Calves are prone to swelling and becoming fat, not necessarily because of any disease condition, but as a result of fat or muscle build-up. For ladies, heavy calves can be quite disfiguring, with many of them finding ways to cover up their blemishes.
If you’ve noticed that your calves have accumulated a substantial amount of fat or muscle, and you are currently looking for how to slim your calves, then you’re in the right place. This article is absolutely perfect for you, and it’ll be addressing the various ways to eliminate excessive calf fat or muscle.
Before going into the juicy details, it is important that you understand how you probably developed the heavy calves in the first place. Let’s go!
Fat
Accumulation of fat in the lower part of the leg is responsible for a significant increase in calf size. People with high levels of fat in their body are most likely to have heavy calves too. Participating in some exercises to lose total body weight will definitely help with reducing fat content in calves.
Genetics
You may be experiencing fat, heavy calves as a result of hereditary predispositions. You clearly had no hand in this, and it may be quite difficult to get rid of heavy calves caused by genes. However, there are ways to salvage the situation, and help your calves look moderate.
Muscle Buildup
If you’re the type that works out a lot, it is possible that some of your exercise routines have increased the size of your calf muscles. To tackle this, simply avoid certain exercises that are more likely to be responsible for the muscle build-up in your calves.
Other factors that may contribute to big, heavy calves include:
- High salt intake
- Improper nutrition
- Sitting too much during the day
Now to the big question: How do I slim my heavy calves? The answers are right below, so take note and stick to them.
Incorporate a Diet and Nutrition Plan In Order to Slim Those Stubborn Calves
Eat more fruits and veggies
The best way to reduce the size of your calf is to engage in weight loss routines, and eating more fruits and vegetables is a proven technique to achieving that. Fruits and vegetables provide a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help in reducing fat content in the body. Try some blueberries, kiwi fruit, avocado, apples, and lemons. These fruits help in liver detoxification, and the liver as we all know, is a vital part of the fat burning process in the human system. Vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, pumpkins, beans, and broccoli are also great options for reducing body and calf size.
Eat Less Junk Food
Fast food, sweet desserts, and snacks are a thing these days, but if you’re really serious about reducing the size of your calf, you should dump them. These food items contain unhealthy amounts of fat and calories that will only continue to add to your current calf size. There are other sources of food rich in healthy amounts of fat and calories such as oily fish, vegetable oil, nuts, dark chocolate, and low-fat cheese. Stick to these food items and your calves will be small in no time.
Avoid exercises that target muscle toning if you calf is already muscular
Since your calves have reached a particular level of muscle tone, there’s no need to engage in workout routines that will further enlarge them. What you need to do is to avoid exercises that try to further tone your calf muscles. Some of the exercises to be avoided for toned, muscular calves include:
- Jumping Rope
- Sprinting or walking up a hill
- Calf raises
- Jumping jacks
- Box jumping
- Treadmill drills
This is a form of cardio-work out that isn’t only good for cardiovascular and pulmonary health, but also for reducing calf sizes. It works by gradually burning calf fat and slightly toning the muscles to make them look smaller. It’s a great method for making calves look a whole lot smaller; you should check it out.
Walking
As basic and ridiculous as it sounds, walking is actually a nice way to go about reducing calf size. It is a form of cardio workout that helps with toning calf muscles and burning calf fat. Walking at an incline may however, increase the mass of your calf muscles, so ensure that your walk on a flat plane if you’re aiming at making your calf look smaller.
Carry out strength-building exercises
Building your muscles is a pathway to losing body weight, and strength-building exercise will help you achieve just that. Target doing at least three strength training exercises at 10 to 15 reps per week, and make it constant week in week out. Some of these strength-building exercises are:
- Weight lifting
- Push-ups and squats
- Jumping jacks
- Glute bridges
Other proven ways to reduce calf size include:
Wearing more flat shoes
Many ladies love high-heeled shoes. Who doesn’t? They add a touch of elegance and finesse sure to blow the mind of any man away, but they might actually contribute to making your calves look bigger. High-heeled shoes stretch out your leg muscles in the front, and tighten the muscles at the back (calf), thereby making them stiffen or swell. If you can’t do without high heels, you can continue to wear them, but at different heel heights to prevent your calf muscles from getting used to the same position.
Calf reduction massage
This is a more relaxing way of making your calves smaller. You can visit gyms or spas that offer such services and after a couple of sessions, you’ll observe a substantial decrease in your calf size. The technique is usually carried out by experienced professionals, but it mainly involves an up and down stroking of your legs. It’s great for relaxation and de-stressing too!
With Hard Work and Dedication....
The processes involved in reducing calf size can be quite challenging, especially since it will require making a couple of lifestyle changes including eating patterns. However, you’ll come to realize that these sacrifices were worth it when you start flaunting your slim, toned, and sexy legs.