If you want to slim down fat or bulky calves, this article will show you the best calf slimming exercises to do at home without weights.
Slimming down fat calves can be quite challenging because spot reduction isn’t possible. In short, you can’t target to reduce fat at a specific body part.
However, you can use exercise to lower your body fat percentage and tone your calf muscles. And by doing so, you’ll end up with slim calves you’re proud of.
Keep in mind that doing the wrong exercises can lead to bulkier calves. For instance, any calf exercises that involve heavy weights can make them bigger.
You’re better off doing calf exercises that don’t require weights. Below are the best calf slimming exercises you can do without weights.
The Best Calf Slimming Exercises
1. Ankle Hops
Ankle hops are an excellent warm-up exercise that gets the blood flowing through every part of your body. This exercise can also slim your calves.
When doing ankle hops, keep your heels off the floor throughout. Keep your ankles loose and jump high on each rep.
Even though this exercise involves jumping, it’s very low impact and most people should be able to perform it without straining the knees and hips.
Do as many ankle hops as you can to slim down your calves fast.
2. Calf Raises
Chances you’ve done this calf slimming exercise before. But you may not have been doing it correctly. For you to fully engage your calf muscles, you must squeeze your calf muscles for 2 seconds every time you raise your heels off the floor. Also, raise your heels as high as possible.
If you find this exercise too easy, perform single-leg calf raises.
3. Calf Raise Squats
You probably know that squats offer numerous benefits. They enhance fat loss, boost growth hormone levels, increase overall strength, and much more.
Well, squats can also help slim down your calves, especially if you raise your heels off the floor on each rep.
Just make sure you squeeze your calves and raise your heels as high as possible.
4. Invisible Jump Rope
You can enjoy the benefits of jumping rope without a jump rope. Simply circle your arms as jump up and down.
Unlike ankle hops, this exercise will tone both your calves and arms. Take the exercise up a notch by doing single-leg jumps.
However, if you have jump rope, use it. It will definitely engage your muscle more.
5. Plie Squat on Toes
Plie squats activate your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. And once you lift your heels off the floor, they engage your calf muscles as well.
Keep your heels as high as possible throughout this exercise. Note that keeping your feet wide apart as you squat also engages your inner thigh muscles.
6. Skaters
Calf slimming exercises like this one are extremely rewarding because they also boost cardiovascular endurance.
Skaters are a bit of a high-intensity exercise and they may not be ideal for some with bad knees. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives for people with bad knees.
You must land on the balls of your foot to fully activate your calf muscles. Lastly, keep your ab muscles tight throughout.
7. Sprinting in Place
Have you ever seen a sprinter with fat calves? You’ll never see one because sprinting burns fat and tones the calf muscles.
While sprinting in place may not engage your muscles as much as sprinting outdoors, it still offers plenty of benefits.
As you sprint in place, keep your torso upright, raise your knees as high as possible, land off the balls of your feet, and maximize on arm movement.
8. Glute Bridges on Toes
I bet you didn’t expect to see glute bridges on a list of calf slimming exercises.
Even though the regular glute bridges only activate your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, performing the exercise on your toes will tone your calves.
Lift your heels as high as possible and squeeze your calf muscles throughout.
9. Lunge to Side Leg Lift
Most lunge variations can slim down your calves but this one of more effective. It engages your calf muscles as you lift your foot off the floor and as you land.
When doing calf slimming exercises like this one, do more reps for greater benefits.
Remember to keep your torso upright as you do this exercise. Avoid bending forward or sideways.
10. Running on Hills
You probably know that running on hills burns more calories than running on flat ground. One of the reasons for this is taking on a hill engages your leg muscles more, including the calves.
Therefore, run on a hill at least once a week. If you’re already in shape, do hill sprints. They’re way more rewarding.
11. Set your treadmill on an incline
An inclined treadmill offers the same benefits as running or walking on a hill.
So, if you don’t want to exercise outdoors or you can’t find hills in your neighborhood, take advantage of the treadmill.
Other than slimming your calves, setting the treadmill on incline offers these amazing benefits.
12. Pike Leg Shuffles
Even though this is mainly a shoulder exercise, it also activates your calf muscles.
Keep your knees straight as you perform this exercise and do the shuffles as fast as possible.
The Bottom Line
The calf slimming exercises above will definitely make your calves slimmer and stronger. But you still need to make the right diet choices to lower your body fat percentage.
Full-body workouts are also vital for melting excess fat. So, add these fat-burning full-body workouts to your daily routine to lose calf fat faster.
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