Why small calves are actually better

[@CianaRo169]

My calves are small for me and i have big thighs.I got shocked that i can run fast so i search for this kind of video

[@daysgo5514]

just measured my calves, its 13 inch that makes me at the 5th percentille, looks quite normal to me but it makes me think how others see them, i must look like an aids patient to others.

[@thatlumberjack]

@1:46 what study? Please add sources so curious viewers can delve deeper into the content.

[@emilferent23]

This video is partially quite inaccurate: - gazelles have a different anatomy: their lower limbs articulate forwards at the knee and their feet point downwards - while running, we're talking only about the recovery of the leg (bringing it forwards); pushing backwards is irrelevant regarding calves because they're literally connected to the ground and we're pushing off them, not rotating them - like in one if your sprinting videos, the leg recovery is done with a raised lower leg to lower the momentum - big calves do give your a helping push while running sprints; just get bigger hip muscles to move that mass and the entire leg will be quicker - calves are composed of more muscles; some are more useful for runners than others On Usain Bolt's calves: "The calves comprise two muscles: gastrocnemius and soleus. These muscles are vital to sprinting more than regular running, because the muscles of the calves control foot flexion when running. Sprinters should be prepared to spring off the next foot during each stride before impact to minimize time on the ground. Strong, elastic calves support the additional speed of a sprint. Usain Bolt has a very short gastrocnemius due to his elongated achilles tendon. Despite the muscle’s reduced size, it is still extremely powerful due to both training and its natural makeup of fast-twitch muscle fibres."

[@theoddgamer8266]

Having small calves is better than having gigantic calves.

[@hlogilehlogonolo5438]

You wrong almost every doctor comes to the consensus that having smaller calves is more beneficial than huge calves for athletic purposes but that doesn’t mean huge calves means you not athletic

[@jormadre70]

@@hlogilehlogonolo5438 Almost every doctor? Really?

[@fractionofstuff]

​@@jormadre70yes, really

[@moosic8854]

Doc , there's no way in even the seventh heven that my calves will have enough muscle to actually hinder my performance 😂

[@Lvtz-1]

That’s what I’m saying

[@The_real_MG]

Explosive power in the lower leg would come more from the tendon than the calf,maybe learn basic anatomy 😂

[@FranciscoFernandezBeccari]

@@The_real_MG bue tranquilo hermano

[@scoobydoo3557]

@@The_real_MGo then ur admitting that having muscle mass on ur calves doesn’t hinder your performance 😂. I don’t get why we treat the calves differently from other muscles

[@cooparchive7857]

​@scoobydoo3557 try run for 10 minutes no rest at 14k/m can you do it with very big calves? It absolutely make look like obese just the first 20 seconds lol.

[@stayontrack]

To run fast/ well at any decent speed or distance you need the whole body to be strong. If you have strong calves that's certainly an advantage and not a disadvantage, if your calves are weak say goodbye to good form and hi to a lot of injuries like shin splints, foot or calf injuries

[@Johnny55671]

Small calves and weak calves are two different thibgs

[@aodoemela]

Shin splints are to do with the muscle on the front of your tibia, like your tibialis not your calves. Foot injuries again not really related to having large calves. He's not saying your calf doesn't need to be strong but he's saying they don't need to carry a lot of muscle, this is because the Achilles tendon does most the work in sprinting.

[@greatpyrenees559]

Some peoples bodies are literally built for speed… I did high jump in college and would pound tf out of my legs in the weight room my calves would not grow for sht but my thighs got big af

[@vincentlaw9006]

Most NBA players literally have small calves and yet so athletic. Heck even Michael Jordan himself don't have particularly large calves and everybody knows how high he can jump

[@nothim-xt3ey]

Big calves are strong calves are different

[@devdoesit]

You forgot to take into account the entire Knee joint. The Kinetic chain changes when adding that motion

[@baileystark7629]

Dude Usain Bolt had fairly large calves. The runners you showed had fairly large calves. They just have no fat.

[@festekiz]

Short distance runners has bigger calves, unlikely long distance runners has slightly smaller calf muscles

[@dlouise64]

@@festekiz mm not sure about that 😅 I have decent size calves and I am better for long distance running, Im pretty slow short distance haha

[@cloudmaster3235]

Johnny Bones Jones has entered the chat. Mans the best Pound for Pound MMA fighter on the planet with small calves. He's the GOAT.

[@AssholeTingler69]

Even if he trained them they would still be chicken legs lol

[@AthelstansSuccessor]

He's a known ped cheater

[@AbdullahHashi-kw3qj]

​@@AthelstansSuccessorall pro athletes use PEDs

[@stormtrooper8420]

Smaller brains too

[@konaclan3033]

Mike Tyson has small calves compared to his thighs as well as his forearm to arm ratio. One of the most explosive dangerous boxers who ever lived.

[@Difnekkdkkw]

But in general Tyson had above average calve size.They were huge…

[@marshallwayne-uf4pq]

​@@Difnekkdkkw Mike's Claves is high insertion

[@AbdullahHashi-kw3qj]

David tua who had giant calves would beat his ass any day Hence why tyson ducked tua

[@mathewstovell5167]

Tysons's calves are huge. They are 18 inches in circumferance - so WTF are you talking about? You're talking about how the lower part of his lower legs are not big. That's becuase he has high insertion points.

[@JG-ge3ui]

@@AbdullahHashi-kw3qj what... tyson was superior in every single aspect of boxing at the time. he was a superior athlete and beat far bigger opponents. wasnt tuas coach literally a brick layer?

[@Dikcheese64]

So hypothetically in a race the person with smaller calves would be ahead in the beginning but the person with bigger calves would be able to catch up in the race. Correct?

[@hectormartinez9330]

Depending how long the race is

[@Dikcheese64]

@@hectormartinez9330 lets say 500 meters

[@mathewstovell5167]

No. Absolutely incorrect. Bigger calves would be a hinderance to top end speed and stamina.

[@wan2shuffle]

Ok so how do I shrink my massive calves?

[@Blackout-jw1iy]

I just have small calves with really defined muscles, but I just wish they were proportional to the rest of my body

[@ashchristie1756]

So run away if you have skinny calves or stand your ground if you have big calves?

[@CreeperKiller420]

Funny

[@mattnunes3893]

You could also think about this in terms of torque. Torque is the ability of a force to rotate an object. The larger the distance you want to rotate the object about a pivot point, the larger the force is needed. (literally, this is written as torque=rFsin(theta), where theta is the angle of the force applied). Sorry for the physics lesson, carry on.

[@DylanWhalley2]

I have big calves and thighs and I still run. And move quickly. Explain??

[@liliski1242]

Are you shorter than 165cm? Its like that chinese sprinter who is fast

[@jasonphan2001]

What do you consider quick? What are your times?

[@poglimpo]

@@jasonphan2001 I have massive calves, and can run 100m in 9.97 seconds

[@jasonphan2001]

@@poglimpo FAT timing or hand timed? If you did it in high school, lets see you milesplit profile. And see ur calves

[@hakunamatata-w3873]

@@poglimpo doubt it

[@tompratt2649]

Hey! So I have naturally quite thick calves compared to the rest of my legs. I’m looking to become a much better and efficient runner. Is there a way to slim down a calf muscle, because I literally don’t do anything other than hiking or running and they stay the same size. Is that a genetic thing or can I over time make the muscle mass smaller on them?

[@MiguelLopez-wh6nw]

Scientific evidence shows having big calves makes you a good dad. That’s why women are attractive to men with big calves. I made this up by the way so don’t attack me lol

[@mr.e8432]

At 50+ years old, I don’t really care about athletic performance. I’ll keep training calves.

[@julianphillips2100]

So besides for bodybuilding, what are big calves helpful with?

[@julietbihary9811]

Nothing, it sucks tbh. All this muscle and it acts more like dead weight than anything. But I can push a bus! Not sure if thats important for anything

[@julianphillips2100]

@@julietbihary9811 Pushing a bus seems like a pretty big deal to me.

[@julietbihary9811]

​@@julianphillips2100it helped as a tow truck driver but useless otherwise

[@sabaffira]

I guess top sprinters will also have very stiff calves, ankles and feet. Stiff running shoes help too.

[@Jonathan-ek7ky]

Does ankle size matter

[@man0ri329]

this sounds like some insane small calve syndrome

[@PRINCESSCASAR]

I have big calves because I walk every day, in order for me to have small calves is to stop walking. I run fast more than my peers.

[@doelie2472]

military grade copium for small calves

[@mc80466]

Maybe olympic sprinters have other biomechanical features that go with medium sized calves that help them. But growing up generally the most explosive athletes for starting/stopping in every direction have stronger calves. The RB on the football team, the crazy fast soccer or tennis player, etc. all have huge calves.

[@PiethagorasTearem]

So youre saying training calves will make me slower?

[@silveriver9]

The greater the mass, the slower you become.

[@normapadro420]

Hello. I learned something new. I was always concern about them, but I'm leaving them alone now. I can feel the difference already. Thank you for the information.

[@yoelmorales208]

So the idea is to train the calves for strength and the quads for growth ?

[@nickfleming3719]

Has nothing to do with size, everything to do with fiber composition and tendon strength. People who have played sports all their lives know that the guys on the field with the freakiest calves are beasts

[@alexc7857]

Calf size is irrelevant stop coping

[@MexicanCrusader]

Stop training calves, got it.

[@Lowridersdoggs]

You didn’t pay attention

[@thunkjunk]

Have you not looked at the most graceful and athletic people? Ballerinas have muscular calves.

[@melbournaut]

As a dude with big calves I can attest to this but fk I can kick hard

[@AthelstansSuccessor]

It's like a guy with skinny ass legs maybe able to run faster than mirko cro cop but they damn well dont kick harder lol

[@Chun12015]

It’s usually the hamstrings. Usain Bolt runs extremely fast because of it. My calves are 21.3 inches they’re much larger than my brother who’s a lot skinner than me. And I always run faster than him. I don’t think it’s really the calves but mostly the higher part of the legs.

[@affren3148]

Thats anecdotal experience,not a scientific research

[@sterlingsamson9104]

21.3 inches each?? That’s pro bodybuilder status…

[@mathewstovell5167]

@@sterlingsamson9104 She must mean centimeters.

[@LateNightChess]

Moron

[@edboss36]

Anyone with ancestors who focused on active work to live (such as farming) and had a healthy diet tends to have smaller calves

[@KellyBundy097]

@Chaoooo lol

[@DRJoe100]

Not true 😂… This is coming from a multi generational farming family

[@edboss36]

@@DRJoe100 think about it

[@saqeralthawara2342]

People who lived in savanna’s and deserts have small calves , people who lived in the mountains have big calves.

[@genehur3063]

rip I have big calves and short achilles

[@daysgo5514]

i have the opposite, makes sense why im very fast and explosive. but they are small, 13 inch in diameter which kinda sucks didnt realise they were extremely tiny just thought their small

[@uzoegbeogu9617]

I now see why Ryan Crousser always outperforms Joe Kovacs😮

[@MichaelHernandez-mv7on]

Wow this is true I have big calves and never been a fast runner. My friend Ben has big calves and is fast though... I don't understand that

[@TheHemric]

What are carves good for then? In which sport?

[@clintwestwood3539]

Any sports that require you to have great rotational strength that comes from the feet (striking sports like boxing, grappling sports like judo, or other sports like tennis for example, look at Rafael Nadal calves or Serena Williams calves). Also biking, American football/rugby, strongman, weightlifting et cetera. Saying that small calves are an advantage in general is just coping. Big calves are a necessity in so many disciplines for various reasons.

[@hassanishfaq25]

Tennis

[@Bumiround]

Badminton and basketball

[@av5483]

@@clintwestwood3539 have you seen jon jones' calves

[@plazmamasta193]

@@clintwestwood3539 it depends because if you have muscular calves big aren’t big in size you can have a lot of strength in them than just have big calves, but mainly people that have huge calves are very heavy or overweight, or just very good genetics and sprint most of their lives or hiked a bunch my calves are pretty built not huge by any means, but it trained them indirectly by running/sprinting ( I don’t count my power lifting) and jump roping and what I mean by indirectly is that I wasn’t too focus on hitting them directly just my workout routines involved them for boxing

[@eniocastillo9622]

Small calves mean bigger tendons. It's simple. Tendons are superior to muscle

[@familyyoutube]

Exhibit A: John Jones

[@surplusstock8778]

Doesn't actually, this is total bs.Once their not way over developed.loads of sprinters have big calves

[@victoryvincent-i3d]

This is typical Adama traore

[@aqeelshahul9176]

Was on board until i realized usian bolt had long and larger than normal calves

[@zipppp3781]

Usually bodybuilders appear to have big calves because of their low calf insertions, but look at Bolt's. His are higher, which make his calves look smaller but also resulting in a longer tendon, and the tendon is 10x more important to athletics than the calf.

[@auderesemper2054]

what is the point of this video...

[@clintwestwood3539]

It’s coping because someone in the gym told him he has small calves probably. When people start comparing human body morphology and physiology to other animals, usually is just about that.

[@alijahjoy3118]

​@@clintwestwood3539 no it because small calves have a longer Achilles tendons which helps with running and jumping higher which why most black people have small calfs especially people from West Africa which is why they are mainly in running sports such as track basket ball etc so that why black people mainly dominate those sports

[@MrBepis-qx5ye]

@@alijahjoy3118 yeah science!

[@alijahjoy3118]

@@MrBepis-qx5ye yea science

[@plazmamasta193]

@@alijahjoy3118 it’s the same thing with the biceps genetics of some people have higher peaks and shorter heads and some lower peaks and longer heads

[@athmikdev5187]

I have big calves for a 14 yearold old i am a soccer player is there anyway to make my calves smaller so I can run faster

[@athmikdev5187]

@@bjplays9449 but wont that make my calves bigger ??

[@athmikdev5187]

@God bless thansk broo

[@tripkikker1990]

I im a short person (1.67cm)my legs are not trained I have massive muscled legs and insane calves. I have never Been outrunned by someone, and I was a shortstop in baseball in my youth. And they where scouting my for my agility😂so this video make no sense for me at all.

[@loveydovey4u]

Smaller calves equal higher risk of heart attack and or stroke. Calves act as a second heart

[@asprinklingofclouds]

Disagree, most overweight people have larger calves and are at much greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

[@loveydovey4u]

@@asprinklingofclouds well I'm talking about thin people in particular

[@angelm3853]

Source?

[@loveydovey4u]

@@angelm3853 do a Google search....

[@loveydovey4u]

@@angelm3853 type in "Smaller calves, shorter life" in Google search

[@Tera5]

This is why Leon Edwards is the most aesthetic man ever

[@grilledcheese9297]

COPEIUM

[@baamonster2]

Soccer players have huge calves.

[@annebertsolispineda9186]

This is realll. 1,000%

[@DavidGarcia-fp5hg]

I just wanna say as a dude with huge muscular calf’s (and I really don’t work out much I’m just Mexican) whatever this video says is false ….. it’s like comparing a 3 inch dingalang to a 10 inch one 😂 cmon be real bro….

[@AthelstansSuccessor]

I can see how big calves wont be an advantage in sprinting but its absolutely an advantage in heavy lifting and can translate to power even though alot af boxers dont have the biggest legs while many kickboxers do.

[@LateNightChess]

Big cslves always translate to less athleticism. Strenght and size are not equivalents

[@AJReyes7039]

​@@LateNightChessdude I agree, I have a friend who lifts weights, he always trains his legs and upper body. he has bigger calves than me, way bigger than mine, and yet he always ask how tf am I able to outrun him in a race, and he always implies he always works his legs harder to be able to run faster.😂

[@LateNightChess]

@@AJReyes7039 first of all, hypetrophy training hinders athleticism, secondly, big calves genetically are a disadvantage in terms of agility.

[@skycastoasis2445]

Massive cope

[@greenearth9945]

I have small calves but normal build thighs. When I go to muay thai class I get a lot that my kicks are very powerful and I dont know if its a result of better technique and rotation when I kick or the build of my legs

[@bailjr]

Jon Jones is a great example of what you’re describing. He’s the best pound for pound MMA fighter and he’s known as a ferocious kicker. He has tiny calves!

[@madeonearth6506]

So apparently I’m the only one who is doing everything possible to not unintentionally get popeye calves from working out. I just skip calves when I work out on purpose

[@willtsaivlogs8504]

Super fast ! 🏎🏎🏎

[@aeris4393]

Yo this gotta be a joke

[@izzyrodmon4249]

Yea but they don’t,look good. Just like big calves don’t look good either, perfect body is not big or smal.

[@rodulfo9999]

I'll choose aesthetic all day

[@Bentai_kawi.n1k]

Wut? Thats Cap 😅

[@BionicleGoji]

? It's true

[@clintwestwood3539]

That’s how small calves people cope for their shitty calves tbh. It’s like saying “I have small legs, but hey it’s actually better because that way it won’t impact my bench press” lol Instead of coping, train em harder

[@clintwestwood3539]

@Abdul Sabit Ariff function lol actual coping because you are too lazy to grow them correctly

[@gabec.6987]

@@clintwestwood3539 or maybe we prefer to run fast and develop different muscles for heavy lifting?

[@salty9231]

@@gabec.6987 you still need strong calves for heavy lifting tho. They are also a necessity for sports like tennis, soccer, football and ice hockey. But if u are primarly running track I guess I have no argument.

[@rustyscrew5776]

Probably should’ve focused on the evolutionary adv and disadv of small and big calves. But, you shouldn’t be this wound up though - it’s odd.

[@alijahjoy3118]

​@@clintwestwood3539 or we train for athletics not asteics

[@arandompieceoffruit4017]

Cope

[@yagottapaythetrolltoll3127]

but they look stupid lol like that's definitely the main concern, not whether they are functional

[@DEIsarahpalin]

Ok Piano Legs

[@juliadegroot]

💯💯💯

[@DempnaCocoy]

pusli

[@The_Comment_Dude]

Big calves help you pump your blood better

[@theonewhoknocks3181]

Heh nice

[@Ryan-tn2rl]

@mario rios

[@blastermaster5039]

Cope