How To Get Smaller Calf Muscles

Do you have large calf muscles that you just can't stand? I know the feeling. I was a ballet dancer for many years (starting as a young child) and because of this I developed larger calf muscles. My calves were so big that I was self-conscious about it. I wouldn't wear shorts and I wouldn't wear short dresses. Only pants and long dresses for me. I even had a guy I was dating call me “tree trunk” legs. Well, I dumped him and decided I would learn how to get smaller calves by doing some research and talking to people who knew diet and exercise strategies.

Now there are several reasons why YOU may have larger calf muscles. You could have done something like I did and made them big (through a sport, intense training, etc.). You could be overweight. When you're overweight your body stores fat in weird places like your belly or your legs. So you could have excess fatty tissue surrounding your calf muscles. It could be genetic. Some people are just born with larger calves. Maybe it runs in their family. If that's the case and you have big calves because you were born with big calves then it may be a little harder to make them smaller. You can still try because it is possible but you may not see the results you'd like to see.

You can make your calf muscles smaller through various exercises. What you want to focus on and make sure of is that you don't do any exercises that require heavy resistance. For instance, you don't want to do squats or calf raises with heavy weights. This will bulk up your calf muscles, not slim them down. You want to do lots of light resistance exercises like calf raises with little or NO weight. Also you want to do cardio activities that elongate your calf muscles. This includes swimming and running. If you run you want to make sure you run on flat surfaces. Don't run uphill or on a treadmill that's at an incline. Also, don't do things like jump rope or use the stair machine.

To lose fatty tissue around your calf muscle you'll need to do the exercises I just spoke about. You'll also need to watch what you eat. Now, this doesn't mean you'll need to eat like a bird. But it does mean you need to cut back on sugar, fat, and processed foods. This means if you have ice cream that you should keep it to like, once a month. Also, you should stop eating fast food not only for your calf muscles but for your overall health (that stuff is terrible!). Try eating only lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. I learned how to cook a meditteranean diet and that helped me really lose a lot of weight (plus the food is super-healthy and super-delicous). I recommend you check out Reader's Digest's Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking. It's got like 1001 recipes that are all fantastic!