How can I tone and shrink my calves?
613568
Yoga really helps elongate muscles.  Here's a really good one.\n\nThis will make your muscle longer and leaner.
225302
Here's my routine:\n\n1) Toe touches with one leg crossed in front of the other (make sure knees aren't bent).  Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat 3 times.  Do this for the right leg and then the left leg forward.\n\n2) Leg stretches.  Facing forward, standing, spread your legs apart about 3-4 feet.  Bend down and stretch to your left foot, right foot, then center ground, as far as you can (but don't strain yourself), holding each time for 20 seconds.  Repeat 3 times.\n\n3) Trunk rotations.  Standing straight, with legs slightly separated, begin rotating your body, just at the waist, in a circular motion.  Complete 15 rotations in a clockwise motion followed by 15 rotations in a counter clockwise motion.\n\n4) Shoulder rotations.  Spread arms straight out, and rotate them in a forward circular motion, first as large of a circle as possible, followed by a smaller circle, and finally a very small circle.  Do for 15 seconds each circle size, and then repeat, doing it in a reverse motion.\n\n5) Neck rolls.  Standing the same way as previously, tilt your head to the side, and then rotate it in a clockwise circular motion, for 5 rotations.  Repeat in a counter clockwise motion.\n\n6) Hamstring stretch.  Sitting on the ground, pull both of your feet as close to your buttock as possible.  Then, try to get your knees as close to the ground as possible.  Hold for 20 seconds, and do for 3 repeats.\n\n7) Hurler's Stretch.  Lay on the ground, with one foot straight forward, and the other bent away from you (shaped like a V).  Lean forward and try to touch your toes, holding for a count of 20.  Repeat 3 times.  Then lean back, and try to get your bent leg to touch the ground, holding it for a count of 20, and repeating for 3 times.  Switch the leg you have forward and repeat.\n\n8) Calve stretch.  Lean against a wall with your feet out about 4-5 feet.  Keep 1 foot with the heel completely on the ground, and lean forward for 20 seconds.  Switch legs and repeat.  Do both legs for 3 repeats, and then do another 3 repeats while keeping both heels on the ground.\n\n9) Quad stretch.  While standing straight, grab one foot, and pull it back towards your buttock until you feel the muscles in your front thigh stretching.  Hold for 20 seconds for each leg, and repeat twice.\n\nWow!  That takes a lot longer to put into words than just doing it!  Remember to take it slowly when you're starting out, and to just enjoy your runs.  Doing some stretches after wards is also a good idea.  I hope the above helps, and I wish you success in your running endeavors.
1024391
Calves:\n-Put you foot against a pole or door frame and pull yourself torwards it. \n- Put your feet about 2-3 feet away from eachother( one infront of  an other) and push on a wall keeping both feet on the ground. You may have to bring more distance between your feet to feel a stretch. \n- Get into a push up position and take one foot and rest it on the foot that is alreadly on the ground and stretch untill you feel a pull\n-Lie on your back and have a partner take one leg( make sure you keep it streight) and pull it to you, pressing down on the toe and pulling up on the heel. Keep the othe leg on the ground. This is an uncomfortable stretch. It should only be uncomforatble pain, not searing pain. Stop if it is  really hurting. This one needs to be used only after an activity (running, swimming) when the muscles are warmed up.  \n\nHamstrings:\n- Stand and pull on leg behind you so that your foot is around your hip and pull your knee back untill you feel a stretch.\n- You can to the same on the ground, lieing down on you back (if you find it difficoult to keep your ballance)
798963
Stand on a step on the balls of your feet and your heels hanging over.  Hold on to the handrail for support. Let your heels drop down slowly then lift them up and stand on your toes as high as you can then slowly let your heels down again..  Repeat 15 times, rest for a minute or two, repeat and rest again.  Do two sets a couple of times every day and increase to three or more sets.  Make sure you've had lots to drink so you don't get leg cramps.  And remember to stretch too.  :o)
419145
***lying leg curls, hindu squats, squats, lunges, and reverse lunges  tightening and toning you want high reps 12-15 3-4 sets and light weight.  Only do these twice a week at most.  for a mega burn do 100 count lying leg curls with real light weight.
388816
First try running up and down a few flights of stairs on your tippy toes.  You can also try finding something heavy and holding on to it, while you stand with you tippy toes on the edge of a stair and do calf raises.  Instead of leg presses at the gym, use the leg press machine and extend it fully with your legs, then slide your feet down until your toes are on the edge of the foot support part of the machine.  Using just your toes extend the machine back and forth, doing a sitting version of calf raises.  Jogging and playing basketball will also strengthen your leg and calf muscles.
635033
Do some light weight lifting. Not serious heavy stuff - but enough that you feel a burn in your muscles. Strength training is the best way to tone - and you won't get huge muscles! Start with 5 - 10 pound weights and progress from there. It is a common misconception that women will get huge muscles by strength training - it's possible to do that but only if you want to. I work out at Curves - where I do cardio mixed with strength training. Yes, I've built some muscle - but I don't look muscular! I still have all my curves! I've lost over 50 pounds this way. Experts say that strength training is what is missing from women's workouts - but it's what we need the most!
501884
Try this one it works.  Lay on or back arms out to side and knees drawn up. Put your feet together and make big figure eights in the air  with them. I know this sounds silly but it tightens those muscles. i mean swing your feet to the side down and then around and up and over to the other side. A big loop on each side.  do it every day as many as you can.
399857
A really great way to beef up the bum is to do hyper extensions with weights. Do in sets of three-five ranging any where from 15-20 reps.  Leg Curls with a lot of weight. Concentrate on the Flex part of the exercise control on the way down, do more weight less reps. I can't tell you exactly because I don't know what your current range is. Squats are okay, but most people do them wrong. When squatting push from your heels also keep your feet slightly forward of your body toes pointing straight out. Concentrate on the push, really blast it out (going up) hold tension on the way down, (slowly return) Also, here more weight less reps. Also on squats you do not go all the way down you don't go more than 45 degrees. Going to far with out training can do harm. Work towards getting deeper don't just jump into it.\nStadiums are really good for your bum as well. If you have a school close by put some weights in a back back and start climbing the staduim bleachers they are great for the bum.\nxercizer@hotmail.com is my email. I am a trainer and have been for over 20+ years. If you need help feel free to write.
956795
Good old fashion squats. The key is to push up with your heels after you squatted. It works the butt and the back of your thighs. Or you can climb up and down the stairs 5 times. Both are free :)
344289
Walk everyday. That will help you slim down all over but more so the legs. Also, to tone the calf muscles as you slim down, do some calf lifts with lite weights. Stand up straight up with maybe a 5 pound dumbell in each hand. Then just stand up on your tippytoe and come back down. Do maybe 3 sets of 25 each morning. Don't use to much weight as you will bulk up the calf muscles. You said you wanted to slim them.  Try the above and then adjust as to what best suits you.
601958
The best pre work out stretch for your calves is to face a wall while standing, then place the sole of your feet up against the wall...  lean forward and feel the stretch.  You are best holding this for 20 sec... then releasing. Repeat this on each side for about 5-6 sets
530152
Do some excercises like crunches and all that stuf. It'll make your butt toned too.
1082963
All the leg work outs. At the same time you should not forget to go for equivalent stretches too. Especially gluteus stretch and all.\n\nYou can adopt the strength training for legs. That will automatically give you a tight hips. You opt this work out regime, Squats (barbell), Leg press, Lunges, Leg extension, Leg curls and Calf raise. Weel, finall all type of strechting. This work out do only once in a week.\n\nThen the normal cardios also you have to do.\n\nHave a great time.
405108
Go on a high fat no excercise diet. But your calves should be in proportion with your body. Its hard to get a massive amount on your calves if your body is not proportionate (while the reverse isn't true) its kind of like your forearms.
303844
you should try stretching more often..but not too much, you could damage your leg muscles.  start w/ normal streches like touching your toes, then work your way up.  hey, you might want to join a yoga class or something like it!
1152455
squat all the way down with your derriere just above the floor and walk in a squated position as if you were pretending to be a duck and walk walk walk in that squatted position. You'll quickly start feeling your calves working hard. Also, if you lift your body in a controlled manner, with your metatarsals (on your tip toes) like in ballet, that works your calves as well. Your toes should be pointing outward not forward (think ballet positions -this would be first position). Hold our glutes, abs and the rest of your body up don't relax them and always keep your body controlled. Push yourself up from your calves and metatarsals. I hope I described these excersices enough to where you understand what I mean. Good luck!