Chunky calves?

scatgash
scatgash Posts: 101 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, I know you can't spot reduce areas but an area I am really self conscious of is my calves.
I'm 5ft 6in, 131lbs and my top half and thigh area are slimming down fine but my calves are quite out of proportion.
I can't press my ankles or knees together without my calves touching massively (trying to paint a mental picture here!)

Any exercise I could do to try and slim them down? :3

Replies

  • rcramer7
    rcramer7 Posts: 138 Member
    Is it muscle or fat? I can't imagine at your size you would have that much fat on your ankles.
  • Xoxa1029
    Xoxa1029 Posts: 21 Member
    I feel your pain. I have big calves no matter what I do. I would take measurements if I were you. I swore my calves were the same size as when I was 20 pounds heavier, but they actually had gone down 1/2 an inch.:wink:
  • scatgash
    scatgash Posts: 101 Member
    It's muscle. At the widest part of my calves, is about 14"
  • iamfranniefierce
    iamfranniefierce Posts: 305 Member
    I'm a member of the thick calves crew too...I thought losing weight would make them shrink? If you find out the secret please let me know...tired of having to buy custom ordered wide calf boots! Good luck!
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    My calves are about 16" each, they have only shrank 1 inch while the rest of me lost like 25 inches all around. I have been told to keep losing fat % and they will shrink more, but like you, they feel very much like muscle all the way through. and just below the calves, the tendons and ankle part? the tendons splay out so far there is no way losing weight (or muscle) would shrink that.

    forever cankles :(:(:(

    I suppose you can try to bulk up your thigh muscles to help them look in proportion.
  • Adrenaline_Queen
    Adrenaline_Queen Posts: 626 Member
    I hear you....... I have large caves too.......... Dont have a tape measure, but I get what you are saying.... But my legs are all stocky....... I just plan to use a heavy kettle bell or do more lunges and squats, as the first time in my life they seem to balance out......

    Weird but true, was talking about this the other day........... I am starting to like my legs xxxxxxxxx

    But that is just me xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:bigsmile:
  • missym357
    missym357 Posts: 210 Member
    I've got well developed calves due to dance and genetics...to put it in perspective, I'm 5'2", 103lbs, and they are 13.25 inches around at their widest point- pretty much all muscle. For the rest of my body, they are pretty big- my thighs are only 4 inches more around! I think they are great and keep my legs nice and shapely looking. People kill to develop their calves like that. My point is, maybe you should try to look at them as a positive instead of a negative. Most likely you are genetically gifted in the calf department. That is a good thing!!
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Um... I am really not trying to sound rude, but aren't your calves SUPPOSED to be bigger around than your knees or ankles - meaning they would, naturally, press together when you put your knees and/or ankles together?
    Mine are about 15" down from I think 19.25" but that is with nearly 140 lbs of weight loss. You can't spot reduce, just focus on being strong and healthy.
    I'm 5'10" and 156 lbs btw
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    My calves are solid. 16". They ain't going nowhere...
  • rcramer7
    rcramer7 Posts: 138 Member
    It's muscle. At the widest part of my calves, is about 14"

    You probably have some bounce in your walk. I did too untill I crushed my ankle. I had muscular(more than now) calves and loved it!
    If I can explain it...at the end of my step I would raise up with my toes. Kinda doing a calf raise with each step about 100million times a day without even noticing it. Well, I guess you can see what happen...lifting 200lbs a million times a day will do that. What made it worse was my leg was pretty thin compaired to...
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    I used to think I had ridiculous muscular Popeye calves. I was afraid they'd get worse and bigger with lifting and running. Nope. They were fat.

    Unless you're seeing definition of the muscle bundles, you have fat you can lose and will as you lose fat over your body.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I think chunky is not the word for it. Well developed maybe? If it's muscle you are just going to have to keep it...learn to love them. Mine absolutely touch when I press my knees and ankles together. My calves are honestly my favorite body part!
  • jessie1480
    jessie1480 Posts: 132 Member
    I have freakishly large calfs also. And they tend to be the first thing to burn when I work out. I figured that I was just stuck with the man calf. They have been ripped and defined as long as I can remember. I have noticed that now that I am down to the last 20 pounds or so that they are starting to get smaller. I wonder if there is more fat kind of in the muscle itself not just under the skin. Just a theory. I stretch them alot more now, I'm sure that helps. I don't think that they will ever be average, but they are getting better. There is hope!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Um... I am really not trying to sound rude, but aren't your calves SUPPOSED to be bigger around than your knees or ankles - meaning they would, naturally, press together when you put your knees and/or ankles together?
    Mine are about 15" down from I think 19.25" but that is with nearly 140 lbs of weight loss. You can't spot reduce, just focus on being strong and healthy.
    I'm 5'10" and 156 lbs btw
    Yes, they are. The calves are generally very large, strong muscles, as they spend all of their day supporting your entire body weight, and are responsible for balancing and moving you. They're the one muscle group I completely ignore when I work out, because, honestly, they get more than enough work on an hourly basis.
  • Kristiina67
    Kristiina67 Posts: 142 Member
    I would not consider 14" calves chunky.
  • BarbWhite09
    BarbWhite09 Posts: 1,128 Member
    If you ever find the answer please share. I'm part of that large calve group & haven't found anything to make them any smaller. I refuse to show my legs because of them. Ugh.
  • dlcam61
    dlcam61 Posts: 228 Member
    Have you tried yoga, pilates or other lengthening/stretching exercises? Might help reduce the bulky look of them. I'd rather have ripped calves than cankles though :flowerforyou:
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    I meant to second what Cory said about how calves are supposed to be the widest part of the lower leg. And they're sexy especially as a fit part of a fit woman.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    It's muscle. At the widest part of my calves, is about 14"

    I'm close to the same height and weight, and I always thought I had little birdie calves... and mine are 14".
  • BCKS
    BCKS Posts: 287 Member
    I have really thick calves, too. I had the BEST tone and definition of them ever when I was doing step aerobics 5 days a week (back when it was really popular.) They had an awesome shape to them and I loved it! :bigsmile: Now they're back to being just thick again. :sad:

    If you don't like step aerobics, climbing stairs or hiking might help shape them, too.
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
    I feel your pain. Mine are 17". When I was a sophmore in high school and weighed in at 117 lbs, we had a party at my house. The entire football team was there. I stood on my tippy-toes to get something and this guy said "Damn...Priller has big calves" referring to me. So somebody had the brilliant idea to measure mine against the team. Yep, mine were the biggest. Probably still are.

    I don't mind it so much, they're almost as big as my thighs though and I can't find boots to fit over them. But they're strong and they carry me thru bike rides and runs and everything else. It has been pointed out to me that the activities I enjoy (cycling and running) tend to lead to bulky calves. It was advised that I do yoga, that will help reduce their size. Not sure if it's true or not. (I do yoga, but still have killer calves).
  • marbly
    marbly Posts: 103
    Same height and close to your weight. Mine are 15". I'm so sad as I always had chunky legs. No slim ankles for me either :(
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I feel your pain. Mine are 17". When I was a sophmore in high school and weighed in at 117 lbs, we had a party at my house. The entire football team was there. I stood on my tippy-toes to get something and this guy said "Damn...Priller has big calves" referring to me. So somebody had the brilliant idea to measure mine against the team. Yep, mine were the biggest. Probably still are.

    I don't mind it so much, they're almost as big as my thighs though and I can't find boots to fit over them. But they're strong and they carry me thru bike rides and runs and everything else. It has been pointed out to me that the activities I enjoy (cycling and running) tend to lead to bulky calves. It was advised that I do yoga, that will help reduce their size. Not sure if it's true or not. (I do yoga, but still have killer calves).

    Not true. The only way to reduce the size of your calves would be to confine yourself to a wheelchair for a year or so, in order to let the muscle atrophy.
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
    Some of us are made differently. And your calves may never be as slender as you'd like. I knew a girl in high school who had calves like bowling balls. She was built like a machine from top to bottom. She had never done a leg curl or calf raise in her life...for religious reasons, her parents wouldn't allow her to play team sports or train, so it was au natural.

    BUT.

    Sometimes, because of our gait, or how we hold ourselves when we exercise, we can add to what our genetics already gave us, without really being aware of it. I had a friend who had really overdeveloped shins. They were like tree trunks. Just from walking. A PT have her some exercises to release the tension (or something like that..I don't know PT lingo and I don't remember the details), and it did make a difference. A really knowledgeable trainer, or a visit to a sports therapist or PT if you can swing it, could probably help. If nothing else, a trainer might be able to help you change your physique so that your larger calves appear less obvious.

    However, I would say that if you're in the beginning of weight loss...you should probably not worry about things like this. You have *no* idea how your body will look when you reach goal. The body is slippery. It will do what it does. Then you can worry about tweaking it.
  • Fairy_Farts
    Fairy_Farts Posts: 166 Member
    I bet no one would complain about their calves again, if they saw my legs. :sad:
  • rhinojoe
    rhinojoe Posts: 21
    I think big, muscular calves are sexy as hell!
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I've always had big legs and always obsessed over it. I never wore shorts because I thought my legs were too big. Now I just don't let it bother me. I squat heavy and i'm happy with that.
  • runner2runner
    runner2runner Posts: 1,937 Member
    If you ever find the answer please share. I'm part of that large calve group & haven't found anything to make them any smaller. I refuse to show my legs because of them. Ugh.

    Are they mostly muscle or fat. If they're mostly fat, then I totally understand. If however they're mostly solid muscle, then you shouldn't hide them. Large muscular calves are very sexy. Just ask any of the guys here.
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