exercise

[alicia369]

I am triying to lose weight and am going to the gym and walking - I have a complete thing about my calf muscles which are huge, and I desperatly don't want them to get any bigger - any suggestions on which exercise is best?

[incitatus]

Your gastrocnemius (calf) is exercised by any motion in which you do a "stand on tiptoes" type of movement. So avoid stairclimbers and running. Apart from this, virtually anything will be fine. For calorie burning the two rules of thumb are: maintain 70%VO2 max or thereabouts. a good estimate for this is being at the point where you are just out of breath, i.e. when you can speak a few words together, but not sentences...the other is do whatever you are doing steadily for over 20 minutes. But ease into this gradually over a period of weeks if you are not accustomed to exercise.

[JAIH71]

the size of your calf muscles is about 95% genetic. your calf muscles will probably stay the same size, more or less, weather u exercise or not. your calf muscles are being used alot remember, walking, running, lifting and so on. they should not grow anymore.

[JAIH71]

another way to lose weight, try upping the intensity for 1 min at a time,i.e level 5,6,7 then back to 5,6,7. This will be more intense and burn more cals as well as raise your metabolic rate for longer periods after exercise.

[Clarero]

I have exactly the same problem as you - i have HUGE calf muscles and it has caused me a lot of distress in the past!! I swim a lot which I really enjoy but I guess it doesn't burn up that may calories. I would say that doing any exercise is going to tone muscles so will be beneficial to how they look if even if they don't dramatically reduce in size.