There are two possible categories of people who want to know how to get skinny calves.
There are those individuals that have fat stored in their calves and could be of short stature. On the other hand, some people have muscle accumulated on the calves.
According to this report, the gastrocnemius and a little bit of the soleus are the muscles that cause bulky calves. These muscles become large after engaging in excess activities, and they give the illusion of masculine legs.
These tips will work only if you determine which category you belong to then use the tips that apply to your body type.
WHY ARE MY CALVES SO BIG?
Sometimes it may be genetics. Depending on your body type, you may accumulate fat in your body’s lower sections, such as your legs.
Alternatively, it may simply be that you have gained too much weight and have had some of it accumulate in your calves.
You may also have muscular calves because of the type of exercises that you choose. Workouts that focus on this part of the legs may be responsible for that outcome.
10 BEST TIPS ON HOW TO GET SKINNY CALVES
REGULARLY PERFORM STRETCHING EXERCISES
If you have big calves that consist of muscle, then this tip on how to get skinny calves applies to you. Your muscles can sometimes tense up, and that can give the appearance of being bigger and tauter than usual.
Regularly stretching your calves can extend your gastrocnemius and give them the appearance of being slimmer.
One stretching exercise you can try is bending your right leg and extending the other one until is entirely straight. Bend your back and pull the tip of your toes with your right hand.
Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the opposite leg.
REVISE YOUR RUNNING TECHNIQUE
If you have bulky calves from muscle, you need to cut down on activities that increase these muscles. While running exerts your legs, you may reap more benefits from maintaining running than stopping it altogether.
However, you should consider changing how you run. If you run on an incline or hilly surfaces, you may need to change this and use flat surfaces instead.
AVOID EXERCISES THAT WORK YOUR CALVES IN ISOLATION
This tip on how to get skinny calves applies to anyone that has more muscle than fat in their calves. Certain gym exercises are responsible for this outcome.
If you do a lot of jump squats or burpees, you could be making matters worse.
If you use the stair master or perform many jump lunges, then these should be avoided. Biking is also a major culprit.
You strain your leg muscles when you jump onto a higher surface or box. Cut these out of your fitness routine to get rid of muscular calves.
REDUCE YOUR CALORIE INTAKE
If your calves are bulky because of fat, then this tip is for you. You ought to lose general body weight, which will translate to the loss of fat in your calves.
Consider determining the optimum number of calories you should be eating per day and then calculate your intake before eating.
In case this seems too tedious, you may need to make some overall adjustments in your diet. Cut back on processed foods, minimize your carb intake and stack up on vegetables, whole grains and plant protein.
TAKE UP WALKING
According to this study, walking can burn as many calories as running if you are consistent.
You need to ensure that you put in twice the amount of time you used to put in running that you put in walking.
Again, you need to be careful about repeating the same mistakes that may have been made while running. Avoid hiking in hilly places and instead go for flat surfaces.
TAKE UP SWIMMING
Swimming is another fail-safe tip on how to get skinny calves. This exercise allows you to stretch out your legs rather than rely on them for support.
Furthermore, swimming is a good cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart pumping while engaging different parts of your body such as your hands, abdomen and feet.
However, because of the support from the water, you will not need to do too much with your legs.
Be consistent with these workouts by doing them on weekdays for 1 hour or less (for swimming).
DO RESISTANCE TRAINING
Resistance training is slowly becoming a staple for anyone who wants to lose weight, no matter where that weight is situated.
According to this study, resistance training helps to conserve your resting energy expenditure in weight loss.
Some of the exercise options you may attempt include plunks, triceps curls or other exercises that involve the whole body. Use resistance bands in these workouts.
GO FOR LEAN PROTEINS
In line with the above tip on how to get skinny calves, you need to increase the amount of lean protein you take.
These include proteins from poultry or fish as well as plant proteins like green peas and beans.
Lean proteins help keep you full for a longer duration. Furthermore, they help to burn calories even when you are not exercising.
In case your bulky muscles are from fat, then use this approach.
TRY PILATES OR YOGA
The goodness about these two forms of training is that they help burn calories and stretch your muscles. Therefore, you will get two benefits in one if you attempt them.
Not only will you lose weight, but you will also experience muscle elongation. Go for those yoga moves that target the lower half and involve plenty of stretching.
CHANGE THE SHOES YOUR WEAR
If you have more muscle than fat in your calves, the problem could be that you continually contract your muscles through inappropriate footwear.
Many ladies are especially guilty of this because they wear high heeled shoes for prolonged durations. Did you ever notice that when you stand on your toes, your calf muscles appear bigger?
That’s the same condition that you are in every time you wear high-heeled shoes.
Swop these muscle tighteners with flat shoes to combat bulky calves.
If you must wear high shoes, you may need to alternate shoe heights and reduce the amount of time you spend on heels.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you’ve been wondering how to get skinny calves, you need to establish whether you have big calves because of too much muscle or fat.
For people with an excess muscle, cut down on exercises and habits that isolate leg muscles and strain it. These include running on inclines or running, stair-based jumping exercises, biking and wearing high-heeled shoes.
For people with bulky calves that stem from fat, you need to lose weight. Do this by reducing the number of calories you consume, eating lean proteins, stacking up on vegetables and fruits, and minimizing processed foods.
All categories of people with big calves can benefit from working out. This should entail cardio and resistance exercise.
Overall, be consistent with these changes, and you will eventually get rid of large calf muscles.
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