Do you need separate tendon training when you lift weights?
Understand muscles, tendons and ligaments before adding another routine.
Three tissues, different jobs
Muscles produce force. Tendons transmit muscle force to bones, while ligaments connect bones and help support joints. Calling all three muscles can lead to confusing advice. A painful area near a joint also cannot be reliably identified as a tendon problem from its location alone.
Ordinary lifting already loads tendons
Resistance exercise involves more than muscle tissue. The review by Bohm and colleagues describes tendon adaptation to mechanical loading in healthy adults. This does not establish one universal tendon routine, and evidence about tendons should not be treated as a prescription for stretching or strengthening ligaments.
Isometric describes a way of producing force
Holding a position against resistance is an isometric action. It may be one option within a programme, rather than a mandatory extra exercise for everyone over 40. The exercise, resistance, position and duration all matter; a longer hold is not automatically the better choice.
Pain relief is not guaranteed
The review by Clifford and colleagues did not establish that isometric exercise is superior to other contraction approaches for chronic tendinopathy. Do not turn a general article into a self-directed rehabilitation programme. A painful exercise does not become appropriate simply because you stop moving and hold it.
Keep training changes interpretable
Avoid increasing weight, sets and frequency together merely to work tendons harder. Keep notes about what changed and seek assessment for persistent or worsening pain. JJ FIT records completed exercise; it does not measure tendon recovery or identify injured tissues.
Sources and further reading
- Bohm et al. (2015): tendon adaptation to loading
- Clifford et al. (2020): isometric exercise and tendinopathy