Rehabbing an injury is more than just resting and hoping for the best. While time helps, muscles, tendons, and ligaments need the right kind of loading to rebuild strength and function. The way we train these tissues at AIM Athletic depends on what has been injured. Injured muscles respond well to slow eccentrics, meaning controlled lowering phases of an exercise. Tendons and ligaments, on the other hand, recover best with isometric exercises, where the muscle contracts without changing length.
The reason these methods work comes down to how each tissue adapts to stress. Muscles have a rich blood supply, allowing them to repair relatively quickly when exposed to slow eccentric loading. This type of work helps rebuild muscle fibers, restore strength, and improve function. Tendons and ligaments are different. They have less blood flow, and their recovery is driven more by mechanical loading. Isometric holds provide just enough stress to stimulate tendon remodeling without aggravating the injury, making them an effective way to rebuild structure and resilience.
Each of these tissues follows a structured flow of recovery. For muscles, slow eccentrics come first to promote controlled tissue remodeling. Once that foundation is built, we move into regular, controlled lifting to reinforce strength and restore movement patterns. The final stage introduces more dynamic movements, including faster tempos and plyometrics when appropriate. Tendons and ligaments require a slightly different approach. Isometrics are the starting point to build tolerance to load, followed by slow eccentrics to introduce progressive stress. After that, regular controlled lifting strengthens the tissue further, eventually leading to more dynamic, explosive movements like jumps or quick changes in direction to fully restore function.
Progressive overload still matters when rehabbing an injury. For muscles, that might mean increasing the weight, reps, or duration of the eccentric phase over time. For tendons and ligaments, it could mean holding isometric contractions longer, gradually increasing the load, or progressing into more challenging eccentric work. This structured approach is far more effective than simply resting, stretching, or foam rolling. Those methods may provide temporary relief, but they do little to rebuild the injured tissue and restore strength.
At AIM Athletic in Langley BC, we apply these principles in our small group personal training, one-on-one personal training, and active rehab sessions. Whether someone is recovering from a muscle strain, a tendon issue, or a ligament injury, we tailor training to ensure the right kind of stress is placed on the tissue at the right time. The goal is always to get back to full strength while reducing the risk of re-injury. Instead of avoiding movement out of fear, we use it strategically to rebuild, recondition, and return to pain-free performance.
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