Calves Mystery...

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hi everyone. Just to give you a bit of background: I’m 17, 1.75m (5’ 9"), 67kg (148 lbs) and I’ve been working out seriously for about 5 months now.

I’ve got very big calves and for the past 5 years I’ve always considered myself “fat” for this reason, despite being very lean everywhere else (face, arms, stomach (no six-pack though)). So when I began training, eating “right” (i.e. with a plan and with restraint), and supplementing appropriately, my initial goal, despite Mike Roussell’s advice (http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-171-diet) was to cut fat and hopefully abate the stigma that a teenager must endure when viewed as “fat”.

Before I started working out seriously, I had been doing a bit of weight training every now and again, working only my upper body as I didn’t want to add size to my already well-oversized calves.

Long story short, I had my bodyfat measured recently and I’m at 6.5% according to a 7-point formula that did not include any calf skinfold measurement (closest was a thigh measurement). My abs are clearly visible, yet my damn calves are still way too big! To give you an idea, my wrist circ. is 16.7cm (6.57") and my calf circ. is 40.3cm (15.87"). What gives?

I’ve never done any direct calf work in my life, although when I was younger I used to cycle quite a bit. Whatever the cause, I definitely don’t like the way my calves look, and will do pretty much anything to change them. I read in Cosmo (don’t ask) about doing Pilates to lengthen your muscles; not sure how much truth there is in that.

What confuses me most is that I have a six-pack, yet such big, ugly calves. JB DOES say (http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/qa/afc/afc_jun212002.htm) that guys lose fat in their abs first and legs last, but surely my body wouldn’t burn ALL fat everywhere else in my body before even burning ANY from my legs?

So right now I’m a bit confused about where to go. Do I carry on dieting, assuming that the size of my calves is due to adipose tissue? Do I try some funky muscle-lengthening exercises? Do I give up and accept that I can never wear shorts? Any help appreciated.

2

eek.

3

Jesus, this reminds me of a friend of mine actually.

Your calves are most likely muscular for some reason. They are not fat.

You are less than 150lbs- you do not need to cut.

If your muscle size is the way it is naturally, just deal with it man. If it’s more difficult than that, perhaps you should seek professional psychiatric help.

Other than that, increasing the size of the rest of your body well in proportion make your calves seem smaller. Getting bigger legs and ass can help as well.

-MAtt

4

You’re genetically predisposed to have large calves. You’re not fat. Get over it.

5

As already stated, you just have big calves. I do very little direct calf work. In fact, i have not worked my calves in about four months and they are still around 21".

Go figure. I just have big calves. So do you. : )

6

Muscular calves are now a bad thing?

Your calves are under 16". That isn’t that damn big.

People like this really exist? You really thought that at 6% body fat, your calves were somehow made up of fat tissue? You are aware this is a bodybuilding forum, right?

7

[quote]Professor X wrote:
…
You really thought that at 6% body fat, your calves were somehow made up of fat tissue?
… [/quote]
As I said in my original post, the bodyfat calculation of 6.5% was based on a formula that didn’t use any calf skinfold measurement, so I was hinting at the fact that the figure of 6.5% might be downwardly skewed because of abnormal fat storage on my calves, for which the formula would have used an average value (because a specific measurement was omitted).

There seems to be a consensus that I just have genetically muscular calves. If this is the case, is there any way for me to induce localized muscle catabolism in my calves?

A bit of an usual idea, willingly wasting away muscle, but we do what we must. :slight_smile:

8

Guys!!! I just did a cut cycle and I don’t like how my penis looks, does anyone know how I can lengthen it and get rid of some of the girth? Does pilates make you long and lean?

Thanks.

9

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Muscular calves are now a bad thing?

Your calves are under 16". That isn’t that damn big.

People like this really exist? You really thought that at 6% body fat, your calves were somehow made up of fat tissue? You are aware this is a bodybuilding forum, right?[/quote]

x2

I would add something, but I don’t think I could say it better, than X already did…I could use mucho foul language, but that’s not really adding anything…

10

[quote][simon] wrote:
Professor X wrote:
…
You really thought that at 6% body fat, your calves were somehow made up of fat tissue?
…
As I said in my original post, the bodyfat calculation of 6.5% was based on a formula that didn’t use any calf skinfold measurement, so I was hinting at the fact that the figure of 6.5% might be downwardly skewed because of abnormal fat storage on my calves, for which the formula would have used an average value (because a specific measurement was omitted).

There seems to be a consensus that I just have genetically muscular calves. If this is the case, is there any way for me to induce localized muscle catabolism in my calves?

A bit of an usual idea, willingly wasting away muscle, but we do what we must. :-)[/quote]

You are clearly on the wrong web site. Your calves aren’t even that big. Many people would consider calves that size SMALL. Clearly your perception is off. The fact that you think some huge calculation was missed because they didn’t find you to be 20% body fat due to your calves implies quite a bit more is off.

11

[quote][simon] wrote:
Hi everyone. Just to give you a bit of background: I’m 17, 1.75m (5’ 9"), 67kg (148 lbs) and I’ve been working out seriously for about 5 months now.

I’ve got very big calves and for the past 5 years I’ve always considered myself “fat” for this reason, despite being very lean everywhere else (face, arms, stomach (no six-pack though)). So when I began training, eating “right” (i.e. with a plan and with restraint), and supplementing appropriately, my initial goal, despite Mike Roussell’s advice (http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-171-diet) was to cut fat and hopefully abate the stigma that a teenager must endure when viewed as “fat”.

Before I started working out seriously, I had been doing a bit of weight training every now and again, working only my upper body as I didn’t want to add size to my already well-oversized calves.

Long story short, I had my bodyfat measured recently and I’m at 6.5% according to a 7-point formula that did not include any calf skinfold measurement (closest was a thigh measurement). My abs are clearly visible, yet my damn calves are still way too big! To give you an idea, my wrist circ. is 16.7cm (6.57") and my calf circ. is 40.3cm (15.87"). What gives?

I’ve never done any direct calf work in my life, although when I was younger I used to cycle quite a bit. Whatever the cause, I definitely don’t like the way my calves look, and will do pretty much anything to change them. I read in Cosmo (don’t ask) about doing Pilates to lengthen your muscles; not sure how much truth there is in that.

What confuses me most is that I have a six-pack, yet such big, ugly calves. JB DOES say (http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/qa/afc/afc_jun212002.htm) that guys lose fat in their abs first and legs last, but surely my body wouldn’t burn ALL fat everywhere else in my body before even burning ANY from my legs?

So right now I’m a bit confused about where to go. Do I carry on dieting, assuming that the size of my calves is due to adipose tissue? Do I try some funky muscle-lengthening exercises? Do I give up and accept that I can never wear shorts? Any help appreciated.[/quote]

Post some pictures of your “fat calves”. Maybe we could understand more if we would see them.

12

This has to be another troll job.

13


Good idea…

Flexed:

14


Unflexed:

15

this is fucking ridiculous. Go lift some fucking weights, and eat some fucking food. No more posting for you.

16

Dieting???!?!?!?! You are just a too-skinny high school kid. I’m exactly your height, and my calves are the same size as yours, but I’m about 15 pounds heavier and I’m an OLD LADY!

Start eating healthy and often, get a real workout schedule going and see a shrink about that body dismorphic disorder that so many of you young guys suffer from.

17

[quote][simon] wrote:
Good idea…

Flexed: [/quote]

Cut…CUT!!!

How are you ever going to get your 10K time down.

Your calves are 15 inches that = small.

Go here for advice.

18

744×883 54 KB

Here are my calves. I call them brownie and blackie…on account of that’s what colors they are.

19

Let the flames begin…

20

wow…

wow.