm leaning towards. I know I will never have small ankles but was hoping that things might change a little as I progress in my journey. The calf exercises and "appearance" of smaller ankles with toned calf muscles is something I was thinking of.

    Thanks,
  • LisaGNV
    LisaGNV Posts: 159 Member
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    When you lose weight, the cankles will go too :)

    Sadly, not always. At my heaviest (size 22) and at my smallest (size 2), I've had cankles.
  • jehavin
    jehavin Posts: 316 Member
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    Perfect. Those are the thoughts I'm leaning towards. I know I will never have small ankles but was hoping that things might change a little as I progress in my journey. The calf exercises and "appearance" of smaller ankles with toned calf muscles is something I was thinking of.

    Thanks,




    No prob. I do my weighted calf raises with a hanging barbell stance or with dumbbells at my side. From what I've read/done, they must be done at high weight, high rep to see results. (Same with lateral raises to target delts.) This is because some muscle groups are used so often that in order to "develop" or hypertrophy them, it must be a large amount of "work" for them to do over and over again. I started with 20lb dumbbells (or an Olympic barbell with 5-10lb plates) for 20 raises. You'll think it's too light at first but then by the 20th rep, you'll be dying. I do 3 sets of those and have increased the weight as time has gone on but not the reps.

    Cycling really is a "leaning" exercise option for legs/calves, too. Just make sure that you also do strength training (leg presses, squats, leg curls) as the cycling will "slim" and burn fat, but you want to "build up" the muscles, too!

    If anyone else has a different suggestion/technique, I'd be glad to learn from that, too!

    P.S. I also have perpetual "thunder thighs" and I'll tell you that doing leg curls and isolated hamstring work has helped *shape* the back of my legs/knees, too!
  • jehavin
    jehavin Posts: 316 Member
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    When you lose weight, the cankles will go too :)

    Sadly, not always. At my heaviest (size 22) and at my smallest (size 2), I've had cankles.

    Me, too. My smallest (size 4/6) was actually when my legs were the most disproportionate to upper body. For those of us "blessed" with a pear shape, toning/shaping legs takes more work than just calorie counting.
  • ruffdaysf
    ruffdaysf Posts: 2
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    I've got 26 pounds til my goal weight of 125, and it's pretty clear my cankles are here to stay. Embrace them. I call them my "ham hocks"

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