Thinner calves?

NaturallyOlivia
NaturallyOlivia Posts: 496 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
I have the thickest, ugliest dancer calves (and I can't even dance! What a raw deal!) and even as I'm losing weight they don't seem to be changing on size. I've always heard it said "you can't spot reduce" so I thought I was doomed to look like a gladiator forever. But I heard something the other day about "bringing out lean muscles" or "leaning out your muscles" and I thought could there be hope for my legs just yet?! So any thoughts or ideas of any kind of weight training or stretches or anything at all that could possibly help my predicament?
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Sorry, but it's just marketing jibberish.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Then only way to "lean muscle out" is to let it atrophy. That will mean not using them at all for a good period of time ( a year or more).
    Calves are genetic. If you got them, you've got them. I hardly train calves at all (maybe once every month or so) but it looks like I train them consistently.
    So if you don't like them, this is a legit reason to blame mom and dad. :)

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited March 2015
    Photos please of these "big" thighs.

    ETA: In your photo of what I can see of these "big" thighs they look fine to me.
  • NaturallyOlivia
    NaturallyOlivia Posts: 496 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Photos please of these "big" thighs.

    ETA: In your photo of what I can see of these "big" thighs they look fine to me.

    Lol well thanks but it's my calves (lower legs) that are bulky not so much my life thighs (upper legs). But I really appreciate the compliment!
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I have muscular calves, and I avoid training them specifically. I bulked up the rest of my lower body and now they look more even but otherwise not much you can really do. I put on a pair of high heels and rock what I got.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Sorry, but it's just marketing jibberish.

    This
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    After almost 30 pounds of weight loss I still have 15.25 inch calves. Whatevs.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I have muscular calves, and I avoid training them specifically. I bulked up the rest of my lower body and now they look more even but otherwise not much you can really do. I put on a pair of high heels and rock what I got.

    Lol, when ever I go on a fitness binge my already large calves get so big I have trouble getting pants on and off! I also get all sorts of comments from small calf folks that specifically try to grow theirs.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Sorry, but it's just marketing jibberish.

    Yup.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    My calves never really slim down. I've lost maybe 1-1.5 inches (still they're around 15 inches) over the course of training for two marathons. I just don't really care anymore. I refer to them as my Hercules Calves (as in the Disney animated Hercules), and I'm just glad they don't brush each other when I walk anymore! My advice: Just embrace the calves. They're powerful and awesome, and they're here to stay.
  • foursirius
    foursirius Posts: 321 Member
    As others have said there really isn't a way to lose weight in your calves specifically. I'm sure you're jusy being a harsh critic of yourself.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I've got calves so large I can't find those cute boots to wear with leggings. Unless of course you want to count the ONLY pair I've ever found that fit... a $180 pair of Keva's. :grumble: One day I will own those boots. Oh yes, I will.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Who wants to walk around on toothpicks? CALVES ROCK!
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    PrizePopple wrote: »
    I've got calves so large I can't find those cute boots to wear with leggings. Unless of course you want to count the ONLY pair I've ever found that fit... a $180 pair of Keva's. :grumble: One day I will own those boots. Oh yes, I will.

    YES THIS, the only drawback to killer calves. I've given up and just wear the ankle booties and the mid-shin boots. I can't do any of those almost-knee height boots. But thank goodness it's spring and I can stop crying over boot fashion! :smiley:
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    I've always had large calves, no matter how thin or big I got, and they haven't changed much during my 22kg weight loss, neither have my thighs, more so just toned up a little bit and look more athletic. I don't really mind anymore, I think that's just the body shape, it is somewhat out of my control, and I think that at goal weight if you're otherwise happy and healthy, it's probably just something you'll need to accept. On the plus side, I'm sure there are many other benefits to your body shape! like for example, I have big calves, hips, thighs, but my arms are bit small and feminine, plus nice, strong, sturdy legs are good for running :)
  • NaturallyOlivia
    NaturallyOlivia Posts: 496 Member
    PrizePopple wrote: »
    I've got calves so large I can't find those cute boots to wear with leggings. Unless of course you want to count the ONLY pair I've ever found that fit... a $180 pair of Keva's. :grumble: One day I will own those boots. Oh yes, I will.

    Someone else who feels my pain about boots!!
  • Niff314
    Niff314 Posts: 113 Member
    I prefer muscular calves over boots any day.
  • astrose00
    astrose00 Posts: 754 Member
    I like having bigger calves. I broke my ankle and was in a boot for months so one of them atrophied. Yikes. Two years and losing 60lbs later, I am just starting to engage them and get them back to looking more defined.
  • infinikitty
    infinikitty Posts: 440 Member
    I'm a runner now, so my calves have taken longer to go down, but they've leaned out a little bit just from regular workouts. They're solid, though, so I'm not too concerned about the size. Guess I'll never be one for skinny jeans or cute boots haha

    3o08rvk6a83j.jpg
  • JCC1987
    JCC1987 Posts: 10 Member
    I used to hate my 'tree trunk' legs, and spent the entire of my teens and early-to-mid twenties covering them up. I started seriously working out at the end of last summer, doing some intensive elliptical work, and I've been running regularly since October. As I lost fat, these surprisingly athletic looking calves became uncovered, and after sharing a few pictures on Instagram (which I use as a photo journal of my fitness progress) I realised from the feedback I got how I should be proud of them. I've had a lot of comments from bodybuilders, asking how I trained them etc, and people have been surprised that I don't weight train. I now totally embrace them and feel lucky to have the genetics to give me such shapely calves, and am looking forward to wearing shorts through the summer. Be proud of your strengths... athletic calves look really nice, and are an indicator you are a fit and active person :)

    Please excuse the format/size of the pictures, as they came from my Instagram.

    lua6e73wcrs0.jpg
    amusc33krevm.jpg
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    If you can't find knee high boots to fit, Aerosoles makes ones that unzip a little at the top to give you more room. There are tons of boots out there that will fit the larger calf.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
    I have paralyzed calf muscles and would kill for some bulky calf muscles. Unfortunately I am doomed to a life of chicken legs.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    What the heck is it with women who want to LOSE muscle? This is insane. Utterly insane.
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    What the heck is it with women who want to LOSE muscle? This is insane. Utterly insane.

    QTF
  • brandigyrl81
    brandigyrl81 Posts: 128 Member
    Girrrrrlllllll.....embrace those thick calves!!!! The ONLY draw back is not being able to find boots that zip all the way but that's a small price to pay. Think of how sexy those calves will look in a pair of pumps!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    What the heck is it with women who want to LOSE muscle? This is insane. Utterly insane.

    Everyone wants what they don't have. Muscular people want to be, uh, thinner. Weak people want to be stronger, slow people want to be faster, big people want to be smaller, small people want to be bigger, etc. Ultimately, though... the grass isn't any greener, it's just different grass.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,372 Member
    Drewlssix wrote: »
    I also get all sorts of comments from small calf folks that specifically try to grow theirs.

    *raises hand* That would be me. I have the scrawniest, unshapliest calves ever and I actually thought I might find some ideas in here to do the opposite.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    What the heck is it with women who want to LOSE muscle? This is insane. Utterly insane.

    Everyone wants what they don't have. Muscular people want to be, uh, thinner. Weak people want to be stronger, slow people want to be faster, big people want to be smaller, small people want to be bigger, etc. Ultimately, though... the grass isn't any greener, it's just different grass.

    So fast people want to be slower, and smart people want to be dumber?
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I have muscular calves, and I avoid training them specifically. I bulked up the rest of my lower body and now they look more even but otherwise not much you can really do. I put on a pair of high heels and rock what I got.

    This. Own in and enjoy your own body. Plenty of guys like nice, strong calves. Trust me on this.

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited March 2015
    NaturallyOlivia wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Photos please of these "big" thighs.

    ETA: In your photo of what I can see of these "big" thighs they look fine to me.

    Lol well thanks but it's my calves (lower legs) that are bulky not so much my life thighs (upper legs). But I really appreciate the compliment!

    Reading comprehension would help.

    Ha ha, I read that as thighs, lol, sorry. :)
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