Some of us are ‘blessed’ with big calves. And we know exactly how frustrating it can be when we try and put on a certain dress or shorts and it ends up all wrong because of these ‘blessed’ calves. This can lead to such inferiority complex that all you want to do is find ways to hide it. Though, of course, the other option would be to exercise.

Sachit Pradhan, instructor at Platinum Fitness shares that many clients come to him because they are desperate to lose weight from their lower bodies. This feat, though tricky, isn’t impossible. However, Pradhan informs us of some important ground rules. 

First, nutrition is key. As he put it, “To lose weight, even from your calves, it’s important to get the right type of nutrition in your body.”  That might not sound as good as guaranteeing you 50 leg exercises that will show results in a month’s time but indeed, patience is going to be key here. 

Second, Pradhan insists that you can’t spot reduce areas of your body. This basically means you can’t only depend on leg exercises to help you lose weight in your calves. When you are exercising, overall workout is the way to go. When you lose weight, your calves too are bound to see some positive results.

With these factors in mind, he usually recommends his clients some extra leg workouts. Squats, leg raises, lightweight training are almost always on the list. Some universally acclaimed moves considered to be the best to slim down and tone calves though are listed below. 

One: Warm up with sumo squats 
(20 reps in one set)
Stand with your feet wide apart, toes pointing at opposite direction and your torso facing forward. Then, begin the squats. You will have to go up and down 20 times. This is mainly to help warm up your legs and especially the calves. To tone down and slim the calves what we need is low weights and high reps (repeats). So, starting from the sumo squat itself, there is no need to use heavy weights.  

Exercise one: Sumo squats and calf rises (20 reps in one set)
Stand in the same warm up position, but on your tiptoe this time. Here, you will need to do your regular squats while standing on your tiptoes. Squeeze your calves and use them to bring you back up. You should feel the burn as you do your squats so initially you may want to begin with just one set.

Two: Skater hops (15 reps in one set)
Imagine you are skating and hop from right to left. Make sure you land on only one leg. So for instance, if you hop to the right side, you land on your right leg while your left leg is raised. You can pause for only two seconds between the jumps. Slightly bend your knees and use your calves to push you to the other side. Continue till you reach 15 reps. Again do notice, as mentioned, we are going with higher reps and no weights.

Three: Calf raises (30 reps in one set)
Begin by first lifting yourself up on your tiptoe and bringing yourself down. You have to squeeze your calves on your way up. It’s highly recommended to do these exercises on a platform. This will help increase the intensity.  So if you have a higher platform at home, use that. If not, you can also do it on the stairs. It might feel awkward at first but you will get used to it.

Further, there are other variations of this calf rises. For instance, you can also stand with your feet at shoulder width. If you to do and stand with your toes facing inwards towards each other, and repeat this same step, it will work your inner calves. Similarly, if you stand with your toes facing outward, it will work your outer calves. Pradhan recommends you do all these three variations of calf raises together for better results.

Four: Calf stretches (30 seconds and hold)
Another tip for sliming your calf is to stretch it. Stretching makes big muscles appear longer and leaner. One of the effective stretches will require you to find a wall. Support your body weight onto the wall with one foot placed perpendicularly against the wall and the other foot at the back. Push the back leg down by pushing the heels into the ground. By doing this, you will feel your calf muscles being stretched on the back leg. The key point here is to hold the position for 30 seconds at least. Feel your calf muscles stretch. If you don’t feel it, push your body weight into the wall more. Switch legs and repeat.

Five: Pick a cardio you like
Be it running or swimming, both are good options. You can do them at a moderate pace at least two or three times a week. Along with helping you lose overall body weight, it will also help target the fat in the calves.

Another popular option has always been skipping. If you are looking for leg exercises and you do not want to go to a gym, nothing can beat skipping. Jumping rope is an activity not only suited for recreation, but also for a cardiovascular workout, similar to jogging or cycling. It is believed that this aerobic exercise can achieve a burn rate of up to 700 calories per hour of vigorous activity.

 
• calves
 
• leg workout
 
• slimmer calves