Group: General Fitness & Exercise

General Fitness & Exercise
Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 382, Messages: 54581

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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Serious cramps w/ seated calf raises

althor74
althor74
Posts: 13
Joined: 2003/07/17
United States
2003/12/19, 01:18 AM
I have been getting MAJOR cramps in my hamstring & calves when doing SEATED calf raises. I don't have any cramping problems on any other calf excercises. I'm doing about 95-105lbs for 6-8 reps (Max-OT btw). For my first few reps I'm fine, but by my 5th/6th rep they are seriously starting to cramp. I put the weight just past the tops of my knee caps, and my feet are right on the balls of my feet. I'm all stretched out, I've already done other leg excercises at that point, I drink plenty of water during the day and during workout, and my daily multivitamin gives me 80mg of potassium (a common anti-cramp vitamin).

Of course I could probably do less weight and more reps and see if that's any better. Or I could just avoid seated calf raises, but I'd prefer to find a solution and continue to do seated calf raises in order to get that good work on my soleus. It's just so crazy that it's only on the seated calf raises and no other leg or calf excercises!!! Has anyone else run into this... any suggestions?
starbell
starbell
Posts: 279
Joined: 2002/11/13
Canada
2003/12/19, 01:15 PM
first welcome althor. I would go with you first idea of decreasing the weight and see what result you get. When you say you are all stretched out, did you do any calve stretches before you started the calve raises. YOu might want to try doing this first as well. Plus what positioning are your feet, straight forward or are you turning them in or out, as this works a different angle of the muscle.