How To Slim Calves

I know I have a lot of information on my blog about how to get skinny legs, but I haven’t talked too much about calves. And that is because it is quite a difficult topic.

But I do get a lot of questions about how to slim calves and especially how to reduce muscular calves so I thought I would do a blog post on it for you.

Before I start, I just wanted to talk about reasons why you might have big calves in the first place.

CAUSES OF BIG / MUSCULAR CALVES 

GENETICS 

This is why this a hard topic. A big factor with calf size is genetic.

If you were born this way and haven’t done much exercise that could change the shape of your calves, chances are that you won’t be able to make significant changes (but minor changes might be possible).

MUSCLE 

If your calf size is due to muscle, you can avoid certain exercises to prevent your muscles from getting bigger. By doing this you might also see a minor decrease in calf size.

FAT 

If your calf size is due to fat, then losing weight overall will definitely help reduce the size of your calves. BUT legs are the hardest place to lose fat and tend to be the last place for women, so it will take a lot of time.

EXERCISE AND BODY TYPE

You could have also caused your calves to increase in size due to the type of exercise that you have been doing, especially if you are mesomorph or endomorph body type.

You see, there are 3 body types and they all lose weight and build muscle differently. And 2 out of 3 body type can bulk up easily.

If you don’t know your body type, I have created a special quiz that will help you learn your body type in just 2 minutes. You will get tips how to eat and train to get the best possible results. 

And it’s completely free :)

I will discuss in detail the type of exercises that cause your calf muscles to increase and which you should avoid.

If your calves were previously slim and exercise was the reason they bulked up, then you can definitely get them back to the way they were before!

Related post: How To Slim Dow Muscular Thighs

HOW TO SLIM DOWN YOUR CALVES 

There are 4 things you need to do:

1. Stop doing whatever exercise is making your calves bigger. The main way to reduce your calf muscles is just by using them as little as possible and giving your muscles a chance to reduce on their own.
2. Low-intensity cardio – this will also help you lose excess fat on your lower half without building extra muscle.
3. Lose weight overall – this will help you lose excess fat on your lower half (but remember it will take a while). To do this you need a good diet and consistent exercise.
4. Avoid the exercises below!

EXERCISES TO AVOID 

CARDIO AT INCLINE 

Running does actual build some muscle in your calves; but running is so good for you and good for slimming down your legs that I would be hesitant to stop running.

I would make sure that you are running at a flat surface – running on an incline will increase your calf size.

If you really don’t want to run, then walking is great – it will slim down your legs overall and won’t increase your calf size. Just make sure it’s on a flat surface!

HILL SPRINTS OR ANY UPHILL EXERCISES 

Just like cardio at an incline, anything that involves walking or running uphill will build muscle in your calves. This includes hill sprints but also things such as hiking (unfortunately) and step machine.

SKIPPING 

Lots of women ask me if skipping is good for slimming down legs. The answer is no, not really.

To slim down your legs you really need to be doing walking and/or running. Skipping uses mostly your calves so will bulk them up quickly. It is a great exercise though so if you don’t care about calf size – go for it! If you do, avoid it.

PLYOMETRIC / HIIT EXERCISES 

As with skipping, lots of jumping exercises use your calves muscles and will make them bigger.

If you love HIIT, then you don’t necessarily need to stop it.

You can do some HIIT exercises, but I would avoid overdoing it on lower body plyometric exercises such as jump squats, jump lunges and burpees, and anything really that results in you landing heavily on your feet.

RUNNING 

If running has been the reasons your calves have increased in size, then I would avoid running.

Running does use your calf muscles so can cause them to get bigger. But this is different for everyone. If you are OK with running, then you can keep doing it!

3 STEPS TO LEAN LEGS PROGRAM

I should also mention my 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program which is designed to help you get lean and toned legs. There are 3 versions of the program, one for each of the 3 types.

it will help you slim down and it will get you toned without causing bulkiness in your legs, calves included. :)

EXTRA TIPS TO HELP SLIM CALVES 

USE THE TREADMILL 

I know a lot of women notice that their calves are smaller when they run on a treadmill.

The only thing I can put this down to is the fact the treadmill moves underneath you so probably don’t need to engage your calf muscles as much as running outside when you need to push off the ground harder.

For me personally, I don’t experience any physical difference between running / walking outside or on a treadmill. But it’s really up to the individual.

RUNNING TECHNIQUE 

Avoid running on your toes as you will use your calves more this way. Run with a heel to toe strike motion and use supportive shoes.

COMMON QUESTION – WILL STRETCHING MAKE MY CALVES SMALLER? 

No. It is very very unlikely that any form of stretching or massage will cause your calf muscles to atrophy or get smaller.

I have written a whole blog series on how to get skinny legs so please read these blog posts for lots more information! And if you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below xx