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For many bodybuilders, calves represent a problematic muscle group. There are even professionals such as Dennis Wolf who are extremely large and yet their calves are small compared to those of a typical fat lady. The question here is why do most fat people have such big calves without even working out? Is the extra lard more powerful than hormones?

Higher Bodyweight = More Work For The Calves

When you are overweight, your whole body has to work harder than usual. That’s true for your heart, stomach…and even your calves. Obviously, the calves of a fat person are lifting heavier weights during common activities such as walking, climbing stairs and running compared to those of a featherweight human.

Fat People = Endomorphs = Big Bones = Bigger Calves

Many fat people have thick bones. And larger bones equal more muscle mass by default. A person with 6-inch wrists will naturally have a smaller arm compared to someone with 8-inch wrists. The same is true for the calves. When your ankles are thick, your calves will be bigger too.

Short Insertions = Longer Muscle Bellies = Bigger Calves

Unlike ectomorphs, most fat people have short tendons and longer muscle bellies. Of course, this is not always the case, but it is relatively common.

When you have short Achilles tendons and long calf bellies, your calf muscles have a higher potential for growth. Conversely, individuals with long Achilles tendons (sprinters) usually have short muscle bellies and smaller calf muscles with a slim hypertrophic future.

Mom said that I have to drink my milk!

When you’re fat, you are obviously fed with sufficient calories to grow. This is also one of the reasons why fat people tend to carry more muscle than your average skinny dude.

It’s not all muscle!

It’s true that many fat people have big calves, but once the extra weight is lost, the circumference of the muscle will drop significantly.

Not all fat people are built the same!

If a classic ectomorph (skinny wrists, lengthy bones, short muscle bellies) decides to get mega fat, he or she won’t look like a naturally born fatso. When ectomorphs get fat, most of the extra weight goes to the belly whereas the extremities remain skinny. The end result is the so-called skinny fat look. Diets such as GOMAD have created hundreds of examples.