Help with Recurring Calf Strains/tears
Doc Morris,
Could you offer some advice on overcoming recurring calf tears? I'm sold on barbell training as my primary focus, but I still have to do some amount of running for APFTs (and soon the ACFT). When I resume running I typically get DOMS and tightness in both calves, and have been prone to mild to moderate tears in my right calf. These typically occur with a wet pop when the ball of my foot strikes the ground, as the muscle is working eccentrically to absorb the load. Consultations with Dr. Google indicate it is the medial gastroc where I get the strains/tears, and they seem to reoccur in the same spot each time I pick up the running volume. I'm trying to apply the overall principle of progressively loading the muscle, but could use some help with the details.
1. Exercise selection and loading: Squats and deadlifts don't bother the injured calf, so I assume they are not working it in the range of motion where i have a problems. So far i have been using standing calf raise off of a step to increase the range of motion, and these definitely feel like they hit the injured fibers. Are there any other strengthening exercises you would recommend? On several running-focused sites i have seen recommendations to emphasize the eccentric, since running injuries typically happen during the eccentric phase of calf contraction. Example: performing the concentric phase of a calf raise bilaterally, but the eccentric phase unilaterally on the injured side only. Do you think there is any merit to this approach? Are there any set or rep ranges you find particularly effective?
2. Transitioning back to running: This is usually where I run into trouble, pushing the volume and intensity of running too fast. Besides hard-headedness, I think part of the problem is that walking doesn't load the calf in the same way as running; I have a heel-toe walking stride but a forefoot strike when running. The calf isn't really getting that eccentric, shock absorbing loading until I break into a run, and then the stimulus outpaces the rate of adaptation. I'm considering jumping rope as an intermediate way to load the calf. My theory is that this will load it in a similar way to running, but spread the load over both the injured and uninjured leg each step, lessening the load. Since I'm not very good at jumping rope, it will also curb my tendency to overdue intensity or volume. Can you give me an azimuth check on this plan?
3: Stretching/"soft tissue work": I see these recommended quite a bit on running sites for calf strains, and am generally skeptical. However, I see that tight fascia in the calves and runners compartment syndrome is a real thing. Do you think there is any value in these modalities?
Thanks very much for your time.
Stats:
M, 42, 205
Recent meet PRs: Sqt 177kg, Pr: 86kg, BP: 110kg, DL: 207.5kg