How to improve tendon strength?

[hermanchauw]

I have recently gotten some tendinitis in my left supraspinatus, biceps and subscapularis. Even though i have reduced my training volume and intensity since about i month ago, still the pain is there. Went to physio for some ultrasound with some improvements.

I am forced to layoff planche training now till these injuries are gone.

Seems like the increase in strength of the muscles is not matched by the increase in strength of the tendons. Any specific way to improve tendon strength?

Thomas Kurz in stadion.com recommends doing high reps for tendon and connective tissue strengthening. Is it correct?

Pls advice.

Thanks.
Herman.

[jonathan]

This is what DD says.

"How to build greater tendon and ligament strength

Question: I hear about 'tendon training' from my strongman competitor friends. What is it? Should I do it?


Although a regular Joe' or Jane's maximal voluntary contraction equals only around 30% of the maximal tensile strength of their tendons (Hirch, 1974), more recent studies reported by Verkhoshansky & Siff (1996) proved what old timers knew all along: increases in quality and quantity of connective tissues may improve the transmission of force from the muscles to the bones!

Professor Verkhoshansky explains that a weak or not sufficiently extensive tendon sheath allows the muscle to dissipate some of its force in the wrong direction.
I am convinced that tendon training is a must for experienced iron athletes of all persuasions. Elite muscles generate such high levels of tension that they become stiffer than their tendons for the moment (Zatsiorsky, 1995).

Since a muscle with its tendons can be compared to springs in series, it is obvious why tendon strength is so important. The muscles, rigor mortis hard, leave the tendons as the weak link in the chain. That not only predisposes the tendons to injury, but increases the likelihood of your muscle shaking and failing for neural reasons.

"The best way to get strength is to support a lot of weight in certain positions," Canadian strength pioneer George Jowett was teaching young John Grimek. "More than you can lift normally... this will strengthen your ligaments, your tendons and you'll get more strength out of that than you would if you were just doing flexing exercises."

Although heavy supports in the tradition of Jowett, Anderson, and Grimek are a must for a serious iron athlete, they are only half the connective tissue training equation. Full amplitude high rep work is recommended by Eastern European specialists to stimulate tendon and ligament development.

Calisthenics such as the full squats from my book Super Joints fit the bill. Kurz (1994) prescribes 3x30 or 1x100-200 after your heavy iron, which should be followed by some stretches. Full stops at the top and the bottom of each rep are a good idea as they shift the load from the muscles to the connective tissues. Clarification: we are not talking about blood and guts high rep sets here; slowly build up your reps until you can handle the required volume with ease.

For more information on this and related strength topics order Pavel’s Beyond Bodybuilding today"

[hermanchauw]

Just realised that my supraspinatuses are really weak. I just started serious jump training yesterday and today my supras are having DOMS. Just those instantaneous contractions during the arm swing of the jumps already make them sore.

[~Xc@libuR~]

question to ask.. how to know that we have tendinitis??

[hermanchauw]

mash said:

question to ask.. how to know that we have tendinitis??

To differentiate the pain coming from muscle (contractile tissue), tendon (non contractile tissue) or joint (non contractile tissue), think of it this way:

An injured muscle will cause pain when contracted, therefore any contraction (isometric, eccentric or concentric) or stretch will cause pain.

An injured tendon will cause pain when stretched, therefore any muscle contraction attached to that tendon and stretch will cause pain. To differentiate a muscle from its tendon, it is by location of the pain, whether at the belly or attachment.

An injured joint will cause pain only when the joint is moved or compressed.

Eliminating severeal factors, different types of contraction/stretch/movement give the following:
-Active movement pain: (contractile and non contractile tissue injury) either joint or muscle/tendon.
-Passive movement pain: (non contractile tissue injury) either joint or muscle/tendon (stretch)
-Isometric contraction pain: (contractile tissue injury) muscle/tendon, no joint involvement.
-Accessory movement pain: (noncontractile tissure injury) more likely joint, can also involve muscle/tendon if there is a stretch to them, but this test is to confirm joint injury.

So suppose we have tendon/muscle injury, it will give these results:
-Active movement: pain
-Passive movement: pain when stretched
-Isometric: pain
-Accessory movement: no need to do, previous three tests already confirms tendon injury.

For joint injury:
-Active movement: pain
-Passive movement: pain
-Isometric: no pain
-Accessory: pain

Hope that helps.

[hermanchauw]

So while resting my shoulders, in the meantime i'll focus on my legs and trunk. I guess i would do all kind of rep ranges to improve more types of strength, including those 50+ reps bodyweight squats. When my shoulders are ok, i would start them on this kind of training too.

[jonathan]

Bodyweight squat, can die sia! I've tried to do 50 like Mahler says in HOC, but once I hit 30 my legs feel like jelly and have to stop. Another 10, quads are screaming even more. At 50 I'd be hobbling around like a cripple.

[hermanchauw]

Now can't even squat with feet flat all.

Don't know what happened. Two days ago, after capoeira game, i was ok, just felt tiredness in my legs. Sat in the MRT train for about 0.5h. When i got up, i felt severe soreness in my left biceps femoris origin. Stretched it a bit that night. Yesterday i could not walk properly. So i spent yesterday resting and icing it. Today it's better.

Ah, weak tendons.

[hermanchauw]

Hamstrings ok since monday evening. So what i have been working on these few days are:
-Club swinging
-Bodyweight squats
-Pistols
-Trunk

Upper body, just club swinging only and 20 rep push ups. Tried handstand push ups but not good enough after 5 reps, supra start to complain.

[Hardcore]

Please continue this here.

www.asiabodybuilding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=72

Thanks