Slim, toned calves complete a beautiful body. But in an effort to get the perfect figure, many forget about this part of the legs and often games look disproportionately large. To fix this, you first need to determine if the problem is overweight or the massiveness of the pumped up muscles.
Instructions
Step 1
Avoid putting too much stress on your calves, for this, first of all, give up high heels and uncomfortable platforms. If you're a cross-country bike lover, cut your rides down to twice a week for no more than 0.5 hours. Otherwise, excessive pumping of the calves cannot be avoided and it will not work to make them thin. To eliminate the problem of excessively bulky calves, the main emphasis should be on exercises that contribute to training and tightening the calf muscles.
Step 2
Include in your training program simple exercises from callanetics - special gymnastics for stretching various parts of the body. These simple exercises will help you make your calves thin, graceful and keep your muscles toned, just do them 3-5 times a day.
At the beginning of any workout, you need to warm up your muscles. Do a few squats, run in place for two minutes, tiptoe if you can.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart, inhale, as you exhale, fold in your waist and stretch your arms and head to the floor several times with effort. If you feel discomfort in the stretching muscles or ligaments, exhale slowly, as if releasing the pain. Repeat this exercise several times.
Stand up straight. Bend your left leg at the knee, transferring your body weight to your right. Grasp the left foot with your hands and try to gradually straighten it so as to bring it horizontally to the floor. At first, this will not work, but over time, the muscles of the calf and thigh will gradually stretch and the leg will begin to straighten completely. Hold your leg horizontally for 8-10 seconds and gently lower it.
Change your leg and do the same on the other. After the end of the exercise, shake off the tension from your legs, rest for 2-3 minutes and move on to the next.
Stand in the position of a ballerina - on tiptoes, the toes are spread with the heels together - slightly bend your knees, as if springing, sow on the toes for 30 seconds. This will help your muscles on the calves become more prominent and thinner.
Step 3
Do all the exercises slowly, trying to feel how the muscles warm up and stretch. The first days will be difficult, but it is better to do this complex fewer times, but correctly, without rushing. After a month of training, you can see the result - your legs will become slimmer.
Regular training exercises only build muscle mass, which, for all its usefulness, still makes the ankles thick. Therefore, to give the calves a relief and make them thinner, cardio loads are needed. They will also help drive excess fat from this area of the body if you have a clear excess. One of the best options for cardio training in this case is step aerobics and its many variations. You can train with an instructor in a fitness club or at home. All you need is a step platform.
Step 4
The simplest but most effective exercise is called basic step - put your right foot on the platform, lift your left to it, immediately step down with your right to the floor, put your left to it. After doing 10-15 repetitions, change the leading leg - start the step with the left to step and with the left from the step. This simple step up step will help reduce your calf volumes. Doing this for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week, you will get a noticeable effect after a few weeks.
Step 5
Another effective exercise from the set of cardio training is jumping in place or over a rope. Start jumping on two legs, then alternate right and left, split, cross. In general, the complex of jumps should take 10-15 minutes daily. If you still do not have enough strength for continuous jumping, jump for 2-3 minutes and pause for 30 seconds, during which step in place, restoring breathing and relieving tension from your legs. These exercises will perfectly tighten your calf muscles and rid them of excess fat.
Don't forget to stretch. Any cardio workout should end with stretching of the loaded muscles. This will allow them to rest, recover faster and get a smoother shape.
Step 6
You can use bouncy leg lunges to stretch your calves. To do this, take a step forward with one leg, rest your hands on your buttocks, slowly bend your knee and begin to squat. The main body weight falls on the gastrocnemius muscle and the back of the thigh. Keep your leg stretched for at least 30 seconds each time. Then change your leg.
Another effective calf stretching exercise is a fold - sitting on the mat, stretch your legs forward, lower your body with a flat back to your straight legs, and reach your toes with your hands.
Step 7
Regular pilates or yoga classes will help you to slim down and beautifully contoured calves. The load in such exercises is distributed smoothly throughout the body, forming a beautiful relief of all muscle groups, including the calf. However, it may take longer to achieve the effect here. It is advisable to practice Pilates or yoga under the supervision of an instructor, since the result depends on the correctness of the exercises.
In the process of working on your body, it is very important to monitor your diet. To thin out your calves, don't try to severely restrict calories. Balance is important in nutrition. The basics of proper nutrition are the absence of hunger during the day (you need to eat a little every 2 hours) and dinner no later than 3 hours before bedtime.
First of all, reduce or eliminate the consumption of fatty, sweet, salty foods that negatively affect weight and body shape. It is also necessary to give up semi-finished products, alcohol, fast food and any carbonated drinks.
It is necessary to include protein products, meat (veal, rabbit, chicken) in the menu every day, as well as cottage cheese dishes. You need to cook food by steaming or boiling, fry as an exception with a minimum amount of oil, or better without it. For breakfast, oatmeal is desirable (not instant). Be sure to drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water every day.
