High Heel Calves

**gYmgIrL** · May 1st, 2007, 09:54 PM

Hello Thar!

I saw 2 ladies today, who arent muscly by any stretch of the imagination, but had huuuge calves! They were both wearing very high high heels and I was just wondering if any of you guys know if you can get calves like that just from wearing heels?

Maybe they do have some sort of practical function!!!

Anu · May 1st, 2007, 11:15 PM

No its just great genectics... heels help a little but calves are stubborn as hell

**ItalianStallion** · May 2nd, 2007, 12:45 AM

i believe that wearin high heels force u to walk on ur toes meanin ur kinda always workin em out...so if u wear em a lot ur calves r gettin a work out all the time...i think thats possible?

**Insex** · May 2nd, 2007, 03:49 AM

To be able to walk on high heels with ease requires stability, balance, coordination, and strength from the calves and upwards. So it seems perfectly logical to me that one would develop more defined calf muscles from walking on high heels daily.

But then again, I'm not a women, so what would I know.

**sucher67** · May 2nd, 2007, 10:05 AM

High heels don't allow for much range of motion. The calf is simple-- it pivots the foot at the ankle. No pivoting, no development.

Calves look great in high heels because the heels force the calf to be in a contracted position. The heels actually change the posture a bit-- flexing the calves, and enhanching the "bum" by inducing more arching in the lower back.

Any orthopoedist will tell you that over use of high heels is not healthy. It is a common for women who wear high heels for many years to develop a shortening of the achilles and tightening in the calf-- some of these women cannot even stand comfortably without high heels.

Bottom line-- high heels limit the range of motion, which limits development. As Anu said, "calves are stubborn as hell." There is no easy way to develop them. You have to find which works best for you.

Kyndle · May 2nd, 2007, 10:40 AM

I read in a magazine that this is how Jessica Simpson got her calves for Dukes of Hazzard. The article said she wore them all around her house. To clean, to cook ect... High heels(3''+) definately work my calves. If I walk around in them long enough my calves will be sore for days!

**tellico** · May 2nd, 2007, 10:42 AM

heels were originally invented to show off the calves, because of what sucher67 said (so the history books say).

I've noticed that the women with the biggest calves are the ones who semi-exercise- the ones whose entire workout regimen consists of walking and gabbing with friends 5 days a week. I've noticed it in myself, too... brisk walking for 20+ minutes seems to work my calves more than running, lifting, or even doing full motion raises off a step.

I love heels for night time/dates- love the way they make me walk!

**iluvwmn** · May 2nd, 2007, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insex

To be able to walk on high heels with ease requires stability, balance, coordination, and strength from the calves and upwards. So it seems perfectly logical to me that one would develop more defined calf muscles from walking on high heels daily.

But then again, I'm not a women, so what would I know.

Sure sure. I can see you putting on high heels now and posing in front of the mirror. "are my calves getting bigger"? Maybe this will become a new exercise.

**Insex** · May 2nd, 2007, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvwmn

Sure sure. I can see you putting on high heels now and posing in front of the mirror. "are my calves getting bigger"? Maybe this will become a new exercise.

Hmm...

Ya know? You just make me think of a really great idea!

**mooshue** · May 2nd, 2007, 04:27 PM

hah so funny you mention putting on heels to see how they look. I was at a party last summer and they had games for all the adults. They took all the straight guys into a room and made them dress up as women, full on women witht he makeup and everything. I snagged the only pair of white heels i could stuff my size 13 in, and everyone was talking about how great my calves and legs looked. I peeped in the mirror and sure enough, my calves were buldging outta my legs.

**pliny_2001** · May 2nd, 2007, 07:45 PM

Wow - this sure took a turn for the gay around 11am (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Does anyone here have any experience with those 'platform' basketball shoes? They were advertised to help you add 6+ inches to your vertical leap. It seems like they and heels are fairly similar, except that the basketball shoes were designed to be stable.

**raijin1** · May 2nd, 2007, 08:22 PM

One of my training clients wears athletic shoes by MBT when she runs and works out. They are not platforms, but rather the sole is rounded so that it is thickest in the middle of the foot, thinner at the toe and heel. Apparently they make you roll your feet when you step... She has great calves BTW... so perhaps there is a correlation?

**D-boi** · May 2nd, 2007, 08:37 PM

You have to be really bold to admit something like that. I would have taken that to the grave lol.

start07 · May 2nd, 2007, 10:55 PM

Its got to be genetics. Working in corporate USA, there is no shortage of women walking around in heels and few of them have the kind of calves you are talking about.

It probably helps at some level, but as pointed above, wearing them too often does some bad things to feet. They really weren't meant to be squished like that and walked on tippie-toes all day long all the time.

**gYmgIrL** · May 2nd, 2007, 11:24 PM

ill think ill stick with the gym and leave the impractical shoes to the people that can be bothered trying to walk in them!!

**raijin1** · May 2nd, 2007, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-boi

You have to be really bold to admit something like that. I would have taken that to the grave lol.

Not really, I take pride in the fact that I can make my clients look good... But in this case, she was in very good shape when she started with me, and wanted to be pushed to the 'next level'...

Anyways my point here before Boi went off was that... Maybe these MBT shoes are worth looking into as far as calf development... But I am only going on the testimony of this one client, I have no authority at all to state if these shoes help or not...

And I agree with what Geeg just said... there is no substitute for the training you can do in the gym!

**Hans_Rachid** · May 2nd, 2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-boi

You have to be really bold to admit something like that. I would have taken that to the grave lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by raijin1

Not really, I take pride in the fact that I can make my clients look good... But in this case, she was in very good shape when she started with me, and wanted to be pushed to the 'next level'...

I think D-boi was referring to mooshue's post

**Italianangel** · May 3rd, 2007, 07:00 PM

heels enhance the calves and shorten the hams but don't build them really.

**mavgrad99** · May 4th, 2007, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gYmgIrL

ill think ill stick with the gym and leave the impractical shoes to the people that can be bothered trying to walk in them!!

Ya know, I was just about to ask that... whats a rock chick doing wearing heels anyway? Unless they are stilettos and they are for your "job" on stage, but I would think you would be toting Lugz and listening to Avril albums or something eh?

**mooshue** · May 4th, 2007, 12:20 PM

my cousin got a pair of those basketball strength shoes when he first started high school. He would practice ball with them for hours a day, within a year he was dunking like crazy. Hes a 6'2" skinny white guy. They do work great if you are looking to increase your leap, i dunno bout actual forming of the calves though, his legs never looked ripped or anything.