How to Strengthen Tendons

Co-authored by Laura Flinn

Last Updated: July 20, 2021 References

Tendons are the sinew that connect muscles to bones and then transmit force from your muscles to your bones, which is what permits bodily movement. It is important to strengthen tendons as well as muscles because stronger tendons can prevent athletic injuries, increase strength, and increase sprinting speed. In the case of injuries to tendons, it is often important to rehabilitate the tendon slowly through very precise movements. Tendons strengthen more slowly than muscles, so in addition to specifically targeting tendons with key exercises, you should also allow your body to adapt to fitness routines to reduce risk of injury rather than constantly pushing to add more weight.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Strength-Training for Tendons

1
Add squats to your workout. One of the best ways you can strengthen the tendons in your legs is through a workout that includes a healthy dose of squats. To perform a squat, stand up straight with your feet flat and shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly out. Slowly bend your knees and lower yourself as though your were attempting to sit in a chair. You want to lower yourself until your hips are situated lower than your knees.^{[1]
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Research source} Hold this position for ten seconds before rising. You may need to lift your arms out in front of you to act as a counterbalance.
- You can vary and add complexity to squats in many ways. Try doing the squats facing down an incline such as on a ramp, or try doing one-legged squats while holding onto a bar for support.^{[2]
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Do barbell squats. If standard squats are already a large part of your routine, you can increase the weight you squat by doing barbell or dumbbell squats where the weight is held on the shoulders and a limited range of movement is used.^{[3]
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Research source} Use a power rack to set the barbell height just below shoulder level, brace the bar across the shoulders behind your neck, lift off the rack by pushing with your heels and straightening your torso, then do a partial squat starting at only about 4 inches (10.2 cm).^{[4]
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- Barbell and dumbbell squats are considered advanced technique exercises, so it’s a good idea to have a trainer around before attempting.
- You may also want to wear knee wraps for additional support.^{[5]
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3
Do daily heel drop exercises. Heel drops are easy exercises that require little time and no gym equipment at all, and they’re great for strengthening Achilles tendons. Stand on a raised surface such as a step with the balls of your feet on and your heels off. Raise all the way up on your toes, and then slowly lower your heels as far as you can and hold this bottom position before rising again.^{[6]
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- You can perform this exercise with your knees either straight or slightly bent. The different stance will work different muscles, but both are great for your tendons.^{[7]
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- You can add variety and complexity to this exercise by doing single-leg heel drops or even by adding weight from holding a dumbbell.^{[8]
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- Three sets of fifteen reps each is enough to see and feel results.^{[9]
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4
Do sets of behind-the-neck presses. This is a great exercise for strengthening tricep and shoulder girdle tendons.^{[10]
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Research source} Use a power rack to bring a loaded barbell onto the shoulders as with as barbell squat. With your feet directly under your hips, bend at the knees just a few inches, and then reverse direction with power to straighten out and lift the barbell to full extension above your head.^{[11]
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- Use your legs to absorb the impact as you return to the starting position with the barbell resting on your shoulders.^{[12]
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- This exercise can lead to injury with improper form, especially in one’s rotator cuffs, so practice form with a trainer with regard to weight and reps.^{[13]
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Do sets of lying triceps extensions. This is another great exercise for tricep tendons.^{[14]
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Research source} Lay down on your back on a workout bench. Lift the loaded barbell with an overhand grip straight up at full extension—perpendicular to your torso and the floor—with your elbows tucked in.^{[15]
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Research source} Keep your upper arms stationary and bend at the elbows, so you bring the bar down until it nearly touches your forehead before returning to the starting position.^{[16]
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- Many people find an E-Z curl bar more comfortable for lying tricep presses.
6
Perform partial reps. In addition to targeted exercises, you can target tendons even further with partial reps.^{[17]
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Research source} A partial rep focuses on a limited range of motion. By limiting the range of motion to only a few inches, you will be able either to use more weight or to perform more repetitions, which helps to strengthen tendons.^{[18]
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- For a barbell squat for instance, try only squatting only about four inches instead of bringing yourself further down.^{[19]
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- Since half or quarter reps allow for more weight, you should make use of a power rack to avoid injury.^{[20]
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7
Perform sets of exercises that target the same muscle groups on particular days. For instance, on Monday you may work out your shoulders, on Tuesday you may work out your chest, rest on Wednesday, work out your thighs and legs on Thursday and work out your arms on Friday.
- Consistently working all core muscle groups also means consistently working all of your core tendons, which will not only add to strength but also tendon flexibility, which is important in avoiding injury in any fitness regimen.^{[21]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Strengthening Tendons after Injury

1
Consult a physical therapist. One of the most common reasons outside of committed personal training for which people seek to strengthen tendons is after a tendon injury. If you have an injury you suspect may be related to a tendon, first see your primary care physician for a diagnosis. If you are correct, your doctor will likely refer you to a physical therapist who can assign the proper exercises for rehabilitating the tendon.
- Many tendon injuries can require several weeks of limited use rather than exercise to strengthen the tendon, so it is especially important that you consult with a professional.^{[22]
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  Research source} You may unwittingly exacerbate the problem by trying to strengthen a tendon that actually requires rest.
2
Practice full extension exercises without weights. Tendons receive the most work at the ends of their ranges of motion. For instance, you feel the most stretch in your Achilles tendon when you bend your ankle to full flex such as in a lunge exercise. To begin gently working tendons, do full extension exercises without any weight.^{[23]
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- Vary the movements as well. If you are strengthening your wrist tendons, for example, make sure you’re not only full extending your wrist from side to side and up and down, but you should also turn your arm over and do the extensions in the reverse direction.^{[24]
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- You want to practice these exercises around the injured tendon for approximately ten minutes at a time as long as no pain is involved. If the movements begin producing pain, take a break from them for a day or two, and if the pain persists, contact your physical therapist.
- Tendons receive the most work at full extension, so you can add to the exercise by pausing at the ends of your range of motion for ten seconds.
3
Add a light weight to the extension exercises. Once you’ve rehabilitated the tendon to the degree that you can complete the full extension flexing exercises without pain or difficulty, try adding a light amount of weight to the exercise. The amount will depend upon the degree of injury and the tendon you want to strengthen. For wrist extensions, you want to begin with only one- or two-pound weights. For a more substantive tendon such as a quadricep tendon, you may start with a five-pound ankle weight.^{[25]
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- Your physical therapist will have additional recommendations about how much weight depending upon the specifics of your injury.
- If you find the weights too difficult, you can always use less weight, no weight, or stagger the days between using the weights and not.
4
Add an elastic exercise band to the motions. Elastic exercise bands are great for aiding in the rehabilitation of injured tendons because they allow you to control the amount of tension on the area, and they also increase tension toward the end of the range of motion, which is where tendons receive the most work. Place the band with a moderate amount of tension on it at the beginning of your range of motion so that extending through it increases the stretch on the band and the workload on the tendon.
- As the tendon gains strength, you can add time holding at full flexes to this routine. As with muscles, time under tension helps strengthen tendons, so pausing with the tendon at full extension—and therefore the band under the most tension—at the apex of the repetition for ten seconds will give the tendon additional exercise.
The eccentric phase of a repetition refers to the moment at which a muscle contracts while lengthening. For example, the eccentric phase of a dumbbell curl comes as you slowly lower the dumbbell, simultaneously elongating the muscle by straightening your arm while still actively contracting it by resisting gravity to lower the weight slowly rather than letting it drop. Focus on the eccentric phase of an exercise is often recommended for tendinopathy.^{[26]
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Research source} Though more difficult to do with bands, the use of even light dumbbells with focus on eccentrics can help to strengthen tendons.

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Sample Exercises

Exercises to Strengthen Tendons

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What foods strengthen tendons?

Laura Flinn
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Laura Flinn is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, USA Olympic Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach and Certified Fitness Nutritionist, with an additional qualification as a TRX Suspension Trainer. Laura runs her own personal training program based in the San Francisco Bay Area and specializes in topics such as weight loss, muscle growth, cardiovascular training, and strength training.

Laura Flinn

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

Eating protein-rich foods like eggs, lean meat, fish, legumes, and Greek yogurt can help strengthen your tendons. Same with fresh fruits and vegetables that contain vitamin C as well as foods that are rich in calcium.

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What kind of exercises can I do if I have a knee injury?

Tom De Backer

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Ask a doctor if you have any doubts. In general, you can do any exercise you like. Simply reduce the range of motion and the number of repeats to stay well within your pain limit. Don't force your body too quickly, and take plenty of rest to let it heal.

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Best exercises to help a sore elbow tendon?

Tom De Backer

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Any exercise that rotates your elbow will do the trick. For example, raise your arms until your elbows are to the sides of your body, in one line with your shoulders, then make small circles with your hands. Increase the circles, but stop as soon as it hurts. Try rotating both your hands clockwise, then counterclockwise, it may be harder than you think! Another example is to touch one elbow with your fingers and move your hand up and down through the 'basket' that creates. Other ways to relieve soreness are warm baths, or warm cloths placed on your elbow. Immobilize if necessary, and don't forget to stretch after every workout.

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Tips

Seek the assistance of a personal trainer if you do not know how to use weight training equipment properly.

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Do not perform any exercises that are painful or uncomfortable.

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Perform weight movements over a short range of action. Moving the weights between small distances from starting and ending positions will ensure that you are not using momentum to move them, putting more emphasis on your tendons and ligaments, making them stronger.

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Warnings

Many tendon-strengthening exercises such as barbell squats and behind-the-neck presses can result in injury without proper form. Consult with a trainer regarding ideal technique for performing exercises with which you are not familiar.

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This information is in no way meant to take the place of seeing your primary care physician and working with a physical therapist when rehabilitating injured tendons. Always consult medical professionals when dealing with injuries.

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