Hey everyone. It’s been one of those months where I have had an influx of achilles tendon issues that my clients have presented with. They have ranged from full blown tendonitis to rehabbing a full rupture.
You know when you realise that you are starting to struggle with this type of injury because you start to feel a sharp morning stiffness in your heel or an ache after a run or do exercise that just won’t quit! So welcome to one of the most stubborn structures in the body. The Achilles tendon.
Your achilles tendon is the spring that powers every stride, jump, and push-off — storing and releasing energy like a coiled rubber band. But when that spring frays, we lose strength, speed, and rhythm.
The big point of this months newsletter is not about the the pathology itself, though interesting I want to go over one of the key principle rehab protocols that you should follow in the early stage of rehab.
One huge mistake that I see that is put out there is social media land is calf board stretching. If you have a pretty angry achilles, DO NOT stretch it!
That’s where isometrics come in.
Understanding the Problem: Why the Achilles Gets Grumpy
Your Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to your heel bone. Every step you take loads it with up to 6–8 times your bodyweight when running or jumping.
When that loading exceeds what the tendon is conditioned to handle, you can develop:
- Tendinopathy – thickening, stiffness, pain, and reduced elasticity.
- Insertional tendon pain near the heel bone.
- Loss of tendon stiffness, making every stride feel dull and heavy.
The key? The tendon doesn’t like rest, it likes smart, progressive load.
The Power of Isometrics
Unlike traditional movement-based exercises, isometrics involve holding a static contraction — no joint movement, but a strong muscle effort.
They’re low impact, easy to control, and when done right they build both tendon stiffness and pain tolerance. We need to realise that the tendon is highly adaptable connective tissue — but it only responds when the load is specific, intense, and sustained long enough to signal change.
So go hard on these as that is where the adaptation occurs.
- High effort (70–100% intensity)
- 10–20 second holds
Why Isometrics Works
They improve tendon stiffness: helps the tendon store and release elastic energy efficiently
They reduce pain: short isometric bouts can calm tendon pain
They allow early rehab — load the tendon safely without heavy impact
They build strength foundation — before progressing to eccentric or plyometric work.
On my YouTube page you will see a couple of early stage isometrics videos that I like to introduce to my clients. This is a small part of the rehab process but an important one so feel free to give these a go and if you know of someone that might benefit from this information then please do share.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOaknEY2qmmbeEydn5zcXQ
Keep this in mind!
- Any pain during the exercise: Mild discomfort (1–3 / 10) is fine; sharp pain is not.
- Next day stiffness is normal. A little tightness is expected; if it worsens, scale load back.
- Consistency and intensity is important. Aim for two to three sessions a week beats one hard hit.
Your Achilles doesn’t need rest, it needs the right kind of work.
Isometrics give it structure, strength, and the stiffness it needs to do its job to spring, propel, and absorb force.
Whether you’re recovering from tendinopathy or simply chasing stronger, faster performance.
Load smart. Hold strong. Move better.
Till next time.
Mario
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