How to Strengthen tendons and ligaments for ultimate

Function of muscles and ultimate strength, speed, and

Flexibility
The Training
As was stated above, when subjected to sudden heavy
Loading the tendons deform (stretch) quickly, causing
The proprioceptive receptors to signal a state of
Sudden stretch. It is this condition that is also the
Stimulus for the reformation of the collagen matrix
Inside the tendons, resulting in increased fibroblast
Number, and making them more resistant to deformation.
So tendon strengthening can be achieved - the key is
Quickly applying a heavy load to the tendon.
Incidentally, this is the exact same form of training
That can extend the gorge tendon organ threshold.
There are three accepted ways of approaching the task:
NOTE: To make this article easier to both read and
Write, the following arguments are aimed specifically
At tendon strengthening and gorge tendon organ
Threshold/nervous system reprogramming. Please
Understand that, because of their role in supporting
Joint stability, the following methods also serve to
Strengthen the ligaments.
Ply metrics
'Ply metrics', in the true American sense (technically
'Clinometric' means the lengthening of a muscle - a
Negative) refers to any rapid reversal of contraction
From eccentric (the lowering phase) to concentric (the
Lifting phase). This is a sub-category of what is
Often referred to as explosive training (though it is
Quite possible that an explosive contraction can start
From a complete stop with no previous eccentric
Phase). Westside Barbell-style speed days would,
Therefore, fall under this category - as would the
Transition from Squat Clean to Front Squat in the
Clean (if it's done properly), or the dip to drive in
The Jerk. People have misconstrued the term
'Ply metric' to mean that the muscle must necessarily
Be in a stretched position before the contraction - it
Doesn't. I think it's because people wrongly confuse
Muscle stretch with tendon stretch. This simply is not
Accurate. The stretch state of the tendon in weight
Training has little to do with the stretch state of
The muscle. Tendons stretch simply because they are
Subjected to loading - the only way that the stretch
State of the muscle affects tendon stretch is if the
Elongation of the muscle affects its ability to exert
Force (which it does, and that will be considered
Later).
As an example of how to perform a ply metric I'll use
The Bench Press: Take the bar off the rack and allow
It to fall somewhat rapidly (but under full control)
As soon as it gets to the point where it touches your
Chest explode it upwards very quickly. The whole rep
Shouldn't take much more than a second. Obviously, I
Have left a lot of the details of a power-style Bench
Press out but the ply metric technique should be
Clear.
Remember above when I mentioned that the only way that
The elongation state of the muscle affects the amount
Of load placed on the tendon is if it affects the
Muscles ability to exert force? Well, as you'll know
From the series The Neuromuscular System on the
'Physiology Related Articles' page, this is definitely
The case. Borrowing a section:
Particularly relevant to muscle building is the fact
That each muscle fiber has an ideal length at which it
Generates maximum force when contracting. The force
Generated is directly influenced by the amount of
Elongation (contraction or extension) that the fiber is
Under at the start of the contraction. Going back to
The sliding filament theory, this optimum length is
The point at which the actin & myosin filaments line
Up in such a way that allows maximum cross-bridge
Formation. When the muscle is extended more than this
The acting filaments cannot make contact with as many
Myosin cross-bridges - they have slid past each other,
So to speak. When the muscle is contracted to a
Shorter length than optimal, less force can be
Developed for a few reasons. For one, the normal
Chemical processes taking place within the fiber
Become altered so that fewer acting cross-bridge
Attachment sites are uncovered and available for
Cross-bridging (the reason this happens is unknown at
Present). In addition, filaments from the opposite
Ends of the sacromere overlap and cover some actin
Cross-bridge attachment sites, further reducing the
Number of possible cross-bridges. Still further, the
Myosin filaments come up against the ends of each
Individual sacromere (what's referred to as the
Z-lines), impeding any further shortening.
So what is a muscle's optimum length for generating?
Force? Well, generally, it is the length of the muscle
While in its relaxed state. How much strength is lost
When the muscle contracts at some other length than
Optimum? Well, at the extreme points of a muscle's
Extension or contraction (extended ~30% longer and
Contracted ~30% shorter than optimal) a muscle has the
Ability to contract only ~50% as forcefully as it can
At the optimal length. Keep in mind, though, that you
May still demonstrate more strength in these positions
(Usually in the contracted position) than at the
Position of optimal muscular force because of
Mechanical factors such as leverage. The muscle
Itself, however, will be contracting with less force.
So, in the case of the Bench Press, the muscle has the
Ability to contract harder at a point roughly halfway
Through the range of motion than at the top or bottom.
Therefore, if you really wanted to apply maximum load
To the tendons you would stop the bar around halfway
Down and then suddenly drive it back up.
The key to ply metrics lie in the speed, as the force
You exert on the bar is determined not only by the
Weight that you're lifting but also by how fast you're
Lifting it. Consider the basic physics:
If you lift 100 kg at an acceleration of 1 m/s^2
Then you are producing 100 x 1 = 100 N of force.
If you lift 50 kg at an acceleration of 2 m/s^2
Then you are producing 50 x 2 = 100 N of force.
So you can lift a light weight faster than you can a
Heavy one, but if the bar speed is high enough with
The lightweight the force applied will be the same.
The point is if you accelerate the weight quickly you
Are dramatically increasing the force that the muscle
Is required to produce. If you think about a yo-yo
You'll get an intuitive idea of how this works - when
The yo-yo is at the bottom you yank up suddenly,
Drawing the rope tight. The yo-yo feels much heavier
At that point than it actually is. That's a
Ply metric. For the above speed reasons ply metrics
Are usually done with weights around only 60% of your
One rep maximum.
From a tendon strengthening perspective, if bar speed
Can be kept sufficiently high, high reps in these sets
Would provide more of an adaptive stimulation than
Low reps. this is probably where the false theory that
The performance of high reps itself can strengthen
Tendons comes from the fact is that high reps, with a
Quick reversal from eccentric to concentric on each
Rep, simply provide more repeated stress to the
Tendons than low reps. High reps with a slow rep
Cadence, which eliminates the sudden application of
Force anywhere along the range of motion (e.g.
'Super slow' training), would do little to strengthen
The tendons. But, if you are able to perform 10 reps
Ply metrically with 60% of your one rep maximum while
Keeping bar speed high on all reps then this would
Stimulate more tendon strengthening than a 3 rep set.
For a power athlete, however, it might make more sense
To just do several 3 rep sets. This would allow the
Trainee to avoid neurological fatigue and glycogen
Depletion and effectively target the high-threshold
Fibers while still providing the strengthening
Stimulus to the tendons. And, realistically, you
Wouldn't be able to maintain the necessary bar speed
For 10 reps anyway.
Another benefit of ply metric reps should also be
Mentioned: By accelerating the weight as quickly as
Possible you are 'teaching' your nervous system to
Voluntarily recruit as many of the highest threshold
Fibers as possible and to fire these fibers with
Maximum frequency. This could be extremely beneficial
In power training.
This discussion of forces produced and bar speeds
Leads me to the next method of strengthening tendons:
Isometrics.
Isometrics
These are when you simply hold the bar in one place.
Pushing against a wall would also be an example. The
Key is that you suddenly exert maximum force against
The object. In the above Bench Press example you would
Perform them in a power rack and push the bar as hard
As you could against the pins. Once again the tendon
Goes suddenly from a state of having no load
(Practically) placed upon it to maximum load in a
Matter of milliseconds. Since the bar is being pushed
Against the immovable pins you wouldn't even need to
Place any weight on the bar (although you might want
To do this in order to mimic the 'feel' of a regular
Bench Press). And as far as range of motion is
Concerned, because tendons don't contract they don't
Need to be trained through the muscle's full range of
Motion.
Once again, for maximum loading of the tendons it
Would be wise to do this at the involved muscles
Point of optimum force production (roughly halfway up
The Bench Press range of motion).
How long should you hold an isometric? Well, it's the
Sudden tendon stretch that we're after, NOT the total
Amount of tendon stretch, so 2-3 seconds should
Suffice. In fact, any longer than this and the
Phenomenon of creep may occur in the tendon and, while
This may result in more flexibility (think yoga), it
Won't do anything for strength and power (the same
Situation would also occur in the 'Super slow' training
Method mentioned above).
A word of warning: This type of training can cause
Dangerous increases in blood pressure. For this
Reason, it is not recommended that isometrics be held
Any more than six seconds. This increase in blood
Pressure is due, at least in part, to holding one's
Breath during the exertion.
Heavy Negatives
Heavy negatives don't allow the trainee to as suddenly
Place loading on the tendons, as do the above methods.
For this reason they are not as effective a tendon
Strengthener as ply metrics and isometrics. As with
Ply metrics, they do have the benefit of allowing you
To track your progress, though. With an isometric you
Don't really have a quantitative way of measuring your
Efforts. Negatives and ply metrics allow you to
Measure the amount of weight on the bar this session
As compared to the last.
Their execution is relatively simple: Load the bar
With more weight than you can lift concentrically (you
Are usually about 20% - 40% stronger in the negative?
Than the concentric) and lower the bar under control.
Use enough weight so that the bar forces its way down
Relatively quickly (after all, we're after tendon
Strength here) but not so much that you can't maintain
Full control.
Another thing that should be realized is that
Negatives have been shown to do substantial 'damage'
To the muscle cell and, therefore, markedly lengthen
Recovery time.
Incorporating One Of The Keys To Strength And Power
I hope I've convinced you of the importance of tendon
Strengthening here. And it doesn't have to take up
Much of your training time. Keep in mind that
Isometrics and negatives are done at force levels
Exceeding your full-range, concentric, one rep
Maximum. This means that your nervous system will be
Going crazy during the exertion (remember the Training
To Failure: The Good, The Bad And The Reasons
Article?). This type of training, therefore, must only
Be done infrequently. On the other hand, if the weight
Is kept low (~60% of your one rep max.) and the reps
Low also (2-3), you can probably get away with
Ply metrics twice a week (the amount of contractile
Force you will be able to produce will be limited by
Your nervous system's ability to voluntarily recruit
And twitch the higher threshold fibers - the sudden
Reversal of motion, however, still delivers a very
High impulsive force to the tendons).
But before you dismiss isometrics in favor of
Ply metrics totally, consider this section from the
Article Are Partial Range Movements Useful?
...There is strong research and anecdotal evidence to
Suggest that a muscle can be made stronger in a very
Specific position by training it in that position...
And
...It can be very useful in training sticking points
In lifts.
So if you wanted to kill two birds with one stone you
Could use isometrics to strengthen sticking points and
Also enjoy the carry-over effect of increased tendon
Strength. Keep in mind, though, that it's not
Necessarily true that your sticking point will be at
The muscle's optimum force production point and that,
In order for maximum muscular stress, the isometrics
For training this range should be closer to 6 seconds
Than 2-3.
As far as the ply metrics are concerned I believe
Louie Simmons' method of performing a second 'light',
'Speed' day between heavy sessions in certain
Exercises are a very efficient idea. This method allows
You to train the nervous and muscular systems for
Sudden force production (as needed in all power
Events) and to practice the specific skill of the lift
While also providing a good adaptive stress to the
Tendons. One could always perform this style of
Lifting after your other sets on your 'heavy' day,
However, and skip the 'light' day - this would be very
Beneficial for lifters who train an exercise heavily
More frequently than once every seven days.
A word of warning: Due to the sudden force
Applications these forms of training can be dangerous!
If great care isn't taken to warm up properly and to
Practice STRICT exercise form it is quite likely that
You'll strain or tear a muscle! Over training will also
Increase this likelihood.