How to get toned/defined calves and ankles?

slimpicknjan
slimpicknjan Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! So I seem to be of the lucky few women who stores weight in their calves and ankles. I've lost 42 lbs and am losing weight everywhere BUT my calves.
I know you can't spot lose but are there things I can do to help define/slim them? I would love to be able to wear shorts and mid length dresses or to just have my legs match my upper half. HELP... please.

Replies

  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    I've got really defined calves after 4 tears of running - with lots of hills! :laugh:

    Yep! Running does the trick for me 😁
  • slimpicknjan
    slimpicknjan Posts: 11 Member
    Man, I HATE running. I have tree trunks and want those typical long, sexy woman legs.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Welcome to team thick calves!!!

    I also hate running, so I don't do it.

    A friend of mine who does spinning has developed some nice calves on her. I don't spin either so not an option.

    I do calf raises of various types with weights. What I have found is that even though they are still massive, when I flex them or wear high heels (rare) they are rock solid and defined.

    In terms of slimming though... I think I just need to lose more fat around that area. They have reduced overall in diameter though. I had to buy those fat calves Hunter boots with the special fat calves adjustable thing and over time I have been able to reduce the setting on the adjustable thingy. I still can't fit into the normal people ones though.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    Mine are shaped by cycling, lean, strong, well defined ;). Love my calves!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Cycle about 100 miles a week for a few years.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,570 Member
    edited March 2019
    slimpicknjan wrote: »
    Hi! So I seem to be of the lucky few women who stores weight in their calves and ankles. I've lost 42 lbs and am losing weight everywhere BUT my calves.
    I know you can't spot lose but are there things I can do to help define/slim them? I would love to be able to wear shorts and mid length dresses or to just have my legs match my upper half. HELP... please.

    Walk up and down hills.
    Walk up and down lots and lots of stairs ... real stairs.
    Walk barefoot in sand.
    Walk in boots in snow.

    My cycling helps too, but the four things above have gone a long way to strengthening and defining my calves.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    slimpicknjan wrote: »
    Man, I HATE running. I have tree trunks and want those typical long, sexy woman legs.

    Here's a suggestion for lengthening your legs (might sting a little though!)……..

    io9maig0u9yd.jpg
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    slimpicknjan wrote: »
    Man, I HATE running. I have tree trunks and want those typical long, sexy woman legs.

    you cant make 'long' legs if you don't have them to start with. keep losing weight and the fat will come off your calves as well as everywhere else.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    For me, weight loss does it. I'm sure lots of lower body lifting has helped too, but I always have very muscular and defined calves no matter what. Do some sort of cardio or lifting to stimulate them while losing weight.. they could be the last to go for you so patience will be key.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    I've got really defined calves after 4 tears of running - with lots of hills! :laugh:

    Yep these are mine from marathon training including lots and lots of hills
  • erikfarrar
    erikfarrar Posts: 35 Member
    edited March 2019
    slimpicknjan wrote: »
    Hi! So I seem to be of the lucky few women who stores weight in their calves and ankles. I've lost 42 lbs and am losing weight everywhere BUT my calves.
    I know you can't spot lose but are there things I can do to help define/slim them? I would love to be able to wear shorts and mid length dresses or to just have my legs match my upper half. HELP... please.

    This area is highly determined by genetics -- comes down to your anatomy and tissue attachment. That said, activities that require a lot of ankle extension ("plantar flexion") or weight bearing on the ball/front of the foot will give those babies a workout. Some things to try:
    • Calf raises
    • Stair-stepping (keep your heel off the stair though)
    • Hill running (it's the uphill part!)
    • Cycling/spinning

    Those will all help work out those muscles and define them, however a couple caveats: 1) As with any exercise, ease into it! There are a lot of tendons and fascia down there that can become aggravated with sudden changes of activity -- it's a lot of load for relatively small groups of fibers (ask me how I know this *ahem*posterior tibial tendonosis*ahem*). Make sure you have proper shoes/support. 2) Many people just have spots that preferentially hold energy reserves until the very end -- you may just need to keep up with the good work on weight loss and diet tracking.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I run a lot. Up mountains. My calves are awesome.
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    Trail running has whipped my legs into amazing shape! It really balanced my legs, evening out the “thicker” and “thinner” parts and building a good muscle foundation for a smooth and sleek look from thighs to ankles. I love showing off my legs every chance I get :blush: but more importantly I’m impressed by how strong they’ve become! I highly recommend running trails!

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