Training guide
Most of your calf is muscle and bone. In one scan study of 158 adults, taken at one level of the shin near the widest part of the calf, fat made up about 29% of the calf in women and 15% in men on average, with a wide range. That's a single study rather than a norm, but big calves are often mostly muscle, and their size is largely inherited. Calf raises don't burn the fat over your calves; losing fat from your whole body does.
Swelling isn't fat, and painful, heavy legs that bruise easily may be lipoedema, which needs a GP. This guide covers what your calves are made of, how to tell fat, muscle and swelling apart, what works and how long it takes, why calf raises and stretching won't give you slimmer calves, cankles, lipoedema and lymphoedema, and when to see a GP.
At one level of the shin near the calf's widest part, fat made up on average 29% of the cross-section in 76 women and 15% in 82 men aged 20 to 59, with a wide range (12 to 53% in women). That's one scan study, not a norm, but big calves are often mostly muscle.
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In twins aged 10 to 14, genes explained 87 to 95% of the differences in calf and other limb girths, which take in fat and bone as well as muscle.
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When adults trained one leg for 12 weeks, fat came off the arms and trunk, not that leg, and 13 studies found no spot reduction. Calf raises build the calf muscle: standing raises grew the main calf muscle by 9 to 12% in 12 weeks.
Eat a little less, aiming to lose 0.5 to 1 kg a week at most, move more, strength train on 2 days a week and sleep 7 to 9 hours. Your calves change as the rest of you does.
Fluid (oedema) can make calves and ankles puffy, and pressing may leave a dent. Both legs swollen and not better after a few days: see a GP. One swollen, throbbing calf: get help the same day.
Lipoedema is a build-up of fat in both legs (sometimes the arms), usually sparing the feet, often painful, heavy and easily bruised, and not caused by being overweight. How common it is isn't known: estimates range from under 1% to 12% of women.
Your calf has two bones (the tibia and fibula), the gastrocnemius you can see and the soleus under it, and a layer of fat under the skin. In 158 healthy adults with an average BMI (body mass index) of about 27, a scan at one level of the shin found muscle areas of 68.7 square centimetres in women and 89.0 in men, and fat made up 28.6% of the cross-section in women (range 11.8 to 52.5%) and 15.1% in men (3.3 to 30.1%). One study at one level isn't a norm for everyone.
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Calf girth was 87 to 95% heritable in twins aged 10 to 14, and girth takes in muscle, fat and bone together. Where your calf muscle ends and your Achilles tendon begins also varies between people; we found no study of how that shapes the calf (our reading).
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Women carry a larger share of fat in the calf, and more fat on the lower body in general. That's normal biology.
In older adults, a small calf is a warning sign of low muscle: the European consensus uses under 31 cm as a stand-in where nothing else is available, and the Asian consensus screens with under 34 cm in men and 33 cm in women. Your calf muscles also pump blood back up your legs, which is why our calf pump exercises use them.
A soft layer you can pinch, on both legs and often even. It follows the rest of your body fat and comes off slowly as you lose fat overall.
Firm, especially when you rise onto your toes. It doesn't shrink with fat loss, and it grows slowly with calf training.
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Puffy, and pressing may leave a dent. It often affects the ankles and feet, in one leg or both, and the NHS lists standing or sitting for too long, eating too much salty food, being overweight, pregnancy, some medicines and varicose veins among the usual causes.
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Fat that builds up in both legs, usually equally, with the feet usually spared, and it can stop sharply at the ankle like a cuff. The skin can feel soft and cool, and the legs may hurt, feel tender or heavy and bruise easily. Experts call it largely diet-resistant.
Swelling in all or part of a limb, which may at first leave a dent when you press it. It's often on one side and includes the foot, as our lipoedema guide's comparison explains, and the NHS says it's thought to affect more than 200,000 people in the UK.
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A popular name for lower legs that don't narrow much at the ankle. It can be your natural shape, a fat layer, fluid, or lipoedema, which can stop sharply at the ankle like a cuff or bracelet. Swelling that doesn't settle needs a GP.
Not a diagnosis. The steps follow the NHS pages on DVT, oedema, lipoedema, lymphoedema and varicose veins and a lipoedema consensus; the pinch test is our suggestion. If you're not sure, see a GP: only a doctor can diagnose lipoedema or lymphoedema.
In 158 healthy adults aged 20 to 59, a scan at one level of the shin found fat made up 28.6% of the calf's cross-section in women (range 11.8 to 52.5%) and 15.1% in men (3.3 to 30.1%), with an average BMI of about 27. It's one cross-sectional study at one level of the leg, so read it as a rough picture, not a norm.
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In 105 pairs of twins aged 10 to 14, genes explained 87 to 95% of the differences in calf and other limb girths at most ages.
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Across 13 studies of 1,158 people, training one limb didn't take more fat off it than off the untrained limb. In 11 adults who trained one leg for 12 weeks, fat fell by 10.2% in the arms and 6.9% in the trunk, but not in either leg.
In 10 women, 5 weeks of one-leg training thinned the fat layer over the trained thigh without shrinking the fat cells: the authors put it down to the layer stretching over bigger muscle.
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In 14 adults, standing calf raises (5 sets of 10 at 70% of maximum, twice a week for 12 weeks) grew the two parts of the gastrocnemius by 12.4% and 9.2%, against 1.7% and 0.6% with seated raises. The authors note the calf is relatively hard to grow but prone to shrinking when you're inactive.
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Calf raises through the stretched bottom part of the range grew the inner calf by 15.2% in 8 weeks in 42 young women, and 12 weekly sets beat 6 for parts of the calf in 61 untrained women.
An hour a day of one-leg calf stretching for 6 weeks raised the outer calf muscle's cross-section by 15.2% in 52 adults.
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The European consensus on low muscle (sarcopenia) says calf circumference predicts performance and survival in older people and can stand in for muscle mass where nothing else is available, with a cut-off under 31 cm. The Asian consensus screens with under 34 cm in men and under 33 cm in women.
Botulinum toxin injected into the calf muscle reduced calf circumference from 36.35 to 35.87 cm at 8 weeks in 20 people, with no difference between doses, and in 15 women it reduced lower-leg volume and subtly changed balance when walking. These are cosmetic medical treatments, not something exercise advice can cover.
Eat a little less, aiming to lose 0.5 to 1 kg (1 to 2 lb) a week at most, as the NHS suggests; build towards at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity; strength train on 2 days a week; and sleep 7 to 9 hours. Walking, cycling, the cross-trainer and swimming are gentler on heavy or sore legs than running (our suggestion).
Our protein calculator suggests 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day while you lose weight. A deficit of about 500 calories a day stopped muscle gains across trials, so avoid crash diets.
Squats or sit-to-stands, step-ups, lunges, a hinge and calf raises keep the muscle under the fat. Calf raises won't make your calves bulky by accident: growth is slow and follows the sets you choose. Slow calf raises at 2 sets of 10 to 15 (our calf pump exercises) or single-leg raises at 12 to 20 each leg (our calf workout) are both fine.
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Walk, raise your legs when you can, don't stand or sit still for long, and avoid tight socks or shoes, as the NHS advises. Break up long spells of sitting or standing with 10 ankle pumps or calf raises every 30 to 60 minutes, as our calf pump exercises suggest. Swelling that doesn't settle, or one swollen calf, needs checking: see the warning signs.
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See a GP. The NHS lists healthy eating and exercise, compression, skin care and support among the treatments, and says compression can reduce the pain and discomfort. Exercise keeps you strong but doesn't remove lipoedema fat, which experts call largely diet-resistant. Our lipoedema guide has the detail.
These keep your legs strong while the fat comes off; they won't slim your calves, and calf raises build the calf muscle a little. Our beginner lower body workout and calf pump exercises give the doses.
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step
3D demoReverse lungeIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall
3D demoSingle-leg calf raise from a stepIntermediate · A step + A wall
3D demoSeated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Beginner · A bench or boxEach counts towards your 150 minutes a week. The recumbent bike, cross-trainer and rowing machine have starting doses on their move pages.
3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine
3D demoStationary cyclingBeginner · Cardio machine
3D demoRecumbent exercise bikeBeginner · Cardio machine
3D demoElliptical trainerBeginner · Cardio machine
3D demoIndoor rowing (rowing machine)Beginner · Cardio machine
3D demoStair climbingIntermediate · A stepFrom our calf pump exercises: the calf muscles help push blood back up your legs. It eases heaviness for some people; it won't remove fat or lipoedema. Ankle circles and seated marching have their own doses on their move pages; for legs up the wall, prop up your upper body, or skip it, if lying flat makes you dizzy or you're in later pregnancy.
Our editorial plan, built on NHS advice, the trials in this guide and our calf pump exercises.
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The movement on the figure: Slow calf raise
The NHS describes lipoedema as an abnormal build-up of fat in the legs and sometimes the arms. It usually affects both sides equally, and the feet usually aren't affected.
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The legs may hurt, feel tender or heavy and bruise easily, and the fat can stop sharply at the ankle like a cuff. The NHS says it isn't caused by being overweight: you can be a healthy weight and still have it. How common it is isn't known: estimates range from under 1% to 12% of women.
Experts call lipoedema fat largely diet-resistant, so diets that don't change it aren't a personal failing. Our lipoedema guide explains what exercise can and can't do.
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Long-term swelling in all or part of a limb, which may leave a dent when pressed at first. A GP can refer you to a specialist lymphoedema service, and our lymphoedema guide covers exercise.
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If your legs match either description, see a GP rather than trying to train or diet the change away.
Fat leaves at 0.5 to 1 kg a week at most. Where it leaves first varies: in one diet study, fat came off the arms and thighs proportionally faster than the waist and hips; the calf wasn't measured.
Puffiness from fluid can change from day to day, and it often builds through the day.
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Muscle shrinks slowly if you stop training it and move less, and the calf is prone to shrinking with inactivity. But shrinking healthy calf muscle isn't something we'd advise: it helps you walk, balance and pump blood back up your legs. Lose fat overall instead.
Nobody can tell you how your calves will look, or when. What you can control is the habit: activity most days, strength work twice a week, enough sleep and a small calorie cut.
No workout burns calf fat. The cardio and whole-body sessions do the fat-loss work; the calf pump exercises and yoga for circulation are for heavy legs; the lymphoedema exercises are for people a specialist has diagnosed; the calf workout builds calf strength, not slimmer calves.
A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallA 25-minute standing cardio circuit with no jumping: marching, step jacks, sit-to-stands, punches, step-ups and wall push-ups, with a seated option for most moves.
25 minBeginner9 movesA bench or box, A stepA 10-minute routine for straight after a meal: an easy walk, a few simple standing moves from blood sugar trials, then a short walk to finish.
10 minBeginner6 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxA 50-minute walk with hills, outdoors or on a treadmill slope: brisk on the flat, slower on the climbs, building from gentle slopes to about 6%.
50 minBeginner5 movesCardio machine, A stepA 40-minute walk alternating 3 minutes fast and 3 minutes easy, five times over: the interval walking tested in Japanese trials, built up from three rounds.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallStrength moves first, then 20 to 30 minutes of steady cardio, with glucose checks built in. In one small type 1 diabetes trial, weights first kept glucose steadier.
45 minBeginner11 movesA dumbbell, A bench or boxA gentle leg strength routine with no jumping: sit-to-stands, step-ups, wall sits, bridges and calf raises.
20 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A stepLearn to squat, hinge and lunge: a 25-minute beginner lower body workout with bridges, clamshells and calf raises.
25 minBeginner11 movesA wall, A bench or boxA lower body workout at home: split squats, slider hamstring curls, single-leg bridges, step-ups, band walks and calf raises, with dumbbell options.
30 minIntermediate12 movesA wall, A stepA 15-minute calf pump routine for varicose veins and heavy, swollen legs: ankle pumps, calf raises, a brisk walk, calf stretches and legs up to finish.
15 minBeginner10 movesA bench or box, A wallTwenty minutes of yoga for blood flow in your legs and feet: ankle pumps and calf raises, standing poses that make your legs work, and a rest with your legs up.
20 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, A wallA 15-minute daily routine for lymphoedema: deep breathing, neck and shoulders, then an arm block and a leg block to keep the muscle pump working.
15 minBeginner14 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or boxA 25-minute calf workout with a step and a dumbbell: single-leg raises for the big calf muscle, then seated raises for the soleus, with gym swaps for each move.
25 minIntermediate7 movesA wall, A stepThe weight-loss plan is the main one; the walking plan and the 30-day walking challenge build up from very little.
A 12-week workout plan for weight loss: three strength days, two cardio days and daily steps, building to 200 minutes a week, with honest results.
3 training days45 minBeginner6 days a weekA free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginner5 days a weekA free 30-day walking challenge for beginners: five walks a week, from 10 to 25 brisk minutes, with rest days and a step target built on your own average.
5 training days25 minBeginner2 days a weekYour first four weeks: two, then three short strength sessions a week at home plus walks, building gently to a full routine.
2 training days20 minBeginner3 days a weekA weekly workout plan for women: three strength days, cardio and pelvic floor training, with the evidence on periods, pregnancy and menopause.
3 training days45 minBeginnerSwollen ankles, feet and fingers are common in pregnancy, as the NHS explains, but sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet can be a sign of pre-eclampsia: see the warning signs below.
Varicose veins can cause swollen ankles, often worse after standing and better with your legs up. Our calf pump exercises and varicose veins guide cover what helps.
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Follow your care team's advice on getting active again; our blood clots guide covers exercise after a clot.
Calf pain that comes on while running has its own guide: see calf pain from running.
If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise.
For chest pain that feels tight, heavy or squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back; a sudden, extremely painful headache, especially while straining; someone who faints while exercising; or palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
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Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or oestrogen-containing contraception or HRT.
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Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have swelling in 1 ankle, foot or leg and you don't know what's causing it; a lot of swelling after an injury, or swelling that is getting worse; swelling that is severe, painful or starts very suddenly; swelling in other parts of your body too, such as your face or tummy; a swollen area that is red or feels hot; a very high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery; or diabetes and swollen feet or ankles. Call 999 if you also feel short of breath or are struggling to breathe, your chest feels tight, heavy or painful, you're coughing up blood, your heartbeat is more noticeable (palpitations), or you feel lightheaded, faint, confused, sick or clammy.
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Your leg or legs become swollen, red, hot and painful and you have flu-like symptoms: it may be cellulitis.
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See a GP if:
New swelling in an arm or leg, especially after cancer treatment: early swelling can come and go, and after breast cancer treatment Breast Cancer Now says to get advice as soon as you notice it. A GP can refer you to a specialist lymphoedema service. New swelling after cancer treatment needs checking for other causes first.
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Get urgent medical help: you're pregnant or have given birth in the last few weeks and have symptoms of pre-eclampsia, such as pain below the ribs, a severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers, vision problems such as blurred vision or seeing flashing lights, sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, heartburn that does not go away with heartburn medicines, being sick, or feeling very unwell. If you're pregnant, call your maternity unit if you have the number; if you've recently given birth or cannot call your maternity unit, call 111.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 for a vein that bleeds, a hard, red, painful vein, or one swollen, throbbing calf. Call 999 for leg pain or swelling with breathlessness or chest pain.
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A sudden snap or pop at the back of the heel or calf, or a feeling of being kicked there, then walking flat-footed and being unable to push off, stand on tiptoe or climb stairs. It could be an Achilles tendon rupture or a broken heel bone: go to A&E or a minor injuries unit, or contact NHS 111, the same day, as our Achilles rupture guide explains. In the US, go to urgent care or the emergency department.
A sudden sharp pain in the calf as you push off can be a strain. Stop, and see our calf pain guide.
Calf pain that comes on with walking and eases when you rest needs a GP check; our calf pain when walking guide explains why.
The NHS lists spending a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape, eating very little food, exercising too much, and having very strict routines around food among the signs of an eating disorder, and says to see a GP as soon as you can. Worrying a lot about one area of your body can be body dysmorphic disorder. Beat's helpline in England is 0808 801 0677, and our eating disorders guide has the other numbers.
Training a body part didn't burn the fat over it, and calf raises grow the calf muscle: standing raises grew it by 9 to 12% in 12 weeks in one trial.
An hour a day of calf stretching for 6 weeks made the calf muscle about 15% thicker. Muscles don't get "longer and leaner" in the way the claim suggests (our reading). Stretch for comfort and range, not shape.
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In one scan study of 158 adults, fat was on average about 29% of the calf in women and 15% in men, and calf girth is largely inherited.
Calf muscle grows slowly and shrinks with inactivity, and it matters: a small calf is a warning sign of low muscle in older adults.
No method takes fat from one place, and we found no trial of calf massage or wraps for fat.
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The NHS says it isn't caused by being overweight and you can be a healthy weight and still have it, and experts call it largely diet-resistant.
Lose fat from your whole body by eating a little less and moving more, and keep your legs strong. Your calves change as your overall fat does; calf exercises on their own don't burn the fat over them.
Mostly muscle, for most people: in one scan study of 158 adults, fat made up about 29% of the calf at one level of the shin in women and 15% in men. As a rough guide (our suggestion), the soft layer you can pinch is fat, and the firm bulk when you rise onto your toes is muscle.
No. Training one leg didn't take the fat off it, and calf raises grow the calf muscle a little: standing raises grew it by about 9 to 12% in 12 weeks in one trial.
Lose fat overall; the bone and much of the muscle size are set by your genes. Shrinking healthy calf muscle isn't something we'd advise, because it helps you walk, balance and pump blood back up your legs.
No. Fat leaves your whole body at about 0.5 to 1 kg a week at most, and puffiness from fluid can change from day to day.
No: in one trial, an hour a day of calf stretching for 6 weeks made the calf muscle about 15% thicker. Stretch for comfort and range, not shape.
Genes explained most of the differences in calf girth in twins, and calves are mostly muscle. If your lower legs are painful, heavy, bruise easily and are out of proportion with the rest of you, see a GP about lipoedema.
Fluid swelling often builds through the day, can leave a dent when you press it and may affect your ankles and feet. See a GP if both legs stay swollen after a few days, and get help the same day for one swollen, throbbing calf.
It's a popular name for lower legs that don't narrow much at the ankle. It can be your natural shape, fat, fluid, or lipoedema, which can stop sharply at the ankle like a cuff; swollen ankles that don't settle need a GP.
Lipoedema is a build-up of fat, usually equal in both legs, that spares the feet, is often painful, heavy and bruises easily, and isn't caused by being overweight. Only a doctor can diagnose it, and our lipoedema guide explains what exercise can and can't do.
No. The NHS says compression can reduce the pain and discomfort of lipoedema, and our lipoedema guide explains that it doesn't change the size or shape of the legs. Wear any garment you've been prescribed as your clinician advises.
Injections into the calf muscle are a cosmetic medical treatment: in one small trial, calf circumference fell by about half a centimetre in 8 weeks, and another found subtle changes in balance when walking. It's not something exercise advice can cover.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
