Oct 23 2011
need a little help
Shalom all,
I need your help and advise here. As I have been saying in my last few posts, I have continued to gain muscle in my lower left leg (the one I had surgery on). However, I feel like it has come to a point where I am no longer gaining muscle but just maintaining it. I am not happy with this idea because I can still see that my left calf is smaller then my right (half the size). I just don’t know how to work the calf to make it work harder so to gain muscle. What are you ideas? I really need some tips. I can do lifts with the left leg, but can’t get on my tip toes without help from my right leg.
I just need some advise. I guess the fear is that I will always be building the right leg while the left leg stays behind all the time. Or, is it simply that muscle growth is so slow - I just can’t see it until it really grows to a noticeable difference?
Would biking or running be better, or are the same in terms of the calf?
Thanks for your help
G-d Bless!
3 responses so far
I think you need you need to start thinking and acting like a bodybuilder. Those guys are all about building muscle mass. Weights. Bodybuilders have different approaches to building calves - it’s a little different than other muscles because it is *always* working, and very dense. But, I’d start reading up on, experimenting with, and figuring out what works best for you.
Personally, I would mix up lighter (high rep) days, and heavier (lower rep) days. Get sufficient rest and recovery (don’t over-train!), and tailor your diet to maximize muscle building.
For injury rehab, I’d work the two calves independently - but the same. I’d work the weaker side first, and then do the same weight/reps on the strong side (even if it’s easy). I would *always* do exercises through the full range of motion- being sure to pick weights which allowed that.
If you’re at week 42, then you should not be limited by the tendon- it should be fully healed by now. Find a hard core gym, and start making friends with some muscleheads
A very good exercise my PT had me doing (based on some good study results) was to stand on a step and do a two footed heel raise, then take the good foot away and do a slow, controled lower on the weak leg. Do this every day, a few sets a day working your way up in the # of reps per set. Here is a link to some info. the exercise strengthens the tendon. It is an eccentric muscle contraction…
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/qt/Achilles-Strengthening.htm
Happy “Heel”ing!
See my post in response to the thread on fatness of tendon. Agree u need to go low reps high weight. The eccentric (lowering) movement has also been shown to be more effective than the raise so focus on that. Hope this helps.