How to Slim Calves

How to slim calves- As little as we were in elementary school, we all wanted slim calves. Nobody wanted fat calves for anything.

Then, we used the slang, ‘yams,’ to refer to fat calves. I remember my best friend refusing to run a 400m race in junior high just so as not develop ‘yams.’

When I realized I had straight legs, I was glad. It was my sister that brought it to my attention. She was helping me clear some dirt from the back of my legs when she exclaimed, ‘girl, you have some fine legs.’

No doubt, it added to my confidence, and please do not ask me how.

 

Read Also: 5 Key Workout Essentials for Women- Absolute Must-Haves For Women

 

 

Why are slim calves so important?

First things first, fat calves make you stout and appear shorter, but slim calves give you a beautiful skinny look.

For individuals who attach great importance to height, slim calves make you look taller while fat calves make you look shorter.

 

 

Secondly, if you do not have slim calves, you will not be comfortable wearing shorts or skirts as the case may be. You may even admire it on others, but you will not be confident wearing them.

You should worry if your calves appear out of place and fat compared to your thighs and your overall body. And since there is something you can do about it, then why not?

 

How To Get Slim Calves

Two things come to mind here; large calves due to fat and large calves due to muscle. If your calves are large due to fat, you are in luck as efforts are taken to reduce overall body fat will yield positive results.

On the other hand, if your large calves are due to muscle, making a little adjustment in your workout routine could go a long way.

A combination of relevant exercises and a good diet will help do justice to your large calves.

While I may not be able to tell you a particular meal, you can eat to slim your calves, using a diet plan for overall body weight loss will reflect on your calves.

So we will learn from this article how we can improve our diet to achieve our goal.

 

Exercises To Achieve Slim Calves

There are exercises you can do to slim your calves, especially if your calves are large due to fat.

If your fat calves are largely due to muscle, it shows that you are already given to exercises, and as such, all you need to do is remove these exercises from your usual workout routine.

Here are some:

1. Calf Raises

This is the most common exercise for slim calves. For effectiveness, you should repeat it 25 times for three different sets.

 

 

Take the following steps to perform this exercise:

• Be in a standing position and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Now, push your chest out and roll back your shoulders.
• Put your hands on your waist and look ahead.
• Then use your feet balls to balance your body and raise both the heels
• Remain that way for a second, and then return your heels to the floor.
• Do it again till you feel your calves burn.

 

2. Seated Calf Raises with Weights

This exercise has a little upgrade to the previous one. To achieve results, you should repeat it 20 times for three different sets.

Do it this way:

• Sit on a stool and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Ensure your feet are flat on the floor, and the handles of the dumbbells on your thighs, just above your knees.
• Now, face your elbows slightly out and keep your spine straight.
• Your legs should be shoulder-width apart, then look straight.
• Keep the balls of your feet on the floor, then raise your heels.
• Stay like that for a second, and then lower the heels to the floor.

 

3. Skater Hops

You will not need a stool for this exercise. It also has an additional advantage as it targets not only your calves but also your hamstrings, quads, and glutes.

There may not be a need for you to repeat it 20 times at a go; 12 reps for three sets can get the job done.

These are the steps to take:

• Stand upright with your legs together.
• Bend both your knees slightly and raise your right foot.
• Now, bend your right knee fully for your shin and thigh to be at 90 degrees to each other.
• Lean forward slightly and assume the posture of a runner.
• Hop on your left leg, then land on your right foot so that your legs are wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Simultaneously, raise your left foot. Fully flex your left knee for your shin and thigh to be at 90 degrees with each other.
• And like before, hop on your right leg and land on your left foot.

I know the Skater Hops may seem a bit difficult but keep the goal in mind. Remember how you have not worn your shorts out lately due to your large calves; you can do this.

 

4. Calf Stretch

This is the simplest exercise so far. It is just as the name is, you stretch your calves and watch them become slimmer and finer.

 

 

Follow these steps to get it done:

• First, you face a wall and place your right foot forward near the wall and the left foot behind it. Ensure that the foot is facing the wall.
• Then, place both your elbows and forearms on the wall. They have to be shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your glutes and core, then press against the wall with your forearm to feel a stretch in your left calf and hamstring.
• Switch your legs and repeat.

From step C, you can see that this exercise targets both your calves and your hamstrings. You can repeat the exercise three times for two different sets to achieve better results.

 

5. Endurance Running

If there is a workout that is suitable for your slim calves, it is endurance running.

Note:

• Before you start, perform a light warm-up like jumping jacks, spot jogging, and stretching.
• Start jogging on the treadmill or the road. If you are running on the treadmill, adjust the incline to 3 degrees.
• Run for a longer duration slowly to lose overall body fat as well as calf fat.

I suggest you run for 15-30 minutes on the days you choose, maybe every two days or even every day.

 

6. Arm Plank with Knee Dips

This exercise will go beyond your calves to also work on your hamstrings, core, and shoulders. This is how to do it:

 

 

• Assume an elbow plank pose while keeping your core engaged.
• Now, flex your right knee and touch the floor with it. Bring it back to the plank pose.
• Then, flex your left knee and touch the floor with it.
• Repeat.

You can repeat it 12 times for two different sets to obtain quality results.

If you can practice these exercises consistently, you are on your way to having the slim calves you desire. Let’s now consider what we can do about our diet to help slim our calves.

 

Perfect Diet Plan For Slim Calves

Here, we will be looking at what we can exclude from or include in our diet to lose general body fat and maintain fitness.

As you already know, once we have given our bodies the right attention, our calves will be taken care of as well.

 

 

If you are ready, let us get started…

1. Eat fewer calories than you burn

Your first approach should be to consume fewer calories than you burn during exercise. You can do this by keeping track of how many calories you burn each day as well as how much exercise you do.

The number of calories you consume daily can vary based on gender, age, activity level, and other lifestyle factors.

A registered dietitian can help you define a diet plan that works for you. Do well to visit the one closest to you.

 

2. Consume more of a low-fat diet

In other words, go for healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Avoid edibles like pastries, baked goods, margarine, fried foods, wafers, bagels, pizza, burger, processed meat, and snack foods like chips or crackers.

This is because they contain unsaturated fats and you know unsaturated fats are not the best choice for you.

 

3. Go for lean sources of protein

Protein plays a vital role in your diet, especially if you want to lose weight.

This is because it will help you feel full faster and, at the same time, give you a boost of energy. That way, you will eat less and burn more calories.

Below is a list of lean protein sources that you can choose from:

• White-fleshed fish
• Skinless white-meat poultry
• Lean beef
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Beans, peas, and lentils
• Powdered peanut butter

 

4. Choose whole grains instead of refined grains

Whole grains are good sources of fiber. Just like protein, fiber will make you feel full faster, which will help you eat less.

On the other hand, refined or white grains can make your blood sugar spike and then crash, thereby making you feel hungry and more tired.

Examples of whole grains are whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, brown or wild rice, whole-wheat pasta, and barley. For refined grain products, you will find white bread, white rice, pretzels grits, and corn tortillas. So make the right choice today.

 

5. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet

Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables will supply your body with plenty of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Top on the list of fruits and vegetables that you can choose from are:

• Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit
• Leafy greens such as chard, spinach, and mustard greens
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts

There goes the best adjustment for achieving a perfect diet for slim calves. Do well to give these meal options a try.

 

Lifestyle Changes To Achieve Slim Calves

Before we wrap it up in this article, let us take a look at other healthy lifestyles that you can cultivate to speed up the slimming of your calves.

These include:

1. Do not wear high heels too often. They can make your calf muscles appear bulky. And if you wear them without foot support very usually, they can hurt your hips and lower back.
2. Avoid exercises that place a lot of resistance on your calves, as they will make your calf muscles look bulkier. Do more cardio and moderate resistance training.
3. Rather than sprints, go for endurance or long runs. As already mentioned earlier, endurance running is a better option to slim your calves since you will not land your feet hard on the floor.
4. For now, have nothing to do with high knee exercise. Doing high knee exercises will build calf muscles. And if you build muscle without losing the fat, your calves will look bulkier than before. This will ruin your efforts, so; no high knee exercise.
5. Massage your calf area regularly. This can help increase the rate at which the fat is being mobilized. Hence, you will lose the calf fat quickly.
6. Try not to eat late at night, no matter the temptation. You will do well to resist your late-night cravings if you must lose fat. Brushing your teeth before bedtime can help curb such cravings.

 

Conclusion

Try your best to work with these suggestions. I hope you find them very useful and effective. If you put in the required efforts, you will meet your target. Remember that consistency is key.

So start working on your calves right away and do not relent until you meet your target. Your slim calves are possible.

Let me know in the comments section if you had difficulty attempting any of the exercises or found any tips helpful.