[luvja]

Alright, so my question is, will my legs ever start looking feminine? My legs aren't really that fat, just very muscly looking. My calves are huge. Is there like a way to tone down leg muscles? Or will they tone down with weight loss? I would really like girly looking legs instead of looking like the incredible hulk...... sexy *sarcasm*

[FB]

My trainer tells me that cardio will break down leg muscles, lower body strength training will build them. I'm no muscle expert (and neither are all trainers), so I don't know the truth of that.

My legs were logs, lumberjack manly logs when I started. My main form of cardio was cycling and I found it helped to make them look sleeker, despite building muscle. In addition, I do killer lower body workouts - super heavy - and the added muscle makes them look girlier, for real.

[luvja]

Wow, really? Thanks

[FB]

Seriously - I know it sounds counterproductive to work your legs when you think they're too big, but adding real muscle makes them look sleeker and dangerous, seriously super sexy, not at all Incredible Hulk (I use that term often ) I particularly love what cycling has done for my quads (front thighs I guess you'd call them?).

I couldn't wear boots because of my huge calves even over late summer (at the point I had lost 100# and I was REALLY drooling over boots, so disappointed). I continued on with lower body workouts, I recall I even made the workouts harder at that point. Despite doing really heavy super calf raises, cycling long distance, ect - they trimmed down nicely, now my legs fit into any boots I please!

[luvja]

I look forward to the day I can comfortably slip my legs into sexy knee high boots!

[jahjah1223]

Ive lost about 20 pounds and my fat calf's only lost 1 inch each LOL

[NightengaleShane]

Do lots of running and biking. Any type of intense cardio (including elliptical, dancing, jump rope, you name it!) will help reduce both muscle and fat. Look at most hardcore runners. They don't have much of, well, anything!

On a side note, am I the only one here who actually likes having muscular legs? My calves are as big as many female bodybuilders' calves happen to be and I love it. I have super toned, muscular thighs (sweeps, extensions, striations, yup!) and I wouldn't want it any other way.

[NightengaleShane]

Also, how huge ARE your calves? Circumference?

[mandalinn82]

You're not going to like this.

My experience is that big calves are more a body type issue than a body composition issue. They are (in my family/experience) largely genetic, and even at goal, do not go away. I will tell you that doing some strength work with the calves has made them look shapelier, and didn't cause them to gain bulk, just to get nicer and firm-looking.

I will -never- wear a regular boot. No one else in my family can, either. I've come to peace with them.

[figureskater546]

i agree with doing a lot of cardio, there's probably nothing better than just good old running for losing size without toning up too much. beware of stationary bikes though, too much use can bulk up your legs compared to the rest of your body.

[Tomato]

What Manda said. I am she-of-big-calves and recently, I got it into my head that since now I fit into a size 6 skinny jeans (that are actually a bit too long) I would wear them IF I could stuff them into some cool high boots (in natural leather, preferably). My calves are not nearly as big as they used to be, I actually never measured my calves but I look at my half-calf boots that I bought in Europe a year ago and they are very loose now. BUT that still does not mean, I was to find, that I can fit into boots available here. I have been to several stores and tried on many a boot but nope, I still can't zip them up (I won't even think of boots sans zip because I have a very instep and I would never get them on). No matter how much weight I lose, I will never have slim calves.

[cakses]

running or swimming helps a lot. while i didn't have big calves per se for my starting size, i have lost at least 3 inches in them now at 45 pounds lost. they will slim down, although their shape is pretty much hereditary.

[daniela]

Awesome thread! I too wish to have small calves so I can wear a cute skirt, with wool tights, and boots that come up to my knee. But I don't think it will ever happen no matter how much I loose. I was a swimmer in HS and a runner in the Army (around 150 lbs) and I still had mega calves.

Oh ya forgot to mention...my mom is 5'8" 135 lbs and she has mega calves too! She told me in the 60's she used to cry because all her girlfriends could wear go-go boots but not her

Here's a hot pic I just took. Anyone else want to post a measurement?

[inspired by you]

I never realized how big my calves were until last summer when my 3 1/2 year old looked at my legs as i was lying on his bed on my tummy and said "whoa, you got huge legs". My heart broke, but then he laid he little head on my calf and said "oh, soft pillow".

I wish I had thought of measuring my calves when I started working out but I didnt. I know they are smaller though cause I can actually zip my boots without holding the tops together while zipping so I'll live with that for now.

[Lyria]

I have quite muscular legs as well and I am constantly in a love-hate relationship with them!

My thighs are currently 21" and my calves are 14" around but they both have a lot of definition...especially my calves. They might be large and will never ever in a million years fit into "skinny leg" jeans but they're toned, sleek and ripple with muscle.

I fall onto the side of loving them more often these days...after all they help me run for hours at a time

Oh...and those ultra defined calves look HOT in heels