Training for tendons, ligaments, and joints.

[Obsidian Fury]

As you might know the tendons, ligaments, and joints are very important not only for martial arts but for an active lifestyle. I haven't found a way to nurture and enhance said tissue to prevent injuries and improve myself, does anyone knows about an approach to exercising said tissue?

I figured them to be very important while looking at a horse, while their quads are very muscular they have little muscle under the knee however they have these massive tendons that grant them tremendous strength so I figured that training my tendons might be a good idea, yet there isn't much information available that I've been able to find.

 

[jobo]

As you might know the tendons, ligaments, and joints are very important not only for martial arts but for an active lifestyle. I haven't found a way to nurture and enhance said tissue to prevent injuries and improve myself, does anyone knows about an approach to exercising said tissue?

I figured them to be very important while looking at a horse, while their quads are very muscular they have little muscle under the knee however they have these massive tendons that grant them tremendous strength so I figured that training my tendons might be a good idea, yet there isn't much information available that I've been able to find.

Joints,,, move them, but not so much you wear them out ,,muscle /ligaments /tendons, lift heavy things, but no so heavy you damage them.

You canT train tendons with out training muscles and you can't train muscle with out doing tendons,,, they sort of come as a pair

 

[MetalBoar]

So, some basics, and please don't be offended if I get TOO basic, also, this is a 10,000' view and I'm simplifying some of this:

• Ligaments connect bone to bone.
• Tendons connect muscle to bone.
• Ligaments, tendons and muscles are all made up of basically the same material but with different proportions of collagen, elastin and other proteins. They are more or less flexible/rigid depending on the mix.
• Joints are stabilized and protected by the ligaments, tendons and muscles around them.
• It's helpful for discussions like this to think of a muscle and tendon together as a musculotendinous unit - they're really kind of like one structure that changes in composition between the elastic muscle belly in the middle and the tough, less elastic tendons at the attachment points.

In short, I agree with jobo in the above post. You need to move your joints through their normal range of motion to keep them healthy. If you strengthen your muscles it will strengthen the associated tendons and surrounding ligaments which will in turn provide more stability and protection for you joints. Lifting heavy things within a healthy range of motion and proper body alignment is the safest and fastest way achieve what you're talking about and you'll get a lot stronger at the same time.

 

[Obsidian Fury]

I see, makes sense thanks to both of you.

 

[KabutoKouji]

I know I always bang on about it - but there is a Qi Gong Coiling Set which is very good for strengthening tendons IMO. However only one of the movements in the set (the final one) would be useful for tendons in your knee.

 

[Prostar]

My favorite training technique was roller skating. I became a rink rat. I had messed up my knee in high school track. After I got the knee to bend again I hit the rink and made it work.

A bit unorthodox, but it worked for me.

 

[gucia6]

As you might know the tendons, ligaments, and joints are very important not only for martial arts but for an active lifestyle. I haven't found a way to nurture and enhance said tissue to prevent injuries and improve myself, does anyone knows about an approach to exercising said tissue?

I figured them to be very important while looking at a horse, while their quads are very muscular they have little muscle under the knee however they have these massive tendons that grant them tremendous strength so I figured that training my tendons might be a good idea, yet there isn't much information available that I've been able to find.

I have problem with right hip, lifting bent leg up (knee to chest) was a problem even thou I had muscular quads (lots of cycling). Groin stretch in sitting sometimes hurts, forget about split. But after couple of months of regular exercises including that 'awful' lifting knee to chest (while standing of course), I am more capable of executing better kicks.

From own experience I can recommend:
dynamic stretching
static stretching
balance exercises (incl. e.g kick in slow motion)

no sudden and/or awkward movements
if it hurts - stop, try to figure out the reason, maybe you just have to twist/adjust position
pay attention to your body
take it easy - one step at a time, start with less repetitions/lower load
take time to rest

 

[jobo]

I have problem with right hip, lifting bent leg up (knee to chest) was a problem even thou I had muscular quads (lots of cycling). Groin stretch in sitting sometimes hurts, forget about split. But after couple of months of regular exercises including that 'awful' lifting knee to chest (while standing of course), I am more capable of executing better kicks.

From own experience I can recommend:
dynamic stretching
static stretching
balance exercises (incl. e.g kick in slow motion)

no sudden and/or awkward movements
if it hurts - stop, try to figure out the reason, maybe you just have to twist/adjust position
pay attention to your body
take it easy - one step at a time, start with less repetitions/lower load
take time to rest

lifting a knee, has nothing at all to do with your quads, except having particularly developed quads, could work against you, the culprit, is generally, though not exclusively the hip flexer muscle, which is a particularly difficult to muscle to develop

 

[gucia6]

lifting a knee, has nothing at all to do with your quads, except having particularly developed quads, could work against you, the culprit, is generally, though not exclusively the hip flexer muscle, which is a particularly difficult to muscle to develop

fair point, but what I meant is that even thou I have relatively strong legs I am not too good with leg related exercises, because as you said, the problem lays in other stuffs that are not developed well enough.

But hey, standing on one leg engages quads a bit as well, so indirectly lifting knee to chest has something to do with quads