A few years ago I ruptured my achillies tendon whilst playing football. I spent a long time in plaster and suffered complete Easters of my calf muscle. Recently I have started riding again but the muscle is very weak and only seems to have built up on the outside of my leg. This leads to me suffering a lot of cramp in my right leg as I think I over compensate for the weaker left on. I am trying to improve my peddaling technique but this makes the problem worse as with the lack of muscle my foot does not bend. Any help or suggestions would be welcome?
Build up calve muscle
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I'm no physio so don't take this for granted but do you wear clipless, spd, spd-sl, etc cycling with them you can also put some effort in the up stroke which I think will build your calf muscles. Good Luck 
Ticktockmy
Guru
- Location
- Crawley, West Sussex
If you living in a house with stairs, I would spend time walking up and down them, that will use most of you leg muscles, and try doing some walks, which will provide a painless way to build up good confirmity in your legs.
As you where under the Doctor with your leg problem, I would go back to him explain the problem, in some areas like mine, the doctors can issue a voucher to use the local gym or head you back to the local Physo to put the matter right.
As you where under the Doctor with your leg problem, I would go back to him explain the problem, in some areas like mine, the doctors can issue a voucher to use the local gym or head you back to the local Physo to put the matter right.
Ben M
Senior Member
- Location
- Chester/Oxford
To develop your calves, grab something heavy and keep standing up onto your tiptoes.
To make it harder you can put something under your toes so that your heels have a greater range of motion.
info with a "video" here:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gastrocnemius/DBStandingCalfRaise.html
I don't know why HLaB thinks that fitting clipless pedals will help, pulling up doesn't use your calves, your calves are used to point your toes, hence the exercise above.
Underdevelopment of your calves doesn't sound like the major problem though, your pedalling does. Some exercise bikes will tell you what power each of your legs is putting out, so I would suggest having a go on one of those.
To make it harder you can put something under your toes so that your heels have a greater range of motion.
info with a "video" here:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gastrocnemius/DBStandingCalfRaise.html
I don't know why HLaB thinks that fitting clipless pedals will help, pulling up doesn't use your calves, your calves are used to point your toes, hence the exercise above.
Underdevelopment of your calves doesn't sound like the major problem though, your pedalling does. Some exercise bikes will tell you what power each of your legs is putting out, so I would suggest having a go on one of those.
I am unable to raise myself up on my tiptoes on the bad leg. I do a lot of walking a few years ago I damaged my other leg and spent a long time in plaster, the calf muscle in that one came back, but this one seems to be different. Thanks for the advice so far keep it coming.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
As I say I'm no physio, when you pull up on the pedal it certainly pulls my calves whether its a good thing or not
carpiste
Guru
- Location
- Manchester
I had a similar problem after an op on my left knee.After surgery I wasn`t allowed to put any weight down on it for 8 weeks! and afterwards had to use sticks to assist in getting around. I lost muscle in both quads and calf, both were extremely weakened.
It took a long time to get back to some normality,particularly the quads. I walked a lot,did a bit of cycling (once I`d gained confidence to get back on a bike) and used the stairs in the house as an excercise tool.
The leg is more or less back at the same strength as the right one now.All I can say is keep working it,go through the pain,cramps as I did and most of all be patient
It took a long time to get back to some normality,particularly the quads. I walked a lot,did a bit of cycling (once I`d gained confidence to get back on a bike) and used the stairs in the house as an excercise tool.
The leg is more or less back at the same strength as the right one now.All I can say is keep working it,go through the pain,cramps as I did and most of all be patient
Ben M
Senior Member
- Location
- Chester/Oxford
If you can't stand on just that toe then just do it on both feet, concentrating on working as hard as you can with your bad leg. What you could also do is have something to hold on to and stand on both of your tiptoes, before taking away your good leg, and slowly lowering yourself on just your bad leg.
As I say I'm no physio, when you pull up on the pedal it certainly pulls my calves whether its a good thing or not
Your calf will go from contracted (toe pointed) at the bottom of a stroke to relaxed (toe perpendicular to shin bone) at the top of your stroke. Muscles can only "pull" (contract) they can't do any work by relaxing. The muscle used on the up stroke to pull your toe up is the tibialis anterior
Bill Gates
Guest
- Location
- West Sussex
Yep! Stand with both feet on the bottom stair on the balls of your feet then raise your heels and then lower so heels go below level of step and then raise and repeat. This will build up your calf muscles alright.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Ah right I get you now
I just refer to the whole area at the back of the tibia to be the calve probably a good job I dropped O'grade Biology, ironically 20 years ago it was my best subject 
