Right now serves as a great time to work on your lower body tendon health.
Here are my top 3 reasons why.
Reason #1: Plenty of Time
You have plenty of free time on your hands now. Enter: long duration isometric holds. I’ll explain more about this later in the article.
Reason #2: No Equipment
You likely have little to no gym equipment access. That’s totally cool. All you’ll need is bodyweight for these exercises.
Reason #3: No Space
You likely have little to no physical space to workout. Again, no sweat! Isometric hold exercises require that you maintain a static position the entire time, meaning that no movement is necessary.
Bonus Reason: Tendon Gains
Building strong and durable tendons will ultimately aid in the preservation of your overall fitness levels. Long-term health and performance isn’t just about the muscle gains; your tendons need gains as well!
Enter: Long Duration Isometric Holds
The focal point of these lower body tendon health exercises will be long duration isometric holds. We will be keying in on the achilles tendon in the ankle, the patella tendon and the quadriceps tendon in the knee, and the proximal hamstring tendon at the top of the hamstring.
Long duration isometric holds are key to long-term structural health in your tendons. Dr. Keith Baar has conducted years of research centered around how tendons respond to the stresses of exercise and resistance training. If you’re a science nerd like me, I’d definitely recommend that you check out some of his research for further information.
The short of it is that long duration isometric holds can be pivotal in decreasing the likelihood of injuries and promoting strength in your tendons.
Level 1 Exercises
If you’re relatively new to training and/or currently dealing with nagging lower body crankiness, I would suggest starting here. Perform this routine for 2-3 days each week for a period of 4 weeks, while leaving at least 24 hours in between sessions. Feel free to jump into the Level 2 Exercises once you’ve completed the 4-week block of Level 1 Exercises.
#1: Wall 1-Leg Heel Raise Iso
Keys:
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Perform 45-60 seconds per side (no rest in between legs)
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Rest for 30-60 seconds
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Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
#2: Heels-Up Wall Sit
Keys:
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Perform 45-60 seconds
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Rest for 30-60 seconds
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Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
#3: Long Bridge Iso
Keys:
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Perform 45-60 seconds
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Rest for 30-60 seconds
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Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
Level 2 Exercises
If you’ve been training for quite some time, I would suggest starting here. Perform this routine for 2-3 days each week for a period of 4 weeks, while leaving at least 24 hours in between sessions.
#1: Heels-Up Split Squat Iso
Keys:
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Perform 60-90 seconds on one side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
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Perform 60-90 seconds on the other side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
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Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
#2: Wall Stork Iso
Keys:
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Perform 60-90 seconds on one side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
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Perform 60-90 seconds on the other side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
-
Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
#3: Physioball Long Bridge Iso w/ Knee Drive Iso
Keys:
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Perform 30-45 seconds on one side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
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Perform 30-45 seconds on the other side
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Rest for 30-45 seconds
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Complete 2-3 total sets of this sequence
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If you don’t have a physioball, no sweat! Any object in your house roughly 2-3 feet in height will work well. Here are some examples: bed, bouch, ottoman or chair.
Looking for more bodyweight exercises that you can perform in the comfort of your own home? Check out our Edge Essentials: Bodyweight Workout Guide! The best part is that 10% of sales go to supporting those on the front line of the COVID-19 fight at the CDC Foundation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matthew Ibrahim is the Co-Owner, Director of Strength & Conditioning and Internship Coordinator at TD Athletes Edge in Salem, MA. Throughout his career, Matthew has been an invited guest speaker nationally in over 10 U.S. states, which was highlighted by his presentations at Google Headquarters, Stanford University, Equinox, Lululemon and Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning, in addition to guest speaking internationally in Milan, Italy. He has also been an invited guest speaker by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) at the regional conference level and at the state clinic level. His professional work has been featured in some of the world’s largest publications, such as Men's Health, Men’s Fitness and STACK Media. Currently, he is a PhD student at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in the Human and Sport Performance program. Matthew also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Exercise Science at Endicott College and an Adjunct Professor of Exercise Science at Maryville University. Connect with him on Instagram for training, performance and professional development content: @matthewibrahim_
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Matthew Ibrahim is the Co-Owner, Director of Strength & Conditioning and Internship Coordinator at TD Athletes Edge in Salem, MA. Throughout his career, Matthew has been an invited guest speaker nationally in over 10 U.S. states, which was highlighted by his presentations at Google Headquarters, Stanford University, Equinox, Lululemon and Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning, in addition to guest speaking internationally in Milan, Italy. He has also been an invited guest speaker by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) at the regional conference level and at the state clinic level. His professional work has been featured in some of the world’s largest publications, such as Men's Health, Men’s Fitness and STACK Media. Currently, he is a PhD student at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in the Human and Sport Performance program. Matthew also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Exercise Science at Endicott College and an Adjunct Professor of Exercise Science at Maryville University.