I’m currently doing The Bridge. The morning after Week 5 Day 2, I woke up with an aching in my right calf and a 2" diameter, tender and lightly swollen area just below the lateral gastroc. Probably a small tear. I’m pretty sure it was the paused squats @270 (well within my limits without the pause) that got me. I did W5D3 two days later, ignoring the discomfort, and after lifting, noticed the pain again, and a day later it persists. I can walk, I can squat; I just don’t like pushing off my toes. So two questions:
- Is a paused squat substantially more stressful exercise than a regular squat?
- Based on the above description, should I back of a bit on squats, and if so, to what degree, and how will I know when to ramp back up? Or just keep going?
I’m more concerned about exacerbating the injury than l am with the pain.
My comment on paused squats (and deadlifts): I really like them and believe they improve my form by forcing me to notice where I am when I pause.
Unless you are seeing a bunch of bruising in the area, I doubt you tore anything from doing a pause squat.
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Not really.
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Back off to a point where you can comfortably squat without pain (and without a lot of fear that you’re going to make things worse), and work your way back up a bit slower than you want to. I know that seems like somewhat generic advice, but it’s really all you need to do to rehab most acute musculoskeletal issues.
Thanks, Austin. Over the weekend the pain got worse and I could barely move my foot in plantar flexion. This despite no additional swelling, and lack of bruising on the surface. Impossible to walk down stairs other than on my heel. Ice helped. This morning the pain has moved up behind my knee. It’s possible to walk, both level and down stairs, in tolerable pain (5?). Still pain below the calf, but less intense than behind the knee. I’m a big fan of active recovery. Just in case, because the pain has moved, I need to ask: is your advice the same?
If you literally can’t move your foot, then I’d get it checked out.
If you can actually move everything normally, just with pain, then I’d see if the pain improves with continued movement.