The topic of our article today is calf fat . Yes, unfortunately, this also happens. It looks very unpleasant, the calves can look like a large hanging mass.
In normal condition, the calf muscle and shin are a thin part of the leg, especially where the foot attaches to the shin. In this place, in the normal condition of the leg, you can practically clasp the entire leg with your hand; there is little left to reach the full circumference, 3-4 centimeters, depending on the thickness of the bone and the majority of the fingers. Of course, a balance of 8 centimeters can be considered the norm, if you have small hands and pumped up legs, everything is individual.
A leg with a fat fold is easy to recognize. In this situation, the ankle takes the form of a “rectangle”. Unclear? Now I'll try to explain. Normally, the ankle looks like, let’s say, a “baseball bat”, that is, on top there is a muscle, above there is a knee, below there is a place where the lower leg and foot are attached, it is usually thin.
In the presence of fatty deposits on the legs, in the thinnest place there is a fat fold, which spoils the appearance quite well, and also the calf muscle itself has a lumpy surface (with cellulite) or too smooth, but voluminous. Again, normally, the calf muscle is uneven, it is visually separated from the bone itself, it has veins running along the leg, that is, relief. Fat deposits “smooth out” the relief, it becomes “like a pillow.”
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The women's gym training program has its own specifics, read more about it -
Diet to remove fat from calves
Losing weight through exercise is effective, but it takes a lot of time. Most women are more accustomed to trying different diets. There are no specific diets for reducing shins, so you can lose weight according to the system that is most effective for you. The only thing is that you should not resort to using a mono-diet or a diet with a minimum number of calories. Enlarged calves can also be due to swelling; to prevent this from happening, reduce your intake of salt and canned foods.
Causes and solutions for full calves
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.
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.
Exercises to burn fat from calves
- Run, run, run and run again! Run more often, for longer, do not forget about your pulse, since everything should be in moderation, heart rate watches will help you with this. Don’t overwork yourself, don’t run so hard that you’re sweating like a river, your main task is your calves. Of course, fat on the thighs is also removed by running, but today we are talking about calves. Run on your toes, on your heels (well, you can’t really run on your heels, but walking is quite possible), if you are interested in the number of steps taken, use pedometers. These exercises tighten your calf and stretch it, which has a beneficial effect on the overall condition of your legs and breaks down fat on your legs.
- Jumping rope is the best way to quickly remove fat not only from your legs and calves, but in general it’s a good way to get the blood flowing in your legs and body. Many athletes use a jump rope as a good warm-up exercise machine. Do as many jumps as you can. To keep track of the quantity, you don’t have to constantly count in your head; you can purchase a special jump rope with a counter, which we sell. Do at least 4-5 approaches. Can't start jumping rope? Practice, friends, just practice, do more, try, and you will succeed!
- Gymnastic platforms , which are widely used in fitness clubs, are a great way to remove fat deposits and cellulite on the lower legs. Use gymnastic platforms or any other specific exercise equipment for your legs at home or in the gym and soon you will achieve results and the fat will recede.
- Squats are a good way to improve the condition of your legs. But this exercise is often used to develop the upper legs, buttocks and thighs. But despite this, squats can also be used to train your calves, because they are also involved in the process.
- Balancing pads and discs . These exercise machines help burn fat; they are used not only for the legs, but also for other parts of the body, such as the sides, but that’s not what we’re talking about today. Do as many exercises as possible that work as many muscles as possible.
- Aerobics or dancing and attend classes several times a week. Such exercises will not only help strengthen your calves, but will also bring your figure into ideal shape. You will also learn to move gracefully and beautifully.
- High heels can make your legs look sleeker. Only a very high heel is not needed, the optimal height is seven centimeters.
How to dry your calves?
A beautiful, slim, healthy and sexy body should be harmonious in all its components. One of the most important parts of the body, on which the overall silhouette and aesthetic image depends, are the legs, including the calves.
The latter are especially striking if they are slim and beautiful or, conversely, if they are overly fat and covered with excess fat deposits. But is it possible to effectively combat obesity in this particular part of the body? Of course, it is impossible to make only calves lose weight.
It is necessary to pay attention to the entire body, adjusting its outline so that all its parts are combined harmoniously and aesthetically. However, there are techniques aimed specifically at drying, degreasing and training the legs.
There are three main ways to achieve the goal of drying calves. Firstly, these are physical exercises of a certain specificity, secondly - dietary nutrition, which contributes to overall weight loss and improvement of the body, and thirdly - the surgical path, which is a radical intervention for liposuction removal of fat deposits in this area. Which of these methods to choose is up to each individual to decide.
However, you can consider the general pros and cons that accompany each of the above methods for losing weight on calves. So, the first option on how to remove fat in the lower leg area is physical exercise. What are the specifics of such exercises, how to choose them correctly and perform them correctly? First of all, you should understand what movements the leg makes in order for the calf muscles to work.
To do this, you just need to turn your foot, stretch it with your toes forward, or, conversely, pulling your toes towards you as much as possible. You will immediately feel tension in the lower leg muscles, and with some movements even pain. This means that it is the active movements of the foot that bring the calf muscles into a state of tension. Hence the main groups of exercises.
First of all, aerobic and step gymnastics are recommended. Having done a good warm-up, as well as stretching exercises for the leg muscles, you can begin, for example, exercises on a special fitness platform. Simple alternate rises on it on each leg can already bring significant results.
The following exercise will be more effective: from a straight stance, the leg is placed on the platform with the entire foot, the body is transferred completely to this leg - it stands on the platform, and then you need to stand on this leg on your toe a couple of times. Then there is a return to the starting position and the exercise is repeated on the other leg. An exercise on a simple wooden block, a thick book, or any other height of about five to eight centimeters will also be very effective.
Having stood on this hill with the front part of your leg, you just need to rise on your toes. With this exercise, the calf muscles work very effectively and may even cause pain. However, there are a huge number of exercises focused on how to remove fat from calves. Stretching exercises, swing movements, and, of course, exercises aimed at the motor activity of the foot are suitable here.
With all the wealth of exercises, it is worth remembering that in order to lose weight, you need to choose those that develop not the strength abilities of the leg muscles, but endurance. That is, you need to do exercises with a large number of repetitions, and training should be as intense and filled with movement as possible (without long pauses between approaches). The same applies to forms of physical activity such as jumping rope and running. To dry out your shins and calf muscles, you need to jump rope as quickly as possible and for as long as possible until pain appears.
Jogging should also be as long as possible. Otherwise, the calf muscles will not dry out, but will be pumped up, which will lead to a visual enlargement of the legs, rather than their loss of weight. If, for some reason, it is not possible to actively engage in physical exercise, then you can resort to such a means as diet food for weight loss. Of course, there are no special diets for drying calves. The lower legs can lose weight as part of a general nutritional course, in parallel with other parts of the body.
If a person achieves significant results with the help of one diet or another, there is a general weight loss and fat burning in all problem areas, then the calves will also definitely lose weight. Therefore, common recipes for low-calorie diets are quite suitable in this case.
And yet, the effect of drying out the calves will be much more noticeable if, in parallel with the diet, the person losing weight engages in the above physical activities.
And finally, there is such a radical way to remove fat from the legs as liposuction. How justified is this path? It's difficult to answer. After all, you can’t stop a person from looking more attractive. What if you don’t have the strength to exercise and the will to withstand dietary restrictions? Still, it’s worth considering the pros and cons before you buy into an advertising offer about a “painless” and “safe” surgical method for getting rid of fat in the calf area.
Be that as it may, today there really are a sufficient number of ways to make your legs more beautiful, slimmer and more graceful. What should you decide to do for this and what sacrifices should you make? Everyone answers this question based on their capabilities and needs. However, you should always remember that the beauty of the body always goes hand in hand with health. And perhaps, to look more beautiful, you need to pay more attention to healthy eating and an active lifestyle.
Effective physical activity that pumps up your calves
- Frequent cycling.
- Active exercises on an exercise bike.
- Strength training equipment (lifting, lifting with weights).
- Systematic jogging.
- Step aerobics, beloved by many.
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In any case, if your calves are too pumped, all this should be abandoned immediately (unless, of course, you are a professional cyclist or a step aerobics coach). Keep all strength exercises to a minimum. And turn to stretching exercises. That is, we move on to calanetics, Pilates, bodyflex, yoga, finally. And we are working to stretch the pumped calf muscles as much as possible.
How to reduce calf muscles
If increased calf volume is associated with general excess weight
The solution is as simple as it is complex: be disciplined with your diet and do regular cardio.
It must be remembered that there is no scientifically proven way to specifically reduce fat deposits in a specific area of the body. This means that you need to work on losing weight in general, without trying to lose weight in a specific problem area.
Remember that fat deposits are lost unevenly, and do not despair if you cannot immediately form the desired shape of the calf muscle. This may require a little more time and patience.
When developing a training program, try to focus on long-term exercise that increases muscle endurance, and reduce the number of exercises that develop muscle strength and power. That is, for example, prefer calm long-distance running to short sprints or various variations of jumping.
If the muscles are hypertrophied due to unbalanced physical activity
One of the reasons may again be excess weight. And in this case, we do not recommend completely abandoning exercises on the calf muscle so that it does not remain at rest.
Reconsider the load in favor of developing muscle endurance, which does not lead to an increase in volume, but maintains the tone and functional properties of the muscles. It could be:
- Calm running on a flat surface (not uphill or on steps).
- Burpees for general endurance.
- Swimming.
- Cycling at the pace of a cardio workout.
Include more static loads on the soleus and calf muscles in your training program - various variations of toe raises and rolls on the foot while maintaining the position at the top point are suitable.
How to reduce pumped calves
Many athletes, as well as those who independently engage in sports “for themselves,” are faced with another problem – over-pumped calves. Pumped calves appear from regular loads on the legs and when spending minimal time on stretching. Despite the fact that “drying” the muscles has a great effect on the volume of the figure, its plasticity is best emphasized by stretching the muscles. This is why professional trainers and athletes spend some time stretching all muscles after each workout. In this case, we are interested in the calves - and the results can be seen in just a week.
- Sitting on the floor, bring your legs together and bend toward your toes. You need to pull your toes first towards you, and then away from you. You should stay in each position for half a minute or a minute and breathe deeply, as oxygen allows muscle fibers to function and stretch better.
- Standing straight, bend one leg and place the other straight slightly forward, with the toe pulled towards you. Bend toward your straight leg, grasping your pointed toe. You also need to stand in this position for at least 30 seconds and then change legs.
Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises help to cope with how to reduce calves. They make the muscles elastic and elastic, giving the lower leg a beautiful shape.
1.Sit on the floor. Bend forward, touching your fingers to your fingertips. Pull your heels toward you and your toes away from you. This will be difficult at first, but over time your flexibility will increase and you will be able to perform this movement with ease. Stretching should be done smoothly. Hold the maximum tension pose for a few seconds. Repeat the stretch three times. This exercise is also done for each leg separately. The starting position is similar, your legs need to be spread apart.
2.Stand straight and lunge forward with your left leg. Bend it at the knee. Press the foot of your right leg firmly to the floor - due to its muscles, stretching will occur. Lock in this position for a few seconds. Do the same for the other leg. Repeat 3-5 times for each leg.
4. There are many other good exercises in yoga for stretching the calf muscles. By including them in your morning exercises, you can make your legs graceful and slender. In general, yoga is a great way for those who inherit fat legs. It is better to do it under the supervision of a professional instructor or through video lessons online.
5. Pilates is very useful for stretching muscles and losing weight - a muscle stretching technique that is based on static exercises.
Thick calves, you already know how to reduce them - it’s not as scary as you think. Regular exercise combined with proper nutrition and lifestyle, as well as additional measures such as body wraps and massage, will help achieve the desired results. And soon you will be able to boast of beautiful legs, with which you will be able to afford any mini and any shoe models.