Have you ever heard anyone say that they were going to the gym to condition their tendons and ligaments? Probably not. You may have heard them talk about going to the gym to work on their triceps, deltoids or pectoral muscles, but very rarely do you hear anyone speaking about conditioning tendons or ligaments unless they already experienced an injury related to a specific tendon or ligament. However, why wait for an injury to occur? Why not systematically condition your tendons and ligaments to keep them strong and injury free?
Analysing tendons and ligaments
A tendon plays an important role in connecting the ends of a muscle belly to bone tissue, and can be likened to a tough strap-like cord. When conditioned properly, a tendon will have some elasticity and is capable of great power. Tendons will cause the bone to move as they transmit tensile load produced by the muscle. It would seem logical to assume that a tendon should strengthen as the relative muscle strengthens; but if you are talking about great increases of weight to be moved by your body muscles, then it would be wise to consider specific tendon conditioning. For example, some people who use anabolic steroids increase muscle strength, but not tendon strength, at an incredible rate; but in so doing they become very susceptible to tendon injuries which can manifest itself in the form of inflammation of the tendon, or actual tendon rupture. Ligaments are extremely tough and bind bones together at joints; they allow for specificity of movement. The knee joint is known to be associated with a wide variety of ligament injuries.
Taking care of your tendons, ligaments
Two popular training injuries that relate directly to tendon and ligament problems are tennis elbow (tendonitis) and plantar fasciitis, which can contribute greatly to the formation of heel spurs, and both of these injuries can be avoided by a planned, structured warm-up and strengthening of the relative tendon and ligament. Tennis elbow is experienced by many weightlifting athletes, while many endurance athletes suffer from plantar fasciitis. A good way to avoid injuries to your tendons and ligaments is to do a proper ten minute warm-up which will include specific stretches to specific joints. Warming up is a good way to signal your muscles, tendons and ligaments that they are about to be used.
To develop tendon and ligament strength, you can do some of the popular exercises over a shorter range of motion; this commonly referred to as partials. For example, in the military press, instead of bringing the barbell down to chin level, you can stop it at the level of your forehead. This is not the normal way to train your deltoids, which should be trained through a full range of motion, but it is an excellent method for tendon conditioning. Another way of conditioning your tendons and ligaments is by doing isometric movements, whereby no movement occurs around the given joint. Isometric movements are not as effective in muscle development as isotonic movements (weight training), but it is great for developing tendon and ligament strength. When it comes to training, don't only think about strengthening your actual muscles, think also about strengthening the connective tissue. Keep training.
Brian Chin Leung is a certified personal trainer