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August 1, 2005
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.
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Posted by james at August 1, 2005 6:26 AM
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