MIKE'S GYM | Question & Answer

Store

Q & A

WOD

Gallery

Submit a New Question »

Search the Q & A »

Topics » Injuries » Shin Splints

Coach, I was wondering how common is getting shin splints from olympic lifting. In the last month i've added quite a bit of weight to my lifts and now my shins are slammed. Once they heal should I start adding specific calf work to get them stronger? thanks coach Danny

Danny Nayar | 2005-10-27

geeeeze....i have never heard of a lifter getting shin splints. i would for sure do some callf work but also do some dorsi flexion work as well. stretch that area well and lots of ice. hope this helps....coach b

Comments

Add Comment »

Mark Schnupp 2005-10-28	Danny, Are you doing any depth jumps or box jumps? If so are you doing lots of them and landing on a hard surface ? I've seen lifters expierence pain in the shins from overdoing depth jumps or box jumps then jumping down to a hard surface. If you are doing them try backing off and see if that helps.
Zack Murphy 2005-10-28	Just to echo/reiterate what's been mentioned - shin splints are most typically caused by weak muscles on the front lower leg - anterior tibialis. Calf work will not solve it. Quite the contrary - overly trained calves, or calves trained disproportionately compared to the other muscles of the lower leg, are exactly the problem. As suggested, lay off the higher impact activities, and practice toe raises (dorsiflexion), weighted or just slow non-weighted toe raises. Heels on a stair, toes hanging off, raise toes. That kind of thing. All of this - it doesn't mean what you have IS shin splints, but if it is, then this is what solves it.
ccrow 2005-11-09	This is a coincidence, a fellow I see at the gym developed shin splints and couldn't figure out why. I noticed he was doing a lot of lunges with a very hard heel strike. That hard heel strike puts a heavy load on the tibialis, it is heel strike that often causes runners shin splints too. Don't know if this helps, there's a hard heel strike for the front foot doing jerks...
Danny Nayar 2005-11-12	Thanks guys for all your help about a week off with massaging and a heating pad did the trick. I started doing toe raises, now i just incorperate them in my routines. Thanks for your help! Danny
Patrick 2006-10-10	try some myofascial release with a foam roller, also. There is tightness of the soleus and probably lateral gastroc too, which dominate over the weaker and lengthened ant/posterior tib's.