The Complete Guide to Tendon Training for Athletes

Tendon Training: From Rehabilitation to Performance

Matt from The Movement System presents tendon training as a spectrum, ranging from gentle, longer-duration work for sensitive or underprepared tendons to brief, explosive isometrics for well-trained athletes. The central message is to choose the training type that fits the tendon’s current condition and the athlete’s goal, then progress the load consistently.

1. General physical preparation (GPP): a gentle starting point

GPP uses sustained muscle contractions, often in long isometric holds. It can help athletes begin loading a sensitive or deconditioned tendon, or return to training after time off or a season.

• Choose an exercise that targets the tendon.
• Hold for 1–3 minutes, for up to 2–3 sets.
• The presenter suggests doing this 3–6 times per week.
• For example, toe raises on an inclined platform with the toes extended can be held for two minutes, for two sets per session, six days a week for six weeks. The presenter says this can build general endurance in the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon.
• Different tendons can be trained at different points on the spectrum at the same time.

2. Exercise examples for targeting tendons

The presenter offers these examples. Lighter versions can be used for long holds, while more challenging versions can be used for shorter, harder work.

• Hamstrings: Long-lever bridge; mid-range single-leg isometric knee extension.
• Achilles: Single-leg toe raises, with one foot on a bench.
• Gluteus medius: Starfish side plank or bent-knee variation.
• Hip flexors: Hip-flexor swing.
• Hip adductors: Copenhagen plank.
• Plantar fascia: Toe raises with the toes elevated on a wedge.
• Triceps: Held elbow extension.
• Biceps tendon: “Open-can” hold, raising the arm with the thumb up and slightly to the side.
• Outer elbow: Wrist supination against a stick or golf club.
• Inner elbow: Wrist pronation.
• Rotator cuff: Shoulder external-rotation isometric, pressing into a wall with the elbow bent or the arm straight.

3. Heavier isometrics and slow resistance for tendon rehabilitation

For tendon rehabilitation, the presenter describes shorter, more demanding holds as a progression from GPP—or as a starting point for people already accustomed to strength training. The goal is to provide enough load to stimulate tendon adaptation.

• Choose a targeted exercise and progress to a challenging position or add weight.
• Aim for 20–40-second holds.
• The presenter recommends working toward loads above 70% of maximum strength, where appropriate. If maximum strength cannot be measured directly, he suggests:
  • Reaching a perceived effort of at least 7 out of 10 by the end of a 20–30-second hold; or
  • Testing a maximum and using roughly 70% of that load for a hold of about 30 seconds.
• Progress the load gradually. The presenter cautions that light exercises may not provide enough stimulus for some athletes.
• Heavy, slow repetitions may be a comparable option—for example, controlled repetitions with two seconds up and two seconds down for about 30 seconds.
• Depending on their starting point, some people may first need six to eight weeks of lighter, longer-duration work.
• Once heavier training is reached, the presenter recommends consistency—at least 2–3 times per week for three months—to allow time for the full effect of training.
• After symptoms improve and the tendon is healthy, maintain the result with a preferred exercise for three 30-second sets, 2–3 times per week. The presenter describes this as a brief routine of about five minutes, including rest.

4. Maximum-strength isometrics for performance

This category focuses on athletic performance rather than rehabilitation. The presenter intends it primarily for healthy athletes who want to develop strength.

• Use short efforts of about 3–5 seconds.
• Progress from holding against gravity to overcoming isometrics: pushing or pulling as hard as possible against an immovable or very heavy object.
• Examples include:
  • Pushing against a stationary bar in a split squat position.
  • An isometric knee drive or press.
  • A toe raise pushing against a stationary bar.
  • A hip thrust against a stationary or very heavy bar, with the knee straight.
• The presenter’s general protocol is four sets of three repetitions, with three-second maximal efforts. In his example, athletes alternate legs, rest briefly between efforts, and take one to two minutes between sets.
• He often uses these exercises before a workout, saying they may activate the nervous system and potentially improve jumping performance. He reports observing an approximately 7% increase in jump height in some athletes, while noting that results can vary.
• When combining these exercises with longer tendon holds, he suggests doing the maximum-strength work first and the more fatiguing 30-second holds afterward.

5. Ballistic or neuromuscular isometrics for force development

This final, most advanced category aims to train athletes to produce force quickly. The presenter recommends it only for well-trained athletes who have already progressed through longer isometrics and maximum-strength work.

• Apply force explosively for about half a second to one second, then release immediately.
• The aim is rapid force production with little accumulated fatigue, which the presenter says may be useful for sports requiring sharp, explosive actions.
• These exercises can use the same kinds of positions as maximum-strength isometrics, but with shorter efforts and more repetitions.
• More advanced “ISO switch” or “ISO catch” variations involve rapidly switching between limbs rather than resting between repetitions.
• For these switching variations, the presenter suggests 10–12 seconds per set, 1–2 minutes of rest, and three or four quality sets per muscle group.
• He says this training prepares healthy tendons to handle high rates of loading, similar to plyometrics, but advises against using it for tendon rehabilitation or injury.

Overall takeaway

Tendon training should be matched to the athlete’s needs: start with longer, easier holds when necessary, progress to adequately heavy and consistent loading for tendon rehabilitation, and reserve brief maximal or ballistic isometrics for healthy athletes pursuing performance. The presenter emphasizes understanding the purpose behind each method so coaches can adjust exercises and protocols appropriately.

Speakers and sources featured

• Matt, presenter from The Movement System and a physical therapist and strength-training coach.
• Jake Tour, credited with a post explaining research comparing heavier and lighter loading; also described as a guest lecturer.
• Dr. Alex Nera, credited with introducing the terms “ISO switch” and “ISO catch.”
• Unidentified research studies and researchers, referenced in discussion of loading, tendon adaptation, and isometric versus slow-resistance training.
• An unnamed NBA athlete, whose hamstring images are shown as an example of tendon healing.
• Crystal Palace, cited as a team using this type of training stimulus before matches.