idiot calf raises

more calf raises. do another 5 sets of 25 at 30 lbs. i shit you not.

any non-trolling advice would be greatly appreciated!

You probably have a calf strain. Shut down and don't tear your calf.

idiot wrote:

hey letsrun, I got a problem here. Monday, at the gym, I did 5 sets of 25 weighted calf raises at 60 lbs, hadn't done them in a while. yesterday, I wake up and calves are EXTREMELY tight, like, painful to walk. I don't run. today I wake up, calves pretty much just as tight, I try to run and only make it a quarter mile - keep in mind, I don't ever remember cutting a run short. I think I was compensating for my calf tightness with my stride, because my feet and ankles hurt as well. What can I do to rid myself of this insane tightness? It hurts just walking around, let alone the fact that I can't run.

I highlighted your problem. Maybe don't use weights?

i am not trolling you. same thing happened to me the first day i did a massive pullup/pushup workout after a long layoff. next day i could not move. did a bunch of slow, low intensity pushups (knees down) and pullups (supporting my weight on a stool). you did some major microdamage to your calves, they are swollen with increased blood flow and injured muscle fiber. you need to move those muscles as much as you can to slowly restore them to a normal state.

I would NOT stretch them today, maybe not even tomorrow. Then you can begin lightly stretching them. Within the first 24-48 hours if you stretch them you are just going to re-tear any muscle fibers that you have already damaged.

Very very light stretching may be ok now if they feel like they are cramping up on you, but definitely don't overdo it.

I tried a couple of these ideas, like very low intensity raises, had them massaged really vigorously, and didn't do any weight bearing exercises - swam in the pool for a while. problem is, about ten minutes after I do these things, they return to their tight, painful state. any more ideas?

bump! I've been massaging them pretty much all day and they are only incrementally better. I want to RUN tomorrow

It doesn't sound like an injury. Keep walking. Then use a foam roller. Grit your teeth because it will hurt.

Wait 48-72 hours. Heat and ice probably wouldn't hurt either

idiot wrote:

hey letsrun, I got a problem here. Monday, at the gym, I did 5 sets of 25 weighted calf raises at 60 lbs, hadn't done them in a while. yesterday, I wake up and calves are EXTREMELY tight, like, painful to walk. I don't run. today I wake up, calves pretty much just as tight, I try to run and only make it a quarter mile - keep in mind, I don't ever remember cutting a run short. I think I was compensating for my calf tightness with my stride, because my feet and ankles hurt as well. What can I do to rid myself of this insane tightness? It hurts just walking around, let alone the fact that I can't run.

Just don't run until the soreness goes away. It'll take a few days.

Chalk it up to lesson learned.

Sounds like pretty typical microfiber tear(s). You are putting your muscles through a type of strain that they aren't getting, and then isolating a particular group and working them more than you can handle. I would always get the same thing if I went too long without wearing spikes, and then tried some fast 200s. Minimalism has made my legs so jacked, now, I don't have those problems. Heat, elevation, ibuprofen, take it easy for a couple days, and don't do anything like messing up your form to compensate for the pain. Injuries make other injuries, if you are not careful. I think massages won't help, might even make it worse.

idiot wrote:

hey letsrun, I got a problem here. Monday, at the gym, I did 5 sets of 25 weighted calf raises at 60 lbs, hadn't done them in a while...

As you have correctly surmised, it's called being an idiot and overdoing something. We've all been there. Only slightly less idiotic is not understanding that the only cure is giving the destroyed muscle tissue of your calves time to heal. There is no magic wand. Ice and ibuprofen will help, but it takes time undo the damage you inflicted. Pretty simple. My guess is you might be able to run without too much discomfort by Saturday.

OP, something similar has happened to me before. One time I decided to wear flats in a race without having worn flats for months and using a full trainer shoe every day. The day after the race my calves were so fu%^ed I could barely walk, much less run. I just ran slow but it took literally a week before the pain went away. I still could feel it nearly two weeks after. Did the same thing with some squats one time. It will go away but it will take awhile.

You want to increase blood flow to the muscle without any further damage. Light biking, walking, "the stick", etc.

Heating before exercise and icing afterwards might help too.

Sorry, but there is no quick fix.

R.I.C.E

Rest, or light activity

Ice

Compression (got any compressionsleeves or socks?)

Elevation (above the heart)

Light activity can be walking, or really light jogging. Don't retress them though.

Might also try a contrast bath/shower. Fill a bucket or container with ice water, and your tub with warm/hot water. Spend 5 or so minutes in one, then switch to the other. Make at least 2 round trips. Do this a few times a day if you have time.

The stick might also be worth a try. But don't go really hard. I also wouldn't get vigorous massages. Light stick, or light massage at this point.