# Calf muscle strain after snowboarding, trying to find culprit



## Guest (Jan 6, 2008)

First year snowboarding, it seems usually after each of my snowboarding sessions I have a back calf muscle strain and can feel it for days and days after. Its on my right leg I ride regular. My only thoughts is it could be my boots? I wear an 11.5 and its pretty tight (my regular shoe size is 12) also my foot muscles burn really bad after each of my runs mostly on my front foot (left leg). Any help to resolve this would be awesome thanks.


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

Well, the first thing is that you are using muscles in different ways than you normally do. So, it might be soreness from your body getting getting a "work out." The next issue would be your technique. Properlyy fitting boots, and the correct stance, won't fix sore muscled if you are riding incorrectlly. That, I can not comment on w/o seeing how you ride. if your boots are too small, the most I think it would do is hamper circulation in your feet; not make your calves, and front leg sore. Since this is your firstr year, you might want to consider taking (another) lesson and have someone with more skill comment on your form. My guess is that the source of the strain is coming from that.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2008)

I appreciate the responce, good to see another bostonian here in these forums , Unfourtanly I cannot provide a picture of my setup/stance but i'll describe the best I can. Im 6'1 160 lbs and 11.5 boot, my boards a ride fleetwood 155. I recently switched my stance to a wider stance (One "Notch" over) and found that to be exetremly better for the park,jumps, and somewhat control BUT that is when the soreness and muscle burning started to increase.


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

bicboard2008 said:


> I recently switched my stance to a wider stance (One "Notch" over) and found that to be exetremly better for the park,jumps, and somewhat control BUT that is when the soreness and muscle burning started to increase.


Well, looks like you found the reason. Your body isn't meant to stand in a really wide stance, for extended periods of time. Chances are, your just not "conditioned" for it yet. 

And since your a local, where do you ride most often?


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2008)

Loon mountain, and sunapee for the most part


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

bicboard2008 said:


> Loon mountain, and sunapee for the most part



I have a season pass to Wachusette. It's small(ish), but has a decent terrain park, and is only a 50 min drive from Boston. Hence, I get to ride A LOT!


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## Mr. Right (Sep 27, 2007)

Start stretching every morning when you wake up and when you go to bed. Also if you are new to riding it's something you'll just have to get used to. I've got 52 days so far this year and sometimes if I get stuck on a couple good catwalks my calves will still hurt from holding a toe edge etc.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2008)

i noticed if ypur binding's high back is set forward or in an agressive stance it wears down the calf...could also be cause your not used to using your legs like that


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2008)

bicboard, are you able to link turns? are you stuck on your heelside edge more so than the toe edge? i remember when i was learning and going down the mountian like a feather(shhhhh) i got some nasty leg burn..


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

Mr. Right said:


> I've got 52 days so far this year...


 

Show off!


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

i do not think it is a matter of set up or conditioning, just behaviour.

you must stretch before and after.

this kinda thing to warm up (the pressure being pushed thru the rear heel)










and then to cool down, hold this position for over 30 to 60 seconds 
(this long coz the achilles and calf muscles take ages to actually, genuinely relaaaax)










at least this always works for me, and i'm an old fart!


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2008)

Also you could do some workouts on the off days. Lift the front of the foot so you're on the heel and the ball of your foot and toes are raised(while standing) go back down and repeat, that should work the muscles around your shin. Now as to working the calves Push down the the ball of the foot and toes to raise up you and your heel, and then go back down with the foot, this uses the calf muscle. Pretty much do your turn without the board under you, repeatedly. Or run, a lot, it uses all the leg muscles.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2008)

thanks alot for the great advice guys, im going to really focus on stretching before I take a run and also its probably me just getting adjusted to using that kind of muscle in my leg. Its like bench pressing when you haven't in months and it feels really strained the next few days. Thats exactly what it feels like, its just odd that i've gone 12 times this year and its just REALLY starting to increase.. it also could be because of the recent stance/angle changes.

Also for the person who asked if I link turns correctly, from what my friends have told me who have been snowboarding for years (Im self taught.. i didnt take a lesson) im carving correctly and really good its just the park/jumps I need work on.


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## romesaz (Nov 21, 2007)

I've discovered this past saturday that for me the culprit was a 1/2 size too large boot. I had suspected this after I had bought them, as it seemed they had padded out a bit.
And before everyone starts telling me that I should have read this or that... I was new and when I had tried them on, my toes touched the end of the shoe, and had I bought 1/2 size smaller, my toes would have been curled. 

Anyways, me tightening the bindings (Flows, so I hadn't changed the settings after I've adjusted them at home) and tightening the boots, had produced too much pressure on the calf, and exposed some pressure points.
That can also be something to consider in your case.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

don't be so tuff on yerself romesaz... i have an alternative hypothesis regarding the cause of your pain.....



> ....the bindings (Flows....


such a vile 4 lettered word!


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## romesaz (Nov 21, 2007)

Paolo, you're always so bitter towards Flows! Bad breakup? 

I'm happy with the bindings.
I've a friend, that has been boarding for some time, that tried the bindings AND boots. Bindings he was really pleased with, however, he has a larger foot than me and found the boots roomy. (Unfortunate really that he wouldn't trade boots with me).

Though I appreciate the concern


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

little thread jackin here but paolo what is it you dont like about flows?


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Another hypothesis: Lots of new riders tend to use their small muscles of the toes and foot to maintain a toeside edge (standing on tippy toes) and as result contracts the calf muscles...outcome...calves are burnt.

Solution...a combination of several things: First, use the design of your boot...snug down the inner harness above the ankle, have the cuff area of the boot shell cinched. Second, snug the ankle strap (may need to adjust the strap higher) so the binding/boot contact has a higher leverage point. And third, in general whenever possible you want to use the bigger muscles and larger bone structure to ride more efficiently. Thus by bending your leading knee toward the center of your turn, you are using the larger muscles and bones of your thigh and lower leg instead of your toes and calves to maintain a toe edge. Use the larger leverage to hold long carves and use your toes/calves for quick and subtle adjustments...thus when riding toeside..."bend yo knees and pray" or "drive your knees" and you will be using the larger thigh muscles instead of only contracting the calf muscles...actually will be stretching the lower calf. If you visualize the leveraging path of pressuring your edges to binding to boot to leg in a "L shape" and then observe how this interacts with your bone and muscle structures it will make sense. Another way to think of it, is that you pressure your edges or steer with how you move your leading knee...to pressure heelside you swing your leading knee forward and straighten it a bit, but not a straight knee and you might need to adjust the forward lean on the binding.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

Nikolai said:


> little thread jackin here but paolo what is it you dont like about flows?


i'm just ball slapping. altho i have had limited experience with the flow binder system i cannot say i liked them very much.


but also personal mistrust prevents me from forking out hard earned cash for them to try them over any prolonged period of time.

on the whole i do not hold any sincere or significant dislike for _flow _but i know that many can be passionate in their defence.....


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

wrathfuldeity said:


> Another hypothesis: Lots of new riders tend to use their small muscles of the toes and foot to maintain a toeside edge (standing on tippy toes) and as result contracts the calf muscles...outcome...calves are burnt.


tis a half decent hypothesis. one way i have found to combat it, is to adopt what i call the_ slouch stance _when traversing on the toes. 

basically i relax from the hips down so that my shins basically take my body weight into the front and top of the boot... kinda as if i were perched on a bar stool. 

to counter balance this you kinda arch you back backwards a little which might risk over-flexion and therefore a lower back strain if you suffer a sudden compression (ie hit a dip).... but with eyes peeled it can be a safe and efficient enrgy conserver!


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

Hey sedition,

I was just up at Wachusett yesterday...conditions weren't great but weather was beautiful. I'm a newbie, so just learning on the family trails right now, but getting better and better every time out. Next up...ralph's run, haha.

And to the original poster, you may want to also lean your foot against a wall and try to extend it towards your body as much as possible before you strap into your boots. That'll keep it from straining, but if you feel soreness, you may want to do calf raises throughout the day just to condition your muscles. Lean your whole body weight on one leg and try to balance yourself (if not hold on to something) and raise yourself on your toes slowly. Do sets of about 10-15 and hold for about 10 seconds when you're done. If you do this 3 times a day for about a week than you should feel less pain in your calves.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

i do these stair lunge things, take 2-3 steps at a time, alternate legs, with the forward leg, finish off the step on the ball of the foot, just balancing on that foot and do a calf rise. really helps with balance and strenght


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