Fat and muscle: how to remove large calves on your legs. Is it possible to reduce calves on the legs and how to do it correctly

Often the problem area is the hips, but girls note that sometimes the appearance of the calves leaves much to be desired. Every young girl dreams of beautiful and graceful legs, so that even in a simple dress people turn around after her. What exercises will help you achieve your dream body?

How to reduce calves on legs at home?

Girls perceive graceful, slightly toned legs, but not with a lot of calves, as the standard of beauty. It is possible to achieve the ideal with the help of a few simple exercises and a number of rules.

At the very beginning of your journey, you need to understand why a girl has such a problem, because sometimes changing her diet, stopping the use of diuretic medications, and placing her legs on a high cushion while sleeping can help cope with the problem. Within a few days, your legs become slender.

How to reduce a girl's calves?

It would seem that such a weightless drawback, but in fact, in order to correct it, you need to train almost every day, and the sets of exercises will change radically depending on the reasons for the occurrence of this situation. There are several ways to solve this problem.

In particular, you need to follow a few simple tips:

Try not to wear high-heeled shoes too often, and try not to ride a bike every day;
Reduce daily protein intake;
Do effective exercises to reduce the size of your calves.

First of all, you need to establish as accurately as possible the cause of the problem, and only after that you can begin to correct your body.

The most common ailments include:

Swelling of the legs with the presence of varicose veins. Usually appears as a result of tissue looseness, making itself felt through an unpleasant painful burning sensation. Sometimes the problem is caused by other diseases.
To find out whether it is swelling or not, just perform a simple test: press your fingers on the soft area of the leg. If after pressing a small hole lingers on the skin, this is an unfavorable sign.
Anatomical features. They are generally considered to have broad bones, a stocky build, and a predominance of muscles.
The problem may appear due to heredity. In any situation, if the appearance of the calves is not satisfactory at all, and the girl has a clear goal, it is quite possible to cope with the problem.
High percent fat layer in the lower leg area.
Having overly pumped muscles. This is usually typical for athletes, gymnasts, runners and fitness enthusiasts. In fact, it is impossible to pump muscles at home, without special protein nutrition and professional exercise.

This problem usually occurs due to improper loads during walking or sports activities, when instead of placing the body weight on the heel, it falls completely on the toe.

The second no less popular consequence is considered to be high heels, namely high stilettos. In this position, the load is placed not only on the pelvis and back, but also on the calf muscle.

If a problem arises, instructors highlight several effective techniques:

Effective exercises for losing weight in calves

To achieve your goal, you need to perform only the most effective sets of exercises, and not just today, but day after day, systematically, and only in a positive mood. The goal should be at the top of your wish list. And then very soon the girl will be able to become exactly who she always imagined herself to be.

Plie

The exercise is quite popular among gymnasts and ballerinas. The starting position is straight, the feet are parallel to the shoulders. In this position, you need to squat 20 times, while your hips should tense.

The first 10 repetitions should be performed with support on the entire foot, and after that, slightly rising on your toes.

Jackknife
The girl sits on the floor and straightens her legs. The body, together with the arms, leans forward, while the fingers seem to be trying to touch the feet. You need to hold this position for 90 seconds, 10-15 repetitions.

Jump rope

To reduce the volume of your shins, just jump rope for 15 minutes a day. The great thing is that this not only dries out the calves, but also allows the body to burn an impressive amount of calories.

See here.

Rifles

The exercise is designed to stretch the problem area. Starting position standing on your heels. You need to go through this 20-30 times, making sure to feel the tension in your calves.

After completing this, you need to roll over onto your toes as quickly as possible and march in this position. This roll is done for 1 approach, of which there should be about 5 pieces.

Lunges
It is allowed to perform only a lighter version of lunges. The classic version can strain the calf muscles, and this is completely inappropriate for reducing calves.

The girl should place her feet shoulder-width apart and make 1 lunge forward, while the heel of the other leg should not leave the floor. You need to hold this position for 2-4 seconds and do the same with the other leg.

Calf raise
The starting position is straight, with the body weight transferred to the right leg, the left leg bent at the knee joint. In this position, the girl should rise on her toes.

You need to perform 15 squats, and then repeat the exercise on the other leg. For greater efficiency, you can stand on a step or step platform.

Batman
To make your legs graceful, doing just 1 exercise will not be enough. The Batman complex is suitable as an additional exercise.

The technique for doing it is as follows: the girl stands near the chair, holding its back with one hand. The chair, in the exercise, acts as a support. The feet are parallel to each other. The right limb is extended with the toe in front of you. In this position, a sharp forward swing is carried out. This exercise should be performed 15-20 times on each leg.

Girls should be careful about their diet. Diets specifically for losing weight in calves have not yet been invented, but nutritionists allow the use of complex methods. Their operating principle will gradually reduce the shins, and the legs will acquire the desired shape.

It is necessary to reduce the daily calorie intake to 1300. Protein is no more than 1 gram per 1 kg of your weight. Try to drink as much clean water as possible and prohibit yourself from eating baked goods and anything sweet.

Proper nutrition speeds up the process of losing weight and allows you to achieve your goal much faster.

Exercises to reduce the size of your calves

There are several effective complexes that, if performed daily, can cope with such a nuisance. The only rule here is considered to be regular implementation of the techniques and motivation to achieve the best result.

Stretching while sitting

The exercise technique has been well known since school: the girl sits on the floor and places her legs exactly in front of her. The body and arms lean forward as much as possible, while the toes are pulled towards you.

As soon as the body feels strong tension, you need to freeze in this position for 10 seconds, and then return to the starting position. To achieve the best results, it is enough to perform 3-5 approaches daily.

Wide stance stretch:

The girl puts one leg in front of her and the other behind her. The legs should be placed as far apart as possible, but the girl should feel comfortable.
Then bend the right knee of the leg in front, while the heel should fit snugly to the floor.
If the exercise is performed correctly, during the process the girl should feel a burning sensation in the leg that is located at the back.
The back should be straight, the gaze directed ahead, and at the same time you need to continue to stretch the muscles.
You need to freeze in this position for 10-15 seconds. In total, at least 5 stretches should be performed on each leg.

Downward Dog Pose

This classic yoga pose is ideal for stretching your muscles.

Warrior Pose

Starting position is standing, one leg is in front, the other is located behind. The hips are positioned in the center and the arms are extended upward. 10-15 repetitions are performed.

Triangle pose

The legs are positioned as wide as possible, with one moving forward and the other moving backward. Bend forward with your hand to your leg on the same side. At least 15 repetitions are performed.

Curling down against the wall

The main requirement of the exercise is the presence of a wall. The woman stands near the wall at a distance of about 45 cm, with her feet parallel and hip-width apart.

The body leans against the surface of the wall in such a way as if she is trying to sit down on a high stool. The main thing is to try not to lean your body with your head against the wall.

Exercise "saw"

The girl sits down on the mat, stretching her legs in front of her. If you wish, you can sit on a small pillow - it will help position the pelvis in the correct relationship to the body. You should not force your knees to the floor. It is better if they are slightly bent.

If the girl has a lot of flexibility, you can pull her socks forward, but if not, then it’s better to push them towards yourself:

First, a preparatory breath is taken, and the back is stretched upward. The arms are spread out to the sides parallel to the floor surface, palms down. The arms are extended through the fingers, while the shoulder blades are lowered.
As you exhale, the torso turns to the right side, turning to face the right foot. As you inhale, you need to again stretch along the imaginary pole.
As you exhale a second time, you need to turn a little more to the right., and at the same moment turn your torso forward and down so that you can move your left hand along the little toe of your right foot. It should feel like the girl is trying to saw him off.
Extending your right hand in front of you, along with it, the right one should go behind the back, lifting it as high as possible. During the execution, the shoulder blades are at the bottom.
The head turns in the direction of the right hand, trying to look over his shoulder. The exercise is repeated at least 5 times in each direction.

These simple exercises help reduce volume in a short time. Of course, it is possible to make perfect calves surgically, but sometimes post-operative recovery of the body takes much longer than special exercises.

To get rid of voluminous calves on their legs, girls need not only to follow a diet and exercise.

In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to some features every day:

These few easy and standard sets of exercises are a great way to keep your entire body in good shape. Doing exercises in the morning will not only provide the body with a boost of energy, but will also give you a great mood for the whole day.

Conclusion

It is quite possible to make your calves beautiful in just one week if the girl does not set herself unrealistic goals measuring 4 or more centimeters. This requires, as always, systematicity and adherence to rules, recommendations and temporary regime.

The main thing to remember is that no person is born perfect, but becomes perfect thanks to his efforts. In some ways this is easy to achieve, in others it is more difficult. But even if it is incredibly difficult to achieve a result, you should not give up. With a little effort, the body of your dreams will become a source of pride.

This type of exercise is relevant for many women because not everyone has been given perfectly beautiful legs by nature. Weak and thin, or “bottle” shaped calves, which occur with excess weight, can bring grief and spoil any figure.

But there is a possibility correct their shape and make them slim, and the gait is light. As always, special exercises for losing weight in the calves for girls can help with this. By doing them, you can pump up your calves if they are thin, and also, if necessary, remove fat from your legs.

A little anatomy

The posterior group of muscles of the lower leg is represented by:

External and internal parts of the gastrocnemius muscle;
Soleus muscle.

The gastrocnemius muscle (also called the triceps muscle) is located above the soleus muscle and is attached to the heel using the Achilles tendon. These muscles perform important functions, the back of the lower leg moves the foot forward and backward, and the anterior group of muscles of the lower leg provide it with a stable position while walking. These muscles, working together, bend the foot when walking. The calf muscles flex and extend the ankle joint and rotate it.

The calf muscles receive the greatest load during jumping, as well as when raising toes using weights. The soleus muscle gets a load when the knee is bent, so squats are a good way to train it. The gastrocnemius muscle is located above the soleus muscle - it is they who create the volume and shape of beautiful calves.

Top 7 exercises for calf muscles

Exercises for the calf muscles for women at home are selected in such a way as to sufficiently work out exactly that muscle group that gives the legs a relief outline. This can be achieved only by acting on the problem area.

The recommended complex consists of exercises that most effectively work the muscles, help lose weight in the lower leg and form slender legs at home:

Calf raise;
Rolling from toes to heels;
Walking on your heels;
Raising your toes while sitting on a chair;
Squats with a load;
Pistol.
Jumping rope;

You can perform this set of exercises in one day. Warm up before doing it. It is recommended to include exercises such as:

Active jumps;
or ;
Rotate the foot clockwise and counterclockwise;

Also, to warm up, you can simply massage your calves with active movements. Well, you can complete the workout with statics, for example.

1. Calf raise

This is a great stretch for the calf muscles. It is recommended to start the complex with it.

We stand facing the wall close and lean on it with our hands at chest level. We step back from the wall one and a half steps without lifting our hands.
We rise and fall on our toes, transferring our body weight to them. The body must form straight line.
If you round your back and lower your head, the load on your calf muscles will be minimal.

We carry out

Another great method burning fat from problem areas is walking up the stairs. An alternative could be

2. Rolling from toes to heels

The muscles of the lower leg and foot work.

We stand straight, shoulders straightened. We place our feet shoulder width apart.
We rise on our toes and roll onto our heels as much as possible, lifting our toes off the floor.
We try to keep the body straight and maintain balance.

We carry out ten times, three to four approaches. We increase the number of exercises with each workout and bring it to seventy.

3. Walking on your heels

The muscles of the lower leg, thighs and buttocks work.

A useful and effective exercise that can be done several times a day. It will help make your calves and thighs slender and your gait easy.

Stand on your heels, raise your toes as high as possible.
We walk on our heels in small steps, keep the body straight, We don’t lower our heads.

To begin with, you can do three sets of ten steps. Gradually increase to ninety steps.

4. Seated calf raise with weights

The soleus muscle gets a good workout. The muscles of the buttocks and thighs work.

We sit on a chair, our back is straight, we form a right angle.
We lift the heels and toes off the floor one by one, rolling the foot with maximum amplitude.

We do the exercise at a slow pace for ten exercises - three approaches.

It is recommended to use a weight that must be placed on your knees. For example, dumbbells or several one and a half liter bottles of water, fastened together with tape. To begin, take three bottles. In subsequent workouts, we increase the load, gradually attaching one bottle at a time with tape.

5. Squats with dumbbells

Squats are a great way to work the area we need. . How to pump up a girl’s calves even more effectively? . The main load goes to the soleus and calf muscles. You cannot enlarge your calves without developing your soleus muscle.

Therefore, be sure to use this exercise in order to work out the lower leg muscles well and give them relief.

Take dumbbells in your hands.
Start squatting with a straight back, until your knees form a right angle.
Hands with dumbbells move from the hip joint to the knee joint and back.

Carefully! The buttocks should not be lowered too low, otherwise the main load will go to the knee joint, which can create a risk of injury. Also, the emphasis of the load will be shifted from the lower leg to the gluteal muscles.

6. Pistol Squats

The main load falls on the gluteal, calf and soleus muscles.

We perform squats first on one leg, then on the other. If you haven’t done physical exercise for a long time, you won’t be able to do it the first time, but with subsequent training you can successfully master the pistol exercise. To do this, it will be necessary to work out the leg muscles well, using exercises for all muscle groups of the lower extremities.

Watch the video for more details:

Carefully! When performing the exercise, there is a very large load on the knee joint! Exercise of a high level of difficulty. Included in the training program of professional athletes.

7. Jumping rope

Gives a good workout of the main muscle groups and promotes weight loss of the calf muscles in women and. The main load goes to the lower leg muscles. We train the cardiovascular system, increase the overall tone of the body, and improve metabolism!

It is recommended to start and end the complex with muscle stretching exercises - “exercise with support on the wall” or one of the varieties
You can feel how the calf muscle is activated in the following way: in a lying position, pull your foot towards you with your fingers. Remember this feeling - all exercises where you feel it will help work your calf muscles! If your calves are weak, the sensation may be uncomfortable and you will benefit greatly from stretching.
Experienced instructors recommend Stretch your muscles between sets. This creates better conditions for the growth of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Stretching between sets helps relieve tension, prevents muscle spasms, and also helps pump them up.
Increase the range of movements gradually. Do not try to immediately reach the maximum - you can stretch the ligaments. Running, cycling, tennis and all types of active sports training have a positive effect on the formation of calf muscles and their beautiful shape.
Walking up the stairs is a very useful type of exercise for the legs. Works well on the calf muscles, as well as the and muscles, and trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Forget about the elevator at home and at work: if you have the opportunity to walk on the stairs during the day, then be sure to use it! This type of walking should ideally take about fifteen minutes a day.

How to reduce calves on legs for girls - 3 more methods

Extra pounds like to be deposited in this area. Typically, this occurs when excess weight accumulates throughout the body. How to remove calves on legs quickly? There is a set of effective measures that can be followed to cope with this problem. But you shouldn’t think that the result will be in a week, but in a month it’s quite possible.

1. Changing dietary principles

Poor nutrition is one of the main causes of cellulite on the calves. How to get rid of cellulite? You need to adhere to two simple principles:

Using low fat foods.
Exclusion from the daily diet of flour and confectionery products.

It’s good if the basis of the diet is boiled chicken and fish, vegetables, herbs, fermented milk products, herbal teas, green tea. Grain and bran bread, bean dishes, porridges from various cereals - in small quantities.

After losing weight, you can return to your normal diet, but remember to eat at in moderate quantities. It is important to keep in mind that the number of calories received from food should not exceed the calories that you burned, otherwise the weight will return again.

2. Massage

Various types of massage for weight loss have a good effect on muscles and help improve metabolism.

Self-massage – rubbing, kneading and patting movements – gives excellent results. You can also massage and rub your calves with a special massage mitten.

Add a handful of sea salt, a few drops of tea tree oil and a few drops of linseed or mustard oil to one liter of water. Dip the mitten into this healing solution and intensively rub the areas of your calves and thighs. A very pleasant and effective procedure, beneficial for the skin and helping to remove excess fat deposits.

3. Wraps

After completing a set of exercises, wraps work especially well. Their compositions may be very different, but they are all beneficial effect on muscles and skin, help reduce fat deposits, accelerate blood flow, have a lymphatic drainage effect, relieve fatigue from the legs:

Coarse sea salt and honey - in equal quantities. The duration of this wrap is half an hour;
Seaweed steamed in boiling water. Action time – up to half an hour;
Mustard powder diluted with warm water. Action time is from one minute to three minutes. You should feel warmth and a slight tingling sensation.

Here are a few rules, following which, you can get the maximum effect from the wraps:

Before the procedure, you must take a shower using a fine, light scrub. You can use the pharmacy version, you can take fine salt with the addition of any vegetable oil.
The composition of the compress is best applied to clean dry skin calf area;
Wrap the top with cling film;
Wrap yourself in a blanket and lie down, relaxing;
Wash off the mask with warm water, lubricate with nourishing cream.

A course of ten procedures will bring very good results. You can do wraps every other day, or every two days.

Carefully! If you feel pain and burning, remove the compress immediately: this wrap is not suitable for you!

When combined with exercise and a healthy diet, positive results can be achieved. in just a few months. Weak and thin calves can be toned up very well and feel confident in clothes of any length. Using the above set of exercises will also help those who are overweight. Using these recommendations, you can form toned muscles and not gain extra pounds in the future.

Many girls dream of their legs being more beautiful. The problem area is most often the thighs, but full calves can often cause anxiety.

But before planning physical education classes and a set of exercises, it is necessary to determine the reason why the calves are too large in volume. There are usually three of them: the presence of swelling in the legs, overly pumped muscles or excess weight. And based on this, answer the question for yourself of how to reduce your calves.

Causes of full calves and options,

how to make your calves thinner

The first reason is swelling of the legs and ways to eliminate the problem

It's quite easy to find out. You just need to see if in the evening there are traces of the elastic bands of the socks on your ankles. You can also simply press your finger on the foot in the dry bone area. If pressure leaves a hole that gradually disappears, swelling is present. And healthy, swelling-free tissues are elastic, they immediately restore their shape. Another sign of swelling is that in the evening it can be difficult to put on those shoes that you put on without difficulty in the morning, and you also feel tired in the calves and feet.

Swelling can be managed with a diet that excludes salty and fatty foods, as well as using diuretics. A simple piece of advice can also make you feel better: when going to bed in the evening, place a small pillow under your feet. And during the day, if possible, lie down on the sofa, throwing your legs up on a wall or elevated surface. If your swelling does not go away, be sure to visit your doctor, as this may be a sign of a serious illness. When the swelling goes down, you can give your calves a beautiful shape through physical exercise, step aerobics and running.

The second reason is excess weight and correction of calves at the same time

If the volume of your calves is increased due to excess weight, you need to go on a diet, start eating right and include those that are designed specifically to work on this area. So, how to make your calves smaller? For example, you can go swimming, jogging, or do simple exercises for your calves: walk up the stairs, stand on your toes using a step platform or other elevation (box, threshold, etc.), jump rope, walk more or bounce On the socks.

Reason three - pumped calves and how to fix the problem

The most severe case is if the calves are large in volume due to the fact that they are pumped up due to overly intense sports activities. There are unlikely to be effective methods that can bring results quickly. How to reduce calves in this case? Here we can recommend reducing the overall load on your legs and limiting your consumption. In addition, you will have to exclude sweets and fatty foods in order not to gain weight, therefore, you will have to eat only vegetables and fruits. You can stretch periodically. To do this, you need to sit down, raise your legs straight, first pull your foot towards you, then away from you. This way you can slightly change the shape of your calves, making them more elongated and visually reducing their volume.

Exercise 1. Calf Raise

N.p. - you need to stand up straight, put your legs hip-width apart, and your feet parallel. First inhale, and as you exhale rise up onto your toes. Repeat 25 times.

Exercise 2. One-leg toe raise

N.p. - stand up straight again, transfer your entire body weight to your right leg, while lifting your left leg off the floor, bending it at the knee. First, inhale, and as you exhale, rise onto your toes. Repeat for each leg 15 times.

Exercise 3. Raising on toes with toes inward (with “clubfooted” feet)

N.p. - again, stand up straight, place your feet at the width of your pelvis, point your toes inward. First, inhale, and as you exhale, rise up onto your toes. Repeat 25 times.

Repeat the entire sequence of these exercises twice.

To reduce your calves by two to three centimeters, the duration of training is at least six months.

Some more exercises for those who are wondering: “How to make your calves smaller?”

Exercise 1. Sit on your knees on a small rug, keep your back straight and your arms straight in front of you. In this position, sit on the floor alternately on the left and right sides of the thighs, do it while you have the strength.

Exercise 2. Good footing is to stand on a slight elevation so that your heels hang down. Raise on your toes and lower on your heels at this height.

Exercise 3. Calf stretch. Take a step forward with one leg, while placing your palms on your buttocks. Slowly bend your front leg at the knee and gradually squat forward and down, deeper and deeper, while stretching the calf muscle of the back leg and the back of the thigh. If you want to increase the stretch, you can move your front leg a little further, just don't put your hands on it.

In this exercise, the main weight should always fall on the back leg.

Performing these exercises will not be difficult, but at the same time the calf muscles dry out, and the shape of the legs changes and begins to look very feminine.

Large calves - reasons

Why do many women have too large calves? Unfortunately, large calf volume gives a disproportionate appearance not only to the legs, but also to the figure as a whole. And the root of this problem is not always fat. Therefore, in order to eliminate this problem forever, you need to determine its main cause.

Large calf volume is often due to:

Excess body weight.
Uneven distribution of physical activity on the legs.
Poor nutrition.
Serious diseases (for example, diabetes).

If the cause of large calves is not fat, but swelling, most likely the large volume is associated with blockage of blood vessels in the area due to high levels of bad cholesterol. This problem can only be solved by following a balanced diet or using special therapy prescribed by a doctor (if the swelling is caused by serious health problems). But if leg swelling is caused by heavy physical activity, it can be eliminated with massage.

Diet for slender legs and calves

White bread, cakes, chocolate, ice cream and coffee with cream can ruin your slim figure. And this is just a small list of foods that can quickly form fat in your body. If you don’t know how to lose weight in your calves, start with proper nutrition. It is because of unhealthy eating habits that many girls develop problem areas: a double chin, large arms, a large belly, curvy hips, full legs and calves.

Following a healthy diet will eliminate the problem of excess weight forever.

Unfortunately, fat tends to be deposited in any area of your body. And it is impossible to predict in which part of your figure it will be located after eating dessert at night. To prevent this, you need to eliminate all types of harmful foods and drinks from your diet:

Alcohol.
Instant coffee with milk powder.
Pasteurized juices.
Refined sugar.
Jams and jams.
Baking.
Candies.
Sausages.
Smoked meats.
Canned food.
Dairy desserts (glazed cheese curds, yoghurts, curd mass).
Sauces (especially mayonnaise and ketchup).

Why are most of the products we buy in the store considered harmful? If you carefully study their composition on the packaging, it often contains food additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, flavors, dyes and flavor enhancers. All these components do not contain any health benefits. On the contrary, such food often increases appetite and is high in calories, which subsequently leads to excess body weight.

Less dangerous, but also undesirable foods on your table are:

Potato.
Winter preparations (from cucumbers, tomatoes).
Cheeses (over 30% fat content).

If you cannot completely avoid the listed products, you need to limit them as much as possible in your diet.

What should be the proper diet to reduce the size of your calves?

To reduce your calves, eat more foods high in potassium!

If you want to lose fat in your calves, consume foods that contain potassium. This element is excellent at absorbing sodium, which is often what causes the volume of your calves to grow. Consuming potassium not only eliminates fat, but also relieves swelling in the legs due to excess sodium in the body.

The daily sodium intake limit for an adult is no more than 8-10 grams. People who exceed this limit and consume about 12 grams of sodium per day often experience severe swelling in the legs and calf area.

What foods contain a lot of potassium and will help you lose weight in your calves?

A healthy diet depends on three important criteria:

Amount and time of meals.
The right combination of products.
Drinking regime.

Every day you should have three main meals and a couple of snacks. You need to do or eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time. It’s good to start breakfast with carbohydrate foods, lunch with protein, and dinner with fiber. You need to drink 1.5-2 liters of purified water per day. Drinking regime will eliminate dehydration of the body.

Sports will help remove large calves

How to lose weight in your knees and calves through sports? The best solution is cardio training. The main goal of such exercises is to burn fat in problem areas and achieve “clean” muscle mass. However, cardio alone will not be enough to reduce the size of your calves. The training must be supplemented with strength and flexibility exercises.

Exercise plan:

Hypertension.
Any joint diseases.
Obesity.
Cardiovascular diseases.
Asthma.
Phlebeurysm.
Postoperative period.

Also, people who have had a heart attack or stroke should not do cardio training.

More and more often you can see girls rushing to the gym in the hope of not only getting their body in order, but also to correct certain parts of the body. Large calves are a common problem among women.

Calf muscles– the most powerful group of muscles that are constantly at work in our daily activities. Every time we walk or run, these guys are working to keep us upright and balanced. In this article we will figure out why our calves are imperfect, and also look at simple and at the same time very effective exercises that will help you get toned and slender legs. Let's get started!

The calf muscle can be of two types:

1. Thick calves. Full calves in girls are the result of several reasons:

— hereditary factor. If it just so happens that everyone in your family line is the owner of strong, fleshy calves, then you are most likely no exception! It is very difficult to bring such calves into the desired state; it requires a lot of time and effort. But if you set out to eliminate the problem, then the first and main solution is a set of exercises designed for the problem area.

— fat deposition. The peculiarity of fat accumulation in a certain part of the body depends not only on genetic predisposition. If the fat content in your body exceeds 25% - 30%, then this is another reason for the fullness of the calves; fat begins to be deposited there too.
According to recent scientific research, psychological factors and the presence of diseases also affect the distribution of fat.

Those with thick calves should be patient and step by step perform all the fitness exercises that stimulate blood circulation in this area. This helps displace the hated fat.

2. Pumped calves. Girls with pumped-up calf muscles are professional athletes who daily load their calf muscles with strength training and short-distance running.

To solve the problem in this case, you should try to avoid any stress on the calf muscle. Give preference to cross-country instead of sprint. Any elevation during training, long walking, step aerobics, intense cardio training are the enemies of your goal.

Stretching is the first solution to the problem

Stretching is the first answer to the question: “How to remove calves?” Remember what people who do gymnastics or yoga look like. Slender figures with chiseled legs - all this thanks to daily muscle stretching exercises.

Before you begin stretching exercises, the muscles need to be warmed up, otherwise you can get seriously injured. If you are working out at home, then to warm up you can do a light run in place or jump rope for a few minutes. If you train in the gym, then stretching is also performed after warming up the muscles, and after training it is advisable to do a short stretch as well. cool down or self-massage to relieve muscle tension.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly lower your body. Grasp the tips of your toes with both hands and bring your head as far as you can toward your shin. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Perform 5 approaches. This exercise targets the back of the thigh and calves.

Pressing the body to the leg

Get on your knees, stretch your left leg forward, pull your foot towards you. Press your body against your extended leg as far as your muscle stretch allows. Extend your arms parallel. Hold the position for up to 15 seconds. Do the same exercise with your right leg. Perform up to 5 approaches. The hamstrings and outer calves are worked.

Lifting on your toes

Get on all fours. Without lifting your hands from the floor, lift your pelvis, standing on your toes. Without changing your posture, gradually, without sudden movements, lower yourself onto your foot. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise up to 5 times. The calf muscle works completely.

Lunges

Stand up straight and lunge forward with your right leg. Raise your hands up. Move your body forward, stretching your arms as far as possible. Hold this position for up to 1 minute. Repeat 5 sets. The lower leg muscles and gluteal muscles are involved.

Pressing your knees to your chest

Lie on the floor, bend your right leg, clasp your knee with your hands, leaving your left leg on the floor. Extend your feet away from you and press your knee as close to your chest as possible. Hold this position for up to 1 minute. Place your hands under your right thigh and extend your leg, pulling both feet towards you. Bend your leg and extend it again with your foot facing you. Repeat up to 5 times. Repeat the same exercise for your left leg. The muscles of the back and front of the thigh and the muscles of the lower leg work.

Leg abduction

Stand up straight. Take your left leg back and up, lower your hands to the floor to maintain balance. Press your torso against your leg as far as you can. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Repeat 5 sets. The muscles of the back of the thigh and lower leg work.

After stretching, give your calf muscles a short massage to relieve tension.

Remember! Perform stretching exercises until mild pain appears, especially if you have just started exercising. Excessive muscle tension can not only lead to severe pain, but will also discourage you from continuing to reach your goal!

A set of exercises at home

Not only aerobic exercise and stretching, but also various exercises for the problem muscle group will help make your calves thin.

There are many exercises for losing weight from the calves, let's look at the most common ones that can be performed both at home and on the street.

Jumping rope is the easiest type of exercise to perform that involves the calf muscles. When jumping, keep your back straight, use only your hands, and land on your toes. Jump rope starting at 5 minutes, progressing to a 30-minute workout.

Jump rope, landing on your toes, not your entire foot! This way, you soften the impact force upon contact with the floor. Jumping rope has contraindications, consult your doctor before starting exercise.

Alternating rise on toes

Place your feet wider than your shoulders, bend your knees, and point your toes out. Rise onto your toes alternately, first with your right foot, then with your left. Repeat up to 20 approaches. Internal calf muscles are involved.

Pistol

Stand straight, bend your left leg at the knee, use your hands to help maintain balance. Rise up onto the toe of your right foot and lower onto your foot. Repeat until your muscles are tired at a fast pace. Repeat up to 20 approaches. Do the same exercise with your left leg. The lower leg muscle group works.

Calf raise #1

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your waist, feet apart. Rise onto your toes and lower onto your feet at maximum speed until your muscles fatigue. Perform up to 20 repetitions. This exercise works the inner side of the shin.

Calf raise #2

The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise, but turn your feet inward. Rise onto your toes and lower onto your feet at a fast pace until your muscles fail. Perform up to 20 repetitions. This exercise works the outer calves.

In addition to the above exercises, step aerobics is a good element for losing weight not only in the lower leg, but also in the entire body.

The video shows the basic elements of step, which can easily be performed at home:

Exercises for the gym

Leg press

This exercise uses a leg press machine. Place your feet in the machine so that only your toes are on the platform. To avoid injuring your knees, keep them slightly bent. The body and legs form a right angle.

We press the platform with our toes, the heels rise slightly. Use the platform only, no weight. Perform the exercise at high speed until the muscles fail, this will burn fat and dry out existing muscles.

The feet can be placed straight, turned inward or away from you, this changes the area of load on the calf muscles.

Take dumbbells of minimal weight, stand on any step 5-7 cm high with your toes, heels on the floor. Rise onto your toes and lower onto your heels at maximum speed, as in the previous exercise.

Below is a video with a more complete set of calf exercises suitable for the gym:

Each person has his own genetics and his own level of physical fitness, so everyone needs an individual approach to finding a set of exercises for losing weight in calves. Don't expect results in a very short time, especially in a week!

The average indicators are such that by doing stretching and the presented exercises 2-3 times a week, you can achieve the first successes after 3-4 months!

Exercises for losing weight over pumped calves

Any girl wants to have a toned, beautiful figure and very often it turns out that along with “pumping up” the necessary area, other, undesirable parts of the body also gain growth. For girls with large muscle volume in the calf muscle, intense strength training aimed primarily at the legs should be avoided.

Any elevation in the training complex, step aerobics and even wearing shoes with heels can lead to even greater enlargement of the lower leg. Avoid protein foods as much as possible, since protein is the main building element of muscle.

Besides stretching exercises Given above, there are several exercises that will help reduce over-pumped calf muscles.

The most effective way is jogging on a flat surface over long distances. With this type of running, the so-called slow muscle fibers, which have a low contraction frequency, work. They have weak growth under prolonged loads.

When running, lower your leg onto your entire foot, do not run on your toes! So, you can damage the ligaments and tendons of the foot.

Elliptical trainer

This is an effective cardio machine that simulates running. Program the machine for minimum resistance and maximum execution time. Exercises on the elliptical for 30 minutes at least 4 times a week will bring the desired result.

This is a great workout for all muscle groups. Regular swimming will not only keep you in shape, but will also improve blood circulation in all parts of the body and help you lose weight in the right areas.

Exercise bike

An important element in your training is exercise on exercise bikes and cycling. Choose to ride on a flat surface, without weights. A light bike ride will not only lift your mood and improve your well-being, but will also help you acquire slender legs.

The most important rule in the problem of getting rid of large calves is compliance with all stages of the program:

Start your workout by warming up your muscles;
Move on to stretching and then a small set of exercises;
Finish your workout with self-massage of the calf muscle.

In addition to a set of exercises and exceptions for professional training, an important rule for reducing the size of the calf muscles is balanced diet, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, give up fatty and floury foods. Diet combined with exercise is a surefire way to make your calves thinner.

Whatever calves you have - thick or thin, remember that every girl is unique in her own way and that part of the body that you consider problematic may actually be your advantage!