Pain in the calves is a common phenomenon. It often occurs as a result of prolonged physical exertion on the lower extremities and does not signal pathologies. However, the answer to the question “Why do my calves hurt?” is not always clear, since the reasons may lie in very serious diseases. This applies to cases where sharp pain and cramps are repeated regularly or a nagging pain in the leg in the calf does not go away for a long time.
If you are faced with a similar problem, we recommend contacting the CELT Pain Clinic! This is a department that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes in various locations. The high professional level of our specialists, their extensive work experience, along with modern medical equipment and treatment methods, allows them to return our patients to a full life, eliminating pain from it.
At CELT you can get advice from a specialist algologist.
- Initial consultation – 4,000
- Initial consultation with the head of the Pain Clinic - 4,500
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How to lose weight in your calves?
Everyone wants to have slender legs, but it is impossible to lose weight in just one part of the body.
It is necessary to train the whole body, paying special attention to problem areas. Without a balanced diet, all efforts will be in vain, so it is best to start by developing a competent menu. You should not radically change your eating behavior - the body will react to this with stress and it will be difficult to adjust it to reduce volumes. By smoothly changing your diet and diet, losing weight in your calves will be much easier.
Basic principles of proper nutrition:
- We eat every 3 hours. 5-6 meals per day. This is necessary to improve metabolism and quickly burn accumulated fat.
- We consume carbohydrates only before lunch - in the afternoon, metabolism slows down and all the extra calories are deposited in unnecessary centimeters on the figure.
- Priority is given to foods rich in protein and fiber. The former are necessary for muscles, the latter help burn fat.
- We drink water. It is necessary to drink 2 liters of purified water without gas per day to normalize the metabolic process in the body.
- We exclude or limit salt consumption as much as possible. It retains excess fluid in the body, promoting swelling and preventing weight loss.
Losing weight in your calves is quite difficult. The decrease in muscle tissue volume occurs gradually. To do this, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, adhere to proper nutrition, and pay special attention to physical activity: do a special set of exercises, jogging, swimming.
A set of exercises for calves
Start with a light warm-up - dance to fast music for 5-7 minutes. Then proceed to the main complex. Stand straight, place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Rise up onto your toes, fix your body in this position and lower yourself onto your entire foot. Do the exercise 20 times.
Repeat the calf raise, but turn your feet with your toes inward. Perform the exercise so that you feel tension in your calves. Move quickly enough.
In between classes, take walks, bike rides, and swims to help keep your calf muscles toned.
Lie on your back, stretch your legs, place your palms under your buttocks. Point your socks toward you, raise your feet 30-40 cm above the floor and move them up and down, imitating the movement of scissors. Tighten your calf muscles, not your thighs. Repeat the exercise 20 times.
The starting position is the same. Stretch your toes out, then pull them toward you, feeling the tension in your calves. Repeat the exercise 20 times. Stand up with your hands against the wall. Take your left leg back, straining your calf as much as possible. Fix your body in this position for 5-6 seconds, then relax. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
A common problem area for girls is the thighs, but sometimes large calves spoil the appearance. This may be due to swelling due to varicose veins, anatomical features, genetic predisposition, over-pumped muscles, as well as fatty layers in the lower leg area. Everyone dreams of graceful legs, and you can bring them to perfection with hard work. Special exercises will help girls reduce calves on their legs. Classes should be carried out systematically, following all the recommendations of specialists, temporary schedule and other rules.
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What to do to quickly lose weight in your calves?
First you need to figure out why your legs are no longer slender:
- Heredity. Unfortunately, we inherit the shape and volume of our calves from relatives. It is useless to fight this, but it is quite possible to correct it to the maximum;
- Against the background of general obesity. An integrated approach is needed here. A number of measures are needed to reduce weight in general;
- Swelling. To solve this problem, it is enough to eliminate salt from the diet.
How to lose weight in your calves in a short period of time at home:
- Pay attention to your diet and follow a diet to lose weight.
- Do a specialized set of exercises every day.
- Run, walk, swim.
- Do self-massage, wraps.
- Choose shoes with flat soles or stable heels 3-4 cm.
Exercises
How to lose weight in your calves at home? The main thing here is not to overdo it and do no harm. It is important not to pump up the muscles, so they will become even larger, but to gradually stretch them. To achieve the desired result - to lose weight in your calves, you should perform a set of certain exercises daily.
Exercises to reduce calves:
- While standing, lunge with your left leg and stand there for 15-20 seconds. Change leg.
- Sit on the floor. We pull our socks towards ourselves, using our fingers to reach our toes. When you feel maximum tension, hold for 5-7 seconds.
- Get on all fours, then straighten your knees and raise your torso. All movements should be as smooth as possible. Stay in this position for a few seconds.
- Sit on a chair, pressing against the back. Raise your left leg and make 6 rotational movements clockwise with maximum amplitude. We repeat the exercise in the opposite direction. We return to the starting position. We repeat the exercise with the right leg.
Each exercise of the complex must be performed 20 times in 4 approaches.
How to lose weight in calves:
- Self-massage. Lubricate your feet with massage cream or oil. Using your thumbs, make movements from heel to knee, with slight pressure. Perform for 10-15 minutes, 2 times a week.
- Diet food to lose weight. Limit your consumption of fried, fatty, smoked, pickled, salty, and sweet foods.
- Proper daily physical activity: exercise, walking and long-distance running.
How to lose weight in calves and ankles?
To give the calves and ankles of your legs graceful shapes, you will have to try. Here are some basic recommendations that you can follow to quickly lose weight in your calves:
- The first thing you have to give up is high-heeled shoes. Here the “stiletto heels” act as a training device for pumping up muscles. Replace them with a stable heel of 3-4 cm or even switch to flat-soled shoes;
- To reduce volumes, you need to repeat one exercise as many times as possible with minimal load. Otherwise, the muscles will only grow;
- If possible, go to the pool. Swimming will help you lose weight in general;
- Give preference to Pilates or yoga. These are sets of stretching exercises. They will help stretch and lengthen the large calf muscles, even if you are a beginner and exercise at home.;
- And of course - food. It is impossible to lose weight without this! Control your daily caloric intake and stick to a healthy diet.
How to run correctly?
Perhaps running is the most powerful tool in the fight against fat legs. It allows you not only to reduce overall body volume, but also to increase endurance. Before starting training, choose suitable clothing: preferably things made from natural materials. The choice of shoes is no less important; you should give preference to running shoes with shock absorption.
How to run to lose weight in your calves? If you remember marathon runners, you can pay attention to their lean, slender calves and thin legs, unlike sprinters. Based on this, it is necessary to run long distances while maintaining a slow pace. At the same time, it is important to run on straight ground, and not uphill, otherwise your calves will not lose weight, but will pump up, becoming larger in volume. If daily jogging becomes a habit, then after a short period of time you will be able to boast of thinner, slimmer calves.
Exercises to reduce calves
Squats without additional weight will help you reduce fat calves. The exercise is performed 20 times on the entire foot, the next 20 times on the toes. It is not recommended to do deep squats. The following exercises will help you get rid of fat calves:
- Walking up the stairs. Give it at least 10 minutes a day.
- Lifting on your toes. Place a chair with the backrest in front. Starting position: standing, arms relaxed, on the back of a chair. Slowly rise on your toes, fix the position, and lower yourself. Repeat 3 sets of 20 times.
- Walking on tiptoes. At home, walk on your toes for at least 15 minutes/day.
- Jumping rope. Daily intensive exercises with a skipping rope for 20 minutes will correct your figure and reduce the size of your calves.
How to lose weight in calves: what exercises to do to lose fat legs
A fit figure and harmonious body proportions become unattainable for many women due to too massive shins. How to lose weight in your calves is one of the most frequently asked questions. This is due to several reasons:
- the calf muscle area is included in the list of problematic ones - a significant number of people accumulate subcutaneous fat here;
- a considerable proportion of adipose tissue is concentrated in the intermuscular space, which complicates the work of reducing it with the help of massage;
- The peculiarity of the structure of the lower extremities in girls is such that the volume in this zone easily increases, the girth is often comparable to male parameters, and besides, these muscles are easy to pump.
It is not surprising that many people want to make this part of the body more graceful, this would make them look more attractive. The problem is relevant not only for those who are overweight, but also for slender representatives of the fair sex. With normal weight and a generally proportional physique, overdeveloped shins can spoil the overall impression. From the article you will learn what to do to lose weight in your calves and how to choose the right set of exercises.
Is it possible to reduce calves on the legs and how to do it correctly
Taking care of your appearance is a matter of principle for every girl, because dissatisfaction with her appearance can truly poison her life. Endless diets, trips to beauty salons and gyms have become an integral part of life. However, if some “problem” areas are quite easy to correct, then others have to constantly work hard to give the desired shape. Having a perfectly flat stomach, beautiful arms and toned buttocks, many girls simply lose their temper, not knowing how to reduce the calves on their legs.
It would seem that such a minor drawback, however, in order to correct it, you need to train almost daily, and the types of exercises will differ radically depending on the causes of the problem. By the way, there are three of them: swelling, excess weight and pumping of the calf muscles. But if in the first case you should quickly consult a doctor and change your diet, then in the other two you need to work hard on yourself. As you may have guessed, this article will be about how to reduce calves on your legs for girls.
Working on pumped calves
This problem most often arises due to improper loads while walking or playing sports, when instead of placing emphasis on the heel, it is placed on the toe. Another very common reason is wearing heels, especially high heels. Yes, yes, they not only put stress on the back and pelvis, but as a result of constantly walking in an unnatural position of the foot, the calf muscle also suffers. Therefore, the first thing you should take a closer look at is your own gait, because it really can be the root of the problem.
During any movement, try to control that the load is evenly distributed between the heel and toe, not limited to the latter. Otherwise, the muscles will continue to pump up, and the lower part of the leg will become more and more shaped like an inverted bottle. Maybe it’s okay, but you’ll just have to be more picky about your outfits, especially if it concerns a light short dress or a miniskirt, and tight jeans don’t look the best on those legs.
So what should you do to reduce your calf size? A real find for those who want to get rid of this problem will be an elliptical trainer, the use of which helps to lengthen the muscle, and therefore reduce its volume. Regular long walks will also bring great benefits, and your route needs to be thought out in such a way that it runs on a flat surface, without climbing steep hills. By devoting at least half an hour to this every day, you can bring yourself significantly closer to the desired result. The same route can be used for cycling or marathon running, the main principle is the absence of sharp climbs. Another option for dealing with voluminous calves is swimming.
However, in addition to training, you should also remember a number of restrictions that should be strictly observed. This applies to both training and everyday life. Exercises for losing weight in the calves are in no way compatible with sports such as mountaineering or sprinting, since they are the ones that maximally load and enlarge these muscles. Jump ropes, step, calf raises - all this will also have to be abandoned. Well, running on rough or hilly terrain is also not the best option when dealing with volume in the calves.
Ideal parameters
It is believed that the girth in the most prominent area should correspond to the biceps on the arm. Girls with overly developed muscles often wear long skirts and trousers. This feature harms the image of well-fed women, since they look even more squat, and slender women are justifiably worried because their figure seems disproportionate. This constrains the choice of clothes: you have to give up fashionable sexy short dresses, tight trousers, and carefully choose loose jeans with cuffs.
And besides, it undermines self-confidence and contributes to the development of complexes. It will not be possible to radically change the structural features of the muscles in the legs, but we know what exercises to do to make the calves significantly thinner.
It is also important to understand which areas of fitness should be abandoned due to the heavy load on the lower limbs. Many types of physical activity lead to rapid muscle growth in the lower legs. Especially those that require increased effort - running or cycling uphill and others.
For those who want to reduce volume, it is recommended to develop an individual training and nutrition plan so that the calves can lose weight, as well as the entire figure as a whole. For slender women, the solution will be a program with strength elements, which will increase the relief and mass of muscles in the arms and back, which will balance the proportions.
Comment from the clinic's nutritionist:
Losing weight in one part of the body while others remain unchanged is an impossible task. Reducing subcutaneous fat is a process that affects the entire body. To improve the condition of the problem area, you need to work comprehensively - adjust your diet, exercise regularly. In this case, you should choose exercises that do not involve intensive growth of muscle tissue. Our specialists will help you develop an optimal training program.
Find out the nature of the problem
Women's figures differ from each other, but their shortcomings and problems can be reduced to several types. This will help you correctly determine how to reduce your calves.
Excessively voluminous calves can be due to:
- innate body constitution - hypersthenic structure (predominance of muscle mass, stocky figure, wide bones);
- fat deposits on the legs, and losing weight in the hips and waist can emphasize it;
- swelling of the extremities with varicose veins - with loose tissue, pale skin, protruding veins, pain and burning sensation;
- pumped up muscles - with a relatively thin ankle and a small knee joint (this happens in ballerinas, athletes, with an excessive passion for fitness, running).
To regain confidence in your attractiveness, choose one of the options that most accurately describes your data. This will point you in the right direction and help you figure out how to make your calves smaller, at least visually.
Why is the calf circumference large?
There are people who have a predisposition to increase muscle volume. This is explained by heredity and a short Achilles tendon.
Anaerobic physical activity or, more simply put, strength sets leads to intensive growth. In order not to aggravate the problem of fat calves, you need to exclude the following ways to lose weight:
- sprint - running at an accelerated pace;
- jogging on inclined terrain in an upward direction, as well as simulating such a load on a treadmill;
- step aerobics, which promotes the development of lower leg muscles;
- resistance exercise bike.
These types of workouts will perfectly cope with the task of losing weight - the amount of fat in the body will rapidly decrease. But if there is a genetic predisposition to increased muscle growth, then with a high probability they will increase from the listed activities.
Also contributing to an increase in volume:
- the habit of sitting with crossed legs (one on top of the other) - in this case, blood circulation is disrupted, which causes venous stagnation, sagging, and accumulation of fatty deposits;
- Regular wearing of high-heeled shoes leads to a state where the heel is raised and the calf muscle experiences an increased load, causing the muscle tissue to grow.
The temptation to visually make your body slimmer with stilettos is very great. Limbs look longer, posture automatically improves, and the whole figure is transformed. And the question of how to lose weight in thighs and calves becomes irrelevant.
But it is important to understand that frequent use of heels has a negative impact on health, since these shoes redistribute pressure on the areas of the foot. Now the heel is almost not involved in maintaining balance (which contradicts its anatomical purpose), all the weight falls on the toes. This has a bad effect on the foot, deforms it and contributes to the development of various pathologies. There is also a high likelihood of Achilles tendon contraction due to wearing fancy shoes, which makes the muscle position lower, which means it looks bulkier.
And besides, in the long term, the heel creates the conditions for the calves of the legs to grow larger and not thinner; before and after prolonged use of such shoes, the changes are striking.
Recommendations for reducing calves on legs
Some girls got thick calves from their parents. In this case, the structure of the leg muscles is determined genetically, so it is very difficult to change it. But if the volume of the calves was initially small in childhood, and only increased with age, then all is not lost. Let's look at the reasons for voluminous calves and recommendations for solving the problem:
- Fat deposits. With a serious increase in body weight, the legs also become a problem area. Most of the fat is deposited on the hips, but the calves also get it. The solution is a low-carbohydrate diet and moderate exercise (aerobics, dancing, walking, mini-trampoline jumping, light fitness, Pilates).
- Excessive physical activity. Quite often, women involved in weightlifting, speed skating, and cycling have voluminous shins. To remove excess volume of calves on your legs, you will have to give up such activities. We suggest performing special exercises to lose weight in your calves (see below).
- Frequent wearing of uncomfortable shoes. Many women strive to look slimmer and sexier. To do this, they have to regularly wear high-heeled shoes. The result is regular stress on the calves and, as a result, excess volume. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes with low heels or flat soles more often.
- Edema of the lower extremities. The causes of the pathology may be heart failure, kidney disease, varicose veins, water-salt imbalance, and inflammatory processes in the body. In this case, in order to reduce the volume of the calves, it is necessary to undergo examination by a specialist.
- "Clogged" muscles. Women who spend all day on their feet may feel tightness in their shins in the evening. This visual “defect” is temporary. But if this happens every day, then over time the calves may become fuller. To make your calves smaller, we recommend relaxing them by stretching.
Find out more about our weight loss programs:
There is an opinion that the only way to make your legs more graceful is a long-term state of rest. But choosing a fitness area where the lower limbs are minimally involved will not help make them narrower. Most likely, they will retain their previous shape. When asked what you need to do to lose weight in your calves, the answer is: give the right load. Our clinic professionals will create the optimal training program to achieve your goals.
Nutritionist's comment:
Before you start fighting obesity, you need to make sure that it is not swelling. This condition can be triggered by health problems - improper functioning of the kidneys, cardiovascular organs and other reasons. Our clinic’s specialists will help you correctly assess the state of your health, select a reasonable strategy - diet and the necessary set of physical activities to allow your calves to quickly lose weight.
Cardio
Choose aerobic activity, that is, one that does not require additional effort or overcoming resistance. One session should last 30-40 minutes. The list of activities that are the most promising includes:
- swimming - allows you to work out all muscle groups, promotes rapid weight loss, and also improves blood circulation;
- elliptical trainer;
- cycling on flat terrain (no slope), as well as an exercise bike;
- Burpee is a unique exercise that solves many problems and also answers the question of how to lose weight in calves, thighs and ankles;
- jumping rope - you should land not on your entire foot, but on your toes, keep your back straight, rotational movements are made only through the work of your hands;
- walking with a change of pace;
- long jogging - fibers of such a structure work, which are characterized by a low frequency of contractions, this means a slight increase with prolonged loads;
- plank - a static position is not intended for gaining muscle mass, but it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the body - it increases endurance, improves relief, burns fat.
Naturally big calves. About calves
To understand how this exercise can make even the tiniest legs grow, you need to understand the unique characteristics of the calves. The calves are made up of several muscles, but the two most important workhorses of a bodybuilder, the ones that he pays most attention to, are the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. The calf muscles are more tense when the knees are straight (standing calf raises). The soleus muscles work when the knees are bent (seated calf raises). It is worth noting that the soleus muscles are partially stimulated during standing lifts. The soleus muscle has a larger volume of “slow” muscle fibers, up to 88%. This is the largest percentage of such fibers in the human body. Therefore, the number of repetitions for the soleus muscle should be higher. Most traditional calf workouts do not take this feature into account and do not provide sufficient load for this “endurance” muscle. This is no good, because it is a significant volume of load at a good intensity that can lead to hypertrophy. Lifting significant weight, such as your body weight, every day for a high number of repetitions will definitely lead to muscle growth. Since this workout does not involve heavy loads, it can be done daily. It is the frequency of training that forces the body to adapt quickly. At first everything will hurt, but it's not that bad.
What you need to do to lose weight in your calves - popular exercises
- Pressing the body to the lower limb - stand firmly on your knees, straighten one of them, tilt your body towards it, trying to press yourself. Stay in this position for 15-30 seconds.
- A yoga asana called “downward-facing dog”, complemented by raising yourself on your toes.
- Lunge - you need to move your body forward, arms extended upward in its direction, heel pressed to the floor. This stretches the Achilles tendon, buttock, and calf muscle.
- Tilt to the shin - stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, lean forward with a straight back, clasping your leg, try to press your head to each knee in turn.
If you avoid too intense activities, then stretching will be the best way to achieve your goal. Not only can it reduce girth, but it also has a beneficial effect on the shape of body parts.
Stretching the calf muscles for weight loss
Before starting stretching and flexibility exercises, you should warm up. To warm up your muscles, walk or jump for 10–15 minutes. Calf stretch order:
- Stand facing a wall, step back with one leg, lock your heel and roll your body weight forward. Hold the position for 30–40 seconds. Repeat 2 sets 5 times.
- Sit on the floor, stretch your legs, bend over and straighten your back, lean on your hands behind you, hold the pose for 20–30 seconds. Repeat 2 sets 3 times.
- The starting position is the same. Pull your socks towards you and try to grab them with your hands. Fix your body position for 40 seconds. Repeat 2 sets 3-4 times.
- Stand on the floor with your feet together. Bend down as far as possible. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. Repeat 2 sets 3-4 times.
Massage
The help of a professional massage therapist is invaluable when it comes to increasing skin turgor, eliminating cellulite, and improving blood circulation. The procedure is unique: it not only leads to the desired result, but also promotes a good mood and gives a lot of pleasure.
If you are interested in how you can quickly lose weight in your calves (in a few weeks), feel free to include massage in your program, and you won’t have to wait long to improve your shape.
The best time is after finishing your workout and showering. The procedure, performed by a professional, improves blood circulation, ensures immediate removal of metabolic products, accelerates recovery, and relieves fatigue.
Special creams and essential oils with a warming effect help improve the effect. After consultation with a specialist, you can use both self-massage and auxiliary means at home to lose weight in your calves. The influence should be directed from bottom to top.
Wraps
To reduce the volume of calves, wraps are used. Such procedures are recommended to be carried out in the evening for complete muscle relaxation. Before wrapping, you should take a warm shower/bath, cleansing the skin and opening the pores. Afterwards you need to apply the composition in a layer of medium thickness. For wrapping, cling film is used, with a towel on top. Leave for 30–60 minutes, rinse, apply any moisturizer to the skin.
Wraps accelerate metabolic processes, stimulate the removal of excess fluid from the body, and accelerate the breakdown of fat deposits. To reduce the volume of calves at home, you can prepare the following compositions:
- Mustard-honey. Mix 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder with 2-3 tbsp. l. water. Enter 3 tbsp. l. honey, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.
- Honey-sea. Steam 2 tbsp. l. honey, mix with 2 tbsp. sea salt. The composition is not recommended to be used more than once a week.
- Honey-butter. Mix 2 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. grape seed oil. Before use, warm up using a water bath.
A healthy diet is an essential condition
Fit and slim are impossible if you neglect the rules of dietary nutrition. There is no point in doing grueling sets in the gym, cycling long distances or stretching for 2 hours every day if your menu is dominated by unhealthy foods. These include baked goods, fatty desserts, fried meat and fish products, sweet drinks, burgers with mayonnaise and ketchup.
To lose weight in your calves (this also applies to any other parts of the body), you must adhere to the principles of proper nutrition. Namely:
- eat more fresh vegetables and fruits;
- choose bread made from whole grain flour, without yeast;
- avoid salty and smoked foods, as they negatively affect digestion and also retain water in the body;
- eat in small portions and often - 5-6 times a day;
- maintain a drinking regime; you cannot reduce water consumption due to a tendency to edema; it is needed to remove toxins and metabolic processes.
Careful attention to your diet and choosing the right areas of physical activity will help you make your body beautiful, strong and proportional. Seek help from specialists, and you can achieve the desired figure by training according to an individually designed program.
Features of leg correction
Fitness instructors believe that women's calves are a part of the body that is quite difficult to correct. Too full legs, wide ankles and voluminous knees can be caused by heredity, and it is almost impossible to completely get rid of these shortcomings. However, this does not mean that you will have to hide your legs under clothes for the rest of your life. With the help of specially selected exercises, you can remove excess fat deposits and make your legs slimmer. They will not become thin, but they will acquire more correct shape. In addition, gymnastics will help correct some defects - for example, X-shaped or O-shaped curvature of the legs.
To achieve noticeable results, repeat each exercise as many times as possible in several approaches, and do them with good amplitude and at a fast pace. Don't forget about warming up - it will help avoid injuries and pain. After class, be sure to do some stretching exercises.
For better results, make changes to your diet. Increase your fiber intake while cutting back on protein foods that promote muscle growth.
Why are my calves full?
Women are in many ways inferior to men in terms of muscle corset and skeleton.
However, calves are a part of the body that can not only “catch up” in volume, but also exceed the representatives of the stronger half. Ideally, the girth of the calf should be equal to the girth of the biceps. If your proportion is far from ideal, and you want to know what to do to lose weight in your calves, let’s look at why they stand out so unattractively by their size. Causes of massive calves:
- Genetic predisposition. Take a close look at the calves of your female relatives. If they are massive, then it is likely that you will also experience such an unpleasant “transformation” over time. It's all about how long your ancestors' Achilles tendon was. If it is short, then the calf muscle will look more massive, and if it is long, then it will look slimmer. There's nothing you can do about genetics, but if you are aware of your predisposition, you can train properly to avoid overloading your boots and avoiding thickening of your boots.
- Sports activities. Fans of sports, ballroom dancing, football, running uphill and other exercises where the main load falls on the front arch of the foot may also be familiar with the problem of large calves. The muscles in this area become too massive, as they are worked more often during these activities.
- Fat deposits. Fat is deposited not only under the skin, but also among muscle tissue. Its excess can cause calves to increase in size and lose their elegance and beauty.
- Hormonal disbalance. High levels of the female hormone estrogen and low levels of the male hormone testosterone in the body cause fat to be unevenly distributed. Most of it accumulates in the area of the tops and thighs.
- Swelling of the lower extremities. Edema is a consequence of poor nutrition, alcohol abuse, a passive lifestyle and drinking insufficient amounts of water. Fluid tends to accumulate in the extremities, especially the lower ones. Your calves themselves may be slender and beautiful, but swelling leads to an increase in the volume of your legs.
- Walking in heels. Heel lovers should be aware that their favorite shoes have a dual effect on increasing calf size: the Achilles muscle becomes shorter due to constant wearing of stilettos, and all the other muscles in the lower legs are stressed and grow rapidly.
Reasons for fullness of calves
Full, voluminous calves are often a consequence of genetic predisposition and body type. Often this part of the legs increases in size due to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. Sometimes an increase in the calf muscles is associated with edema due to fluid retention in the body and vascular diseases.
The muscle mass of the calves is often loose and unexpressed. To reduce their volume, it is necessary to load the calves locally. Excessively full calves are due to excess weight, uneven weight loss, because... fatty tissue is distributed disproportionately throughout the body. It is difficult to remove swelling or excess deposits in a specific place; complex measures are required: diet, exercise, massage, drinking regimen.
According to reviews from women, effective methods for reducing calves are stretching, drainage massage, fat-burning wraps and diet. If you have diseases of the blood vessels of the legs, you should consult a doctor, get the doctor’s recommendations, and carry out the necessary treatment.
Dietetics for weight loss
Nutritionists give good advice on how to lose weight in your calves. Please note that not only the volume of the lower legs will decrease, but also the entire body. However, a balanced, healthy diet will only benefit you. Follow simple rules to actively remove excess fat.
Refusal of junk food
Eliminate sweets, white bread, pastries, sugar, soft wheat pasta, white rice, semolina and millet porridge, soda, and sweet juices from your diet. These products contain fast carbohydrates that immediately turn into fat. There is also a taboo on store-bought sauces, fatty meats, lard, and butter, as they contain a lot of unhealthy fats and cholesterol.
Smoked meats, pickles, marinades, sausages, pates and snacks are products that retain fluid in the body; they should not be on your menu.
Entering healthy products
Focus on healthy proteins: lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy and fermented milk products, nuts.
Also take care to provide your body with healthy unsaturated fats, they are found in vegetable oils. Fiber will help start your metabolism and cleanse your intestines; there is a lot of it in fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and lettuce.
Slow carbohydrates, which contain brown rice, oatmeal, bran, whole grains, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat, and rye bread, will give the body strength.
Correct eating habits
Eat small meals 5-6 times a day, this is the best method to start your metabolism. Don’t chase quick results; your calves won’t get smaller if you starve yourself, but your health problems will increase.
Drinking regimen
It is imperative to drink 2 liters of non-carbonated mineral water per day. It will relieve swelling, speed up metabolism, cleanse the kidneys, and remove toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
However, please note that you should not drink water with your food; drink it at least 30 minutes before meals and 1 hour after it.
How to reduce calf size
If the fullness of the calves is associated with fluid retention, it is necessary to limit the consumption of salt, pickled and smoked foods. All this can lead to swelling of the legs and provoke vascular diseases. You can get rid of excess weight and fat legs by reviewing your diet. It is best to turn to a balanced diet, so you can achieve excellent results and maintain health. To do this, you need to include fresh vegetables and fruits and low-fat dairy products in your diet. You shouldn’t worry that the weight will come off slowly, the main thing is that it doesn’t come back quickly. At the same time, you need to adjust your drinking regime and move more.
To reduce calves on the legs after losing weight, it is recommended to perform special sets of exercises. At the same time, it is good to do several exercises to stretch the muscles, then they will become elastic and toned. The calves are very strong and resilient muscles; they help us move all day long without getting tired. That is why they are difficult to correct. To change their form, training must be systematic, 2-3 times a week. Calf muscles that have become bulky as a result of exercise can be tightened by regularly stretching this area.
Sports for calf correction
There are mixed reviews on the Internet from people who have tried to get rid of massive calves through exercise. This is due to the fact that this zone is not easy to correct. In order for the volumes to decrease, you need to use a special set of exercises.
Long-term cardiological training is not suitable for you; strength training is also excluded. But dynamic shaping classes, swimming, yoga, Pilates and stretching will be ideal companions in achieving your goals. Please note that you also need to select the optimal load on the simulators.
Set of exercises
- Bends with a raised leg. We stand straight, take one leg back. We slowly lower our torso until we touch the floor with our outstretched arm. We repeat 20 tilts with each leg.
- Scissors with legs. We lie on our backs, raise our outstretched legs up and begin to cross them vigorously. We do 20 repetitions.
- Rifles. We stand up straight, keep our back straight, and spread our legs as wide as possible. We bend our knees one by one and move the weight of the body onto each leg in turn. We work one leg at least 20 times.
- Pelvic lifts. We lie on our backs, bend our legs at the knees. We raise our pelvis as much as possible, without lifting our legs off the surface, and then lower ourselves. We repeat the movements rhythmically, at the top point we linger for a few seconds. We do 25 lifts.
- Swing your legs. We lie on our backs, arms along the body and straight. We bend our legs at the knees and straighten them one by one so that the swings are rhythmic. For each leg we perform 25 swings.
Additional cardio loads
To make your calves smaller, you must exercise regularly. This is a mandatory condition, otherwise weight loss in the desired area will not be achieved. Almost all exercises are aimed at stretching, but if you have problems not with large volumes of muscle tissue, but with fat deposits, then you can include cardio exercises without resistance in your training complex. Their duration should be about 30-45 minutes. We do a warm-up first.
You can use it to lose weight on your calves:
- running with an incline;
- running downhill;
- sprint;
- stepper exercises;
- walking on changing stairs (simulator);
- rides on an exercise bike.
Exercises for losing weight on calves
The complex is suitable as a replacement for strength training (weightlifting, powerlifting, cycling) and can be performed at home. The presented exercises will help keep the leg muscles toned without serious overstrain, and will also help reduce their volume. In addition, in combination with aerobic exercise (walking, elliptical, aerobics, etc.), this set of exercises will help remove fat from the calves. Train 4-5 times a week. Read more about training on the elliptical →
Mandatory warm-up
- Do 20 easy jumping rope moves on two legs.
- Then - 10 repetitions on each leg separately.
- Move relaxed, do not strain your leg muscles.
- Once you complete the cycle, massage your shins to get the blood flowing.
- Then repeat the jumping cycle again.
Exercise for losing weight calves No. 1
- Stand up straight.
- Lean your elbows on the wall with one hand and place the other on your waist.
- Spread your feet 15-20 cm apart and perform calf raises (20 times).
- Then bring your heels together and toes apart.
- Perform 20 lifts from this position.
- And finally, bring your toes together and your heels apart, and do 20 lifts.
- Take a break, massage your shins and perform another cycle like this.
Exercise for slimming calves No. 2
- Stand up straight. With one hand, lean against a wall or stable piece of furniture.
- Place your feet 15-20 cm apart.
- Exhale and rise onto your toes.
- As you inhale, bend your knees slightly and only then lower your heels to the floor.
- Straighten up again and repeat the movement another 25-30 times.
- Do 2 approaches, massaging your shins in between to avoid muscle “clog.”
Exercise for slimming calves No. 3
- Stand up straight.
- Bring your feet together.
- Press your palms to your waist.
- Stand up on your toes.
- Walk forward and backward around the room in short steps for 40-60 seconds.
- The main feature is straight legs. You can spread your arms out to the sides for better balance.
- Once you've completed your set, gently massage your lower legs to relieve tension.
- Repeat the exercise 2 times.
Exercise for losing weight calves No. 4
- Prepare a stable platform 40-50 cm high.
- Stand in front of the platform, sit down slightly at your feet.
- Then push off with your feet and jump onto the stand.
- Jump back down and repeat the movement.
- Don’t try to jump as high as possible, just overcome the height of the platform.
- Perform 25-30 jumps.
- Then knead your calves with massaging movements and repeat again.
Post-workout stretching
After class, be sure to do some light stretching.
- To do this, sit on your buttocks, stretch your legs forward and bring them together.
- Without bending your knees, lean your chest toward your hips.
- Try to clasp your feet with your hands.
- Continue for 1 minute.
- Then stand up, throw your leg on the windowsill, and bend your chest towards your raised hip.
- Stretch like this for a minute, then switch limbs and repeat.
In conclusion
Losing weight in calves is a complex and lengthy process.
However, you can achieve good results if you approach the problem in a comprehensive manner. It is important to consider that before you begin to correct the lower part of your legs, you need to determine what exactly triggered their growth. If the problem is a hormonal imbalance, then until it is corrected, it is useless to exercise in the gym or on your own.
If your boots are over-inflated, it is best to consult a trainer who will select the optimal set of exercises for you. And if you have fat deposits, you should combine exercise with proper nutrition.
Sources:
https://diet-diet.ru/sport/uprazhneniya/kak-poxudet-v-ikrax-nog.html https://slavklin.ru/articles/kak-pohudet-v-ikrah-kakie-delat-uprazhneniya-chtobyi -pohudeli-polnyie-nogi https://abgym.ru/pohudenie/telo/kak-sdelat-strojnee-ikry-nog.html
Helpful Tips for Reducing Calves
Properly selected exercises for losing weight in the calf muscles and a balanced diet will help give you relief and remove fat deposits. To reduce the volume of the lower legs, it is recommended to follow some recommendations:
- take regular breaks from training;
- After exercise, stretch;
- start your workout with a warm-up;
- do not wear high-heeled shoes;
- step on your foot correctly when walking: the weight should move from heel to toe.