1. Eccentrics
Research shows irritated/healing tendons respond really well to eccentric movements. An eccentric movement basically is when you require your muscle to contract as it is lengthening. Think of when you lower your phone from your ear (biceps), when you go downstairs (quads), or when you go from the tip of your toes to a flat foot (calves). Doing eccentrics help a tendon to heal while keeping the muscle strong.
2. Find your starting point
If you have had tendon pain for a long time now, you should go back to the basics of your training. That means stop trying to break your personal best or make a record time. Go back
to single, machine type weight lifting to begin with. If you have been doing the WOD and notice double-unders are painful, go back to eccentric calf raises. Also, expect to perform a few repetitions with a light weight to start. If you are unsure, contact me for a free, no obligation consultation and I’ll give you my medical opinion on what to do.
Tendons love performing under a heavy weight but only for a few movements at a time. So when you work on your eccentrics, try to do so with a heavy weight (70% of 1 Rep Max)
but for only 4-6 repetitions. Using your body as a weight is great but some muscles like your calves need heavier weight to perform. So you may need some equipment but if you are creative, for most other tendons you got what you need.
4. Restore Capacity
After working on eccentrics and high loads, low reps for a while, and you have noticed the pain is gone, try doing some plyometrics like box jumps, or a triple hop for distance. Once your plyometrics are going well, then take it up a notch and try going back to your performance training. If you are still unsure, contact me and I will give you my medical opinion on what to do.
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