The Insanity Workout series devised by personal trainer Shaun T, available for home use on DVD, is not for sissies or novices. This extremely strenuous six-day-a-week workout may be great if you're already in shape, but it's not for beginners. Even if you're already in shape, this type of training can cause injuries. If you experience calf pain while doing this workout, stop immediately and see your doctor. Ask your doctor before starting a program of this intensity.
Potential Causes
The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles make up the calf, the back of the lower part of the leg. Several factors can contribute to calf strain. Not warming up before you start the Insanity Workout and working your muscles to the point of fatigue increase your chances of muscle injury. It takes time to build up muscle strength when undertaking a strenuous workout; pushing untrained muscles increases the risk of injury.
Severity
A grade 1 tear, which involves around 10 percent of the muscle fibers, according to Sports Injury Clinic, causes aching pain for two to five days after the injury. A grade 2 injury, which involves up to 90 percent of the muscle fibers, causes pain when walking and may take up to one to two months to resolve, depending on the tear. A grade 3 tear, which involves more than 90 percent of the muscle fibers, causes severe pain, extreme difficulty walking and bruising and swelling. You may see the muscle bunched up at the top of the calf if it's ruptured completely. A grade 3 tear might take up to three months or more to resolve.
Treatment
If you have a grade 2 or grade 3 tear in the calf muscle, pack up the Insanity Workout DVDs; you won't be using them for a while, at least until the tear heals. Even then, you need to progress slowly, below the intensity of the Insanity Workout routine. For the first few days after an acute calf injury, rest, ice the sore area for 15 to 20 minutes four times a day, wrap a compression bandage around the area and elevate the leg above your heart for the first 24 hours to prevent swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen also prevent swelling.
Prevention
Before starting a strenuous workout like the Insanity Workout, assess your current physical abilities. If you're not well-conditioned, do just part of the DVD on each day until you build up your tolerance. When your calf muscles tire, stop exercising. Always warm up your muscles before starting to exercise. Fatigue, cold and increased stress all contribute to the risk of a calf tear. Follow your doctor's instructions on if and when to restart the Insanity Workout program.
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