Excess fat tends to be distributed unevenly throughout the body. It is for this reason that the question of how to lose weight in the calves of the legs is relevant for both overweight and thin people. This part of the body can stand out ugly against the background of the general figure due to an excess of fat cells under the skin or in muscle tissue. There are also other causes of massive calves that need to be considered before starting body shaping.
Women are in many ways inferior to men in terms of muscular corset and skeleton. However, calves are a part of the body, which in volume can not only “catch up”, but also surpass the representatives of the stronger half. Ideally, the circumference of the calf should be equal to the circumference of the biceps. If your proportion is far from ideal, and you want to know what to do to lose weight on your calves, consider why they stand out so ugly for 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 such an unpleasant “transformation” awaits you over time. It's all about how long your ancestors' Achilles tendon is. If it is short, then the caviar muscle will look more massive, and if it is long, then more slender. Nothing can be done about genetics, but if you are aware of your predisposition, you can train correctly so as not to overload the shafts and avoid their thickening.
- Sports activities. Fans of sports, ballroom dancing, football, uphill running and other exercises where the main load falls on the front arch of the foot may also be familiar with the problem big calves. The muscles in this area become too massive, as they are more often worked out during these exercises.
- Fat deposits. Fat is deposited not only under the skin, but also among the muscle tissues. Its excess can lead to the fact that the calves will increase in size, lose their elegance and beauty.
- Hormonal disbalance. High level 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.
- puffiness lower extremities. Edema is a consequence of malnutrition, alcohol abuse, a passive lifestyle and the use of insufficient amounts of water. Fluid tends to accumulate in the extremities, especially the lower ones. Your calves themselves may be slim and beautiful, but swelling leads to an increase in legs in volume.
- Walking in heels. Heel lovers should know that their favorite shoes have a double effect on the increase in calf size: the Achilles muscle becomes shorter due to the constant wearing of stilettos, and all other muscles of the lower legs are heavily stressed and grow rapidly.
Dietetics for weight loss
Nutritionists give good advice about how to lose weight in calves. Keep in mind that not only the volumes of the lower legs, but also the entire body will decrease. However, a balanced healthy eating will only benefit you. Follow simple rules so that excess fat is actively excreted.
Refusal of junk food
Eliminate sweets from your diet White bread, pastries, sugar, soft wheat pasta, White rice, semolina and millet porridge, soda, sweet juices. These products contain fast carbohydrates, which immediately turn into fat. Also taboo is imposed on store-bought sauces, fatty meat, lard, butter, as they contain a lot of unhealthy fats and cholesterol.
Smoked meats, pickles, marinades, sausages, pates and snacks are foods that retain fluid in the body, they should not be on your menu.
Entering useful products
Focus on healthy proteins: lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy and sour-milk products, nuts. Also take care of providing the body with healthy unsaturated fats, they are found in vegetable oils.
Fiber will help start the metabolism and cleanse the intestines, there is a lot of it in fresh vegetables, fruits, greens, lettuce.
Slow carbohydrates, which contain brown rice, oatmeal, bran, whole grains, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat, rye bread, will give the body strength.
Correct eating habits
Eat 5-6 small meals a day best method starting metabolism. Do not chase quick results, the calves will not become smaller if you starve yourself, but health problems will increase.
Drinking mode
Drink 2 liters of non-carbonated water per day mineral water is a must. It will relieve puffiness, speed up metabolism, cleanse the kidneys, remove toxins and others. harmful substances from the body.
However, keep in mind that you can’t drink food with water, they drink it at least 30 minutes before a meal and 1 hour after it.
Sports for calf correction
There are mixed reviews on the Internet from people who have tried to get rid of massive calves with 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 apply a special set of exercises.
Long cardiological workouts are not suitable for you, power loads are also excluded. But dynamic shaping, swimming, yoga, Pilates and stretching will be ideal companions in achieving your goals. Please note that on simulators you also need to select the optimal load.
A set of exercises
Additional cardio loads
In order for the calves to become smaller, you must exercise regularly. it required condition otherwise, weight loss in the desired area cannot be achieved. Almost all exercises are aimed at stretching, but if you have problems not with large amounts of muscle tissue, but with body fat, then cardio loads without resistance can be included in the training complex. Their duration should be about 30-45 minutes. We do a warm-up first.
You can use for weight loss calves:
- slope running;
- running downhill;
- sprint;
- classes on the stepper;
- walking on changing stairs (simulator);
- exercise bike rides.
In conclusion
Weight loss is a complex and lengthy process. However, you can achieve good results if you approach the solution of the problem in a complex way.
It is important to consider that before starting the correction of the lower part of the legs, you need to decide what exactly provoked their growth. If the problem is a hormonal imbalance, then it is useless to practice in the gym or on your own until it is corrected.
With "pumped" tops, it is best to consult a trainer who will select the best set of exercises for you. And in the case of the presence of body fat, it is worth combining exercises with proper nutrition.
Many women worry about the fullness of the legs. In this case, there can be two problems: either a wide bone and genetic features, or. If against excess weight exercises and diets will help you a lot, but in the case of genetics, everything is more complicated.
How to lose weight in calves?
First, determine your body type. Measure your wrist with a centimeter tape: if the result is 15.5 cm or less, you have a thin-boned figure (in this case, there are almost never problems with calves). If the wrist is 16-17.5 cm, then you have a normal physique. If you are concerned about the fullness of the calves, then you can solve this problem quite easily. But if the wrist is 18 cm or wider, you have a broad-boned body type, and it is likely that rather powerful calves are a feature of your anatomy.
You need to understand that only plastic surgery helps against nature. If you see that you are wide in the bones, you should not demand the impossible from yourself, just put your figure in order and learn to love your delicious legs.
But for those whose problems are caused precisely by excess weight, a combination of diet and sports is excellent. Next, we will take a closer look at what to do to lose weight calves.
Full calves how to lose weight: dietWhen deciding how to quickly lose weight in calves, you will have to reconsider your diet. First of all, you need to exclude all flour, fatty and sweet - these are the main enemies of harmony. should be something like this:
- Breakfast: a couple of eggs, a small cucumber, tea bases of sugar.
- Dinner: light soup, vegetable salad, juice.
- Afternoon snack: Apple.
- Dinner: beef/chicken/fish with vegetables, tea without sugar.
- Before bedtime: a glass of fat-free kefir.
Remember to moderate portion sizes. In just 10-14 days, you can train yourself to eat less than usual, reduce the volume of the stomach and tune in to effective weight loss. After that, continue to eat right to improve or maintain the result.
What exercises are needed to lose weight calves?In order to remove the fullness of the calves, trainers usually advise their wards to perform a standard stretching complex for the legs:
- Sitting on the floor with straight legs stretched out to the sides, stretch first to one, then to the other, then in the middle. Toes on yourself.
- Sitting on the floor with straight legs folded together, reach first for one, then for the other, then in the middle. Toes on yourself.
Even these two exercises are enough to get the result. If you want to approximate it, you can do full complex stretch marks or attend stretching classes.
While a lot of girls are trying to cope with the problem of the lack of a waist or the presence of "ears" on the hips, many are worried about something else, namely full calves. Graceful and toned ankles combined with beautiful shoes - it's so attractive. Do not wait until this feature of your appearance turns into a serious complex, but start working towards changes for the better. Simple exercises to reduce calves, available to us at home, provided they are performed regularly, will become wonderful way problem solving.
To reduce the volume of calves, you need to try to understand the causes of this problem. The matter may be in a hereditary predisposition and features of the physique, in which the whole figure will be dense and stocky. In this case, it will take a long time to work, but you can still get the result.
Also, the shins can increase in size due to varicose veins and due to fluid retention. Pay attention to symptoms such as severe leg fatigue in the evening, a feeling of heaviness and burning in them.
Too full calves can be the result of overweight, as well as uneven weight loss. First of all, the volumes leave the arms, chest and abdomen, but the problem areas in the lower body can remain rounded, despite constant efforts.
Having determined what the fullness of the calves is connected with, you must fight the cause. Most often, you need to reconsider your diet and lifestyle, move more, drink enough clean water.
In addition, if you want to reduce the lower leg, you can not do without exercises aimed specifically at this area. There are special complexes that are recommended to be supplemented with stretching exercises, thanks to which the muscles will become elastic and toned. By themselves, the calves are strong and enduring muscles, it is thanks to them that we can move around throughout the day. Because of this, they are difficult to correct. To achieve a result You need to exercise regularly - at least 2-3 times a week. It is also important to choose correct complex exercises.
A little about the correct adjustment of calves
To achieve the desired shape of the calves, you need to understand that their training can be different. There are exercises for pumping up the calf muscles, there are exercises for losing weight, and there are exercises for maintaining muscles in good shape. There are also exercises for weak muscles, mainly aimed at stretching. What you need to choose is determined only by the desired result.
The selected set of exercises should also take into account the structural features of the lower leg. To form a beautiful muscle relief, it is not necessary to bring yourself to exhaustion with a huge amount of exercise. Exercises for weight loss calves should be light, aerobic. In this case, you can’t get carried away with a power load - it can have the opposite effect. You need to work without weights, but increase the number of repetitions and approaches.
Will be very effective static loads, such as yoga and pilates. They simultaneously strain the muscles and stretch them. If you include only strength exercises, then you can form irregular shape caviar, resembling an inverted bottle. In addition, seizures may occur. Therefore, training should consist of their exercises aimed at burning fat and training the muscles, calf and soleus. A properly developed soleus muscle lifts the calf muscle, thanks to which the leg gets a beautiful shape.
How to reduce calves: effective exercises
Exists a large number of exercises that help to cope with how to reduce the calves on the legs. Let's take a look at the most popular ones.
1. Plie
Plie squats are great calf exercises. If you want to reduce volume, and not build muscle, do not use additional weights. This exercise is popular among professional ballerinas, whose slender legs are the best proof of its effectiveness.
Stand straight, put your feet wider than your shoulders. In this position, perform squats, while trying to specifically tighten the muscles of the thighs, and bend the knees as much as possible. Performing the first 20 repetitions, lean on the entire foot, and the next 20 - rise on the bones. When squatting, follow safety precautions to eliminate the risk of injury.
2. Folding knife
You need to sit on your buttocks and straighten your legs. As with a normal stretch, lean forward and extend your arms, trying to touch your toes as you do so. Hold this position for at least one and a half minutes, and repeat it about 15 times.
3. Jump rope
Skipping rope - simple, fun and effective method how to reduce calves on legs for girls. Total 15 minutes of jumping a day help burn a significant amount of calories and "dry" the calves.
4. Rolls
Rolls are aimed at stretching the muscles of the lower leg and at the formation of beautiful calf muscles. Stand on your heels, march thirty times, so that you clearly feel the calves of your legs. After that, sharp rolls are made from heel to toe. Then march again. One approach - one full roll. It is recommended to do at least four repetitions.
5. Lunges
Lunges - universal exercise to work out the lower body. It can help you build muscle as well as lose weight. To reduce the ankles and calves, use the lightweight version of the exercise.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart, lunge, making sure that the heel of the second, supporting leg does not come off the floor. After a few seconds, return to the starting position.
6. Toe raises
Toe raises, which help to reduce the ankles on the legs, can be performed in several ways.
Stand up straight, transfer your body weight to right leg, bend the left knee. Now rise on your toes at least fifteen times. Do the same for the second leg. You can choose a weighted version of the exercise, getting up not on the floor, but on a step or step.
Also, this exercise is a wonderful prevention of edema and varicose veins.
7. Batman
Another exercise is how to reduce the calves of the legs. To perform it, you will need a chair (you can use another support). Stand next to him and grab his back. Feet should be parallel to each other. Stretch your right leg forward, straining your toe, make a sharp swing forward. For each leg, repeat the exercise at least 20 times.
8. Classic squats
Regular squats are a great way to reduce calves and shape beautiful and slender legs generally.
If you want to reduce calf volume, do not use weights when squatting. Also, there is no need to do deep squats - a half-squat is enough.
The squat technique is as follows:
- Stand up straight, straighten your shoulders. Do 30-40 squats. Perform the exercise at a slow pace and fix the position in the squat for a few seconds.
- Another option is to place your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing inward. Do 20-30 shallow squats.
Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises help to cope with how to reduce calves. They make the muscles elastic and elastic, give the lower leg a beautiful shape.
1. Sit on the floor. Lean forward, touching your fingertips with your fingers. Pull your heels towards you and your toes away from you. It will be difficult at first, but over time, your flexibility will increase and you will be able to perform this movement with ease. Stretching should be done smoothly. In the pose of maximum tension, linger for a few seconds. Repeat the stretch three times. This exercise is also done to each leg separately. The starting position is similar, the legs need to be spread apart.
2. Stand up straight, take a big lunge forward with your left foot. Bend her at the knee. Press the foot of the right leg firmly to the floor - due to its muscles, stretching will occur. Lock in this position for a few seconds. Do the same for the other leg. Repeat 3-5 times for each leg.
3. "Dog face down" is one of the basic yoga poses. You need to get on all fours. Slowly straighten your knees, lifting your torso. Leave your legs slightly bent, rest your feet on your toes, face should be directed to the floor. Try not to raise your heels too high. Hold this position for a few seconds. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times.
4. There are many others in yoga good exercise for stretching the muscles of the calves. Including them in your morning exercises, you can make the legs graceful and slender. In general, yoga great way for those who get full legs by inheritance. It is better to do it under the supervision of a professional instructor or video tutorials on the network.
5.For muscle stretching and weight loss is very Pilates is useful- muscle stretching technique, which is based on static exercises.
Thick calves, how to reduce which, you already know - it's not as scary as you think. Regular exercise combined with a proper diet and lifestyle, as well as additional measures like body wraps and massage will help to achieve the desired results. And soon you will be able to boast of beautiful legs, with which it will be quite possible to afford any mini and any shoe models.
Video exercises to reduce calf volume
Each body has a unique structure. Some girls are worried about an overly lush butt, the second - full hips, the third - hands.
If there are those among you who are dissatisfied with their own calves and want to make them thinner and slimmer, this article is for you.
We'll consider various methods impact on the problem area - calves.
It is usually not difficult for girls to lose weight in their legs, calves and hips. Do not get carried away only by "pumping up" the calves, otherwise you will get the opposite result. diet in this delicate matter more important!
If you continue to lead the same way of life, then it is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of fat in the calf area. They can be pumped up, but the calves from this will become even larger. And why do you need strong muscles to hide under a layer of fat, because no one will see them anyway.
If cardio has already entered your life tightly, then you can move on to exercises that will locally act on the calves:
Even if the muscles are strong, the fat on the calves will hide the relief, but nutrition and your heredity are to blame.
All of the above exercises are quite simple, they do not require special equipment or skills, they can be done just at home. Get in the habit of doing 10 minutes every day in the morning. Combined with proper nutrition and cutting calories by just 100 kcal, you will definitely succeed.
Running for weight loss of calves is an excellent aerobic exercise, but you won’t get to lose weight in a week
We have already talked about the importance of cardio training. Now let's figure out which sport helps to reduce calves, namely the reduction of fat deposits in the calf area.
Jogging will be effective if you follow the rules of cardio training, that is, run for at least 30 minutes, adhering to the same pace and not resting. The same goes for jumping rope. The calf muscles are great, but for maximum effect, follow the same rules as for running.
Swimming in general is very useful view cardio training, because many muscle groups are involved. Work in the pool mainly with your feet and you will soon see the result.
Calf slimming wraps can help you lose weight in your knees and calves at the same time, and even deal with cellulite on your thighs!
In war, all methods are good! This proverb is also relevant in our case.
If you have already connected workouts, corrected mistakes in your diet, then you can influence the calves from the outside. Massages and wraps come to the rescue.
Massage can be performed independently, using any natural oil for this. You need to do it with smooth circular movements from the bottom up. Such manipulations are very pleasant after a busy day, before going to bed, when the legs just need relaxation.
Wraps improve blood flow and stimulate the resorption of fat cells. Wraps can be done with vinegar (diluted 1: 2 with water), blue clay, seaweed.
Choose your way of fighting for beautiful and slender legs. Feel free to put on beautiful skirts and dresses, and let everyone admire your beauty and grace!
There are many ways to lose weight in the calves, but do you really need to lose weight here?
Before you start losing weight, determine for yourself exactly what is wrong with your calves? Are they too muscular? Are they covered in fat? Do you personally dislike them or do you think that others laugh at them? In the last and penultimate cases, no amount of weight loss will help you, even if you take a planer and cut off all the meat from them to the bone. An example is anorexic women who are dissatisfied with their weight even when there is no fat or meat left in them - only bones and soul knocking on the ribs.
Psychologists know that a person who is dissatisfied with his appearance without objective reasons should not change his appearance, but his attitude towards him. Mata Hari was by no means a beauty, but the fans fell at her feet in piles. So if objectively your calves are normal, then you should not lose weight, but love them. Approximately the same approach can be applied to overly muscular calves.
Unfortunately, the most you can do is tone them down a bit by stretching. The volume will decrease slightly, and visually they will become a little thinner. Keep in mind that you will have to do the exercises constantly. All weight loss methods will only work if the calves are swollen with fat.
Here, however, there are several nuances.
Whatever the creators of the "weight loss" mythology tell you, it will be impossible to lose weight in the right buttock, left shoulder, or behind the ears. The body decides for itself where to get the next portion of fat to cover its needs. And neither wraps, nor diets, nor exercises will be effective here. So lose weight for health, if you really need it. Lose excess fat and just wait for the turn to “feed” the body to a place that you think is not beautiful enough.
Or spit on it, remember Mata Hari and stack the fans.
The process of losing weight different people proceeds in different ways: some have problems with a decrease in the volume of the hips, others can not get rid of the stomach. There is a problem area, which for everyone, without exception, is one of the most difficult to lose weight - these are the calves of the legs. Some are lucky - their calves are moderately thin and pumped up. These lucky ones can easily put on a short skirt, exposing the lower part of their legs. Women with thin calves will easily pick up boots with high tops.
But what about the owners of thick shins? All tips for reducing the volume of the calves are given below.
How to lose weight in the calves with exercise?
To begin with, it should be said that conventional exercises are ineffective for reducing calves, on the contrary, because of them, the shins can become even more voluminous. When squatting, running, power loads on the legs, the calf muscles will begin to develop intensively.
The basic formula for reducing calf size is aerobics combined with clear, fast step-like exercises and leg stretching exercises:
1. Rest your palms on your buttocks, put your right leg forward and begin to slowly bend it at the knee. Pay attention to the other leg - her foot should rest completely on the floor, thereby stretching the calf muscle of the left leg. Repeat the same with the right leg. One set of this exercise should last 30 seconds.
2. Simple, but very effective exercise: Lie on your back and bend your knees, then pull the toes of both legs towards you alternately.
3. Rest your palms against the wall, bend your legs slightly at the knees. Put your left shin on your right foot, and then slowly begin to rise on your right toe. Do this exercise 10 times on each leg.
If you are concerned about the presence of fat accumulations above the patella (this is often the case with athletes, as well as just overweight women), read the article on how to remove fat from the knees. It sets out detailed methodology dealing with such deposits.
Diet for weight loss in the calves of the legs
Losing weight through exercise is effective, but long. For many women, dieting is more habitual. For the calves of the legs, this is only relevant if their volume is not caused by enlarged muscles, but by adipose tissue.
There are no special diets to reduce shins, lose weight according to the system that you like best. Exclude only mono-diet and a diet with a minimum amount of calories.
One of the causes of enlarged calves is swelling. To get rid of excess fluid, do not add salt to food, eat less canned foods.
Pay attention to the distribution subcutaneous fat on your body if it is uneven ( wide hips, thick shins - narrow waist), this is a sign of increased estrogen hormone. But do not rush to take hormonal drugs to reduce the volume of your body, just eat more lean protein foods and reduce your intake of sweets.
Do you follow the diet, and the calves are still big? Do not despair! The process of losing weight can be delayed, because it is difficult to get rid of fat deposits in the lower leg area.
A little about massage, swimming, fitness equipment for calf weight loss
There are other methods that will help you lose weight in your calves. Relax your calves with a massage. It is not necessary to visit a specialist for this, you can do the massage yourself - rub, wrinkle, stroke the problem area. In order not to damage the skin, use a special oil during self-massage. Don't forget to release tension in your calves after a hard day or after a grueling workout - just lift your legs and shake them harder.
Go to the pool, exercise on simulators (treadmill, stepper, elliptical trainer for home), but only for your own pleasure. After water and physical procedures, it is advisable not to eat for some time.
For weight loss in the calf area, classes on an elliptical trainer are the best fit, which improves the aerobic capacity of the body. Training on this simulator does not cause any harm to the joints - you can move the pedals on it without any effort on your knees and shins. The calf muscles do not develop, but stretch when exercising on this simulator, that is, they gradually decrease in volume.
Sometimes you need to lose weight not only in the calves, but also in other places of the legs. Another article on our website will tell you how to remove fat from the frogs and make legs fit and slender.
Slim legs, thin calves- the dream of any woman, and in order for it to come true, you need to love aerobics, stretching exercises, exercising on an elliptical trainer, swimming. Try to limit yourself in sweets, eat less salty and fatty foods. Pamper your legs: buy an expensive cream, do a calf massage, relaxing baths.
Full shins are not forever. Be patient and follow the recommendations described in this article. And soon the calves will decrease in volume, and you will feel like a queen!
