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Left calf bigger than right (Read 220 times)

goandrun


    I've been running for over a year now and have grown to absolutely love something I hated with a passion during junior high and high school. Looking back, it would have been nice to have had the patience to start running earlier to build endurance and strength especially while playing team sports. Starting off with 1 mile and lungs almost bursting, I've gradually gone up to 2, 3,4,6, and now 8 miles. Luckily, no injuries so far. I've realized that diet has almost a direct impact on my runs so eliminating crap is pretty important. Running equals less flab, less stress, happiness, and restful sleep during the nights.

     

    My left calf is more than slightly larger than my right. Is there anything I can do to make the right leg put in an equal share of work? Could it be a matter of just consciously picking up the right leg a little higher than my left? I don't know if running hilly courses may be a factor so I have tried to alternate running on flatter ones.

      Stand with only your right leg when doing your cool down.

      Get off my porch

        My leg won't stop mooing.

         

        i think i've got a calf injury.

        xhristopher


          Just run on the other side of the road.

           

          This kid has a similar problem.

           

            Most people are that way--some more prominent than others.  If I sit down with my legs straight out in front, you can quite easily tell that my left calf is bigger than my right.  I used to do triple jump and I did lots of jumping exercises and, naturally, my left leg is the "kicking" leg.

             

            One leg, or calf, being bigger than the other shouldn't matter too much--like I said, most people are that way; but one leg considerably stronger than the other could lead to injury problem.  It's either the stronger leg gets injured more often because it's doing more work (in my case) or the weaker leg gets injured because it's weaker and can't handle the work load.  Well, some of you may say "Duh!" but it's actually not that simple.  Even if the stronger leg is much stronger, if the weaker leg is also strong enough (in other words, the case of "strong vs. stronger" instead of "weaker vs. strong"), then chances are your injury history would look more like the former.

             

            Unfortunately, the only way you can balance it is, as someone else said it rather jokingly, you DO have to strengthen your weaker leg.  I had it under control for a very long time--I would always consciously try to use my right leg (weaker leg) going up the stairs because, if it's odd number in the end, my right leg would take ONE STEP more.  Very small matter--but it adds up.  Things were going okay until I hurt my right Achilles tendon most probably due to the reason I've already mentioned; and I was doing eccentric exercises on my right leg...perhaps too much.  Now my Achilles is fine but I could feel that my left leg was considerably stronger yet again.  I guess I didn't do enough homework and then I developed a bad case of sciatica on my right leg (or by right butt) which took me 5 months to get over...  Now I can still feel my left leg considerably stronger than my right (I remember at one time way back when Frank Shorter said something about he "feels (he) has 2:10 right leg and 2:18 left leg (or something like that)..."  He ran Honolulu marathon and did 2:18.  I kinda feel that way--I have 20-minute left leg and 23-minute right leg (at least so it feels).  If I run a 5k, I probably end up running 23-minutes...  So I've been doing extra strengthening exercises (one-leg squat, heel-raiser, et.) on my right leg to focus on making it stronger.  That's probably pretty much all you can do.

             

            But, again, like I said; most people are that way.  If you ever have a chance to watch 1992 Olympic 5000m final, Kenya's Yobes Ondieki, then the world record holder in 10000m, was in it and that was (to my recollection) the first time they had the aerial vision, directly from above, with a remote-controlled camera.  So you are literally watching these runners running from right above.  You can see the bottom of his one foot (I think it was his left) but you can't see the bottom of his right foot.  This sort of indicates that his right leg was stronger than left, kicking harder on his right side.  Most people are that way--not just you...or me.

            I've been running for over a year now and have grown to absolutely love something I hated with a passion during junior high and high school. Looking back, it would have been nice to have had the patience to start running earlier to build endurance and strength especially while playing team sports. Starting off with 1 mile and lungs almost bursting, I've gradually gone up to 2, 3,4,6, and now 8 miles. Luckily, no injuries so far. I've realized that diet has almost a direct impact on my runs so eliminating crap is pretty important. Running equals less flab, less stress, happiness, and restful sleep during the nights.

             

            My left calf is more than slightly larger than my right. Is there anything I can do to make the right leg put in an equal share of work? Could it be a matter of just consciously picking up the right leg a little higher than my left? I don't know if running hilly courses may be a factor so I have tried to alternate running on flatter ones.

               

               

               

                How much is "more than slightly"? Please take a tape measure to those bad boys (or girls) and let us know the circumference of each. If you want the internet to make an accurate diagnosis, you'll have to provide the internet with more data.

                Runners run

                  Just run on the other side of the road.

                   

                  This kid has a similar problem.

                   

                   

                  Wow. How does he find the time to play soccer?

                  When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?


                  Walk-Jogger

                    I have a buddy who has been a Chinook heavy-lift helicopter pilot for the past 20+ years, and his arms are un-even just like this.

                     

                    Just run on the other side of the road.

                     

                    This kid has a similar problem.

                     

                    Retired &  Loving It

                      How much is "more than slightly"? Please take a tape measure to those bad boys (or girls) and let us know the circumference of each. If you want the internet to make an accurate diagnosis, you'll have to provide the internet with more data.

                       

                      +1

                       

                      Also, a photo would be helpful to get a visual of the imbalance. I'd recommend wearing dress shoes as opposed to running shoes for the picture since the cushioning in your running shoes may inadvertently mask your deformity.

                       

                       


                      #artbydmcbride

                        Where is Ternt??

                         

                        Runners run

                        LedLincoln


                        not bad for mile 25

                          I have a buddy who has been a Chinook heavy-lift helicopter pilot for the past 20+ years, and his arms are un-even just like this.

                           

                           

                          He's a Chinook helicopter lifter?  Why doesn't he use both arms?

                            1. Tape a roll of quarters to your smaller calf.

                             

                            2. Never take advice from anyone who puts an umlaut in his name because he thinks it "looks metal."

                            FTYC


                            Faster Than Your Couch!

                              You might have your back checked out for some neurological problem.

                               

                              My DH's calf started to get thinner last summer, and within a matter of a few months, it was half the size of his other calf, and also the thigh had thinned.

                              Went to the doc, who at first did not see anything wrong. We insisted to have it checked out, and, lo and behold, an x-ray of DH's back showed that he had a misaligned (sliding) vertebrae. The continuous slipping had caused the membranes along the spinal cord to rupture and leak, and the nerves leading into the leg were damaged. DH urgently needed fusion of three vertebrae, which he got immediately (Dec 2012). However, the nerves still have not recovered fully, and he'll have to live with some permanent damage. His calf has somewhat recovered, but also not fully, and probably never will.

                               

                              DH had some back pain in the past, but never that badly, and no back pain when he was diagnosed. The thinning leg was the only clue.

                               

                              So maybe go have a doc see you to find out if it's just your natural make-up, or if something is wrong that needs to get attention.

                              Run for fun.

                                Hmmm, wonder what he does with that huge arm??????

                                 

                                Just run on the other side of the road.

                                 

                                This kid has a similar problem.

                                 

                                 

                                I'm thinking he may be a champion arm wrestler in the lightweight division.

                                 

                                The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                                 

                                2014 Goals:

                                 

                                Stay healthy

                                Enjoy life

                                 

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