Learn what exercises to do to develop flexibility and strength. Your results in strength and muscle gain directly depend on this. Today, more and more people are starting to get involved in sports. Increasingly, people begin to visit gyms, wishing to improve their figure and health. In this case, it is very important to warm up before starting the lesson. If you do that, then that's great. But it will be great if you include exercises to strengthen the ligaments in your training program as well.
This is due to the fact that the ligaments develop much more slowly than the muscles. As a result, you progress in weight, and the ligaments have an increasing load and at one point they may not be able to withstand. As a rule, such injuries take a long time to heal and you will have to skip classes.
What are Ligaments and Tendons?
Tendons are designed to attach muscles to bones, and they are made of connective tissue. Tendons have a unique structure that makes them strong enough, but at the same time they have a low rate of elongation. As such, there is no border between muscle and tendon, but there is a so-called transition zone. Here, the muscle fibers merge with the tendons into one whole. Only closer to the place of attachment to the skeleton, the tendons become clearly visible and are white cords. It is at this point of transition that they are most vulnerable.
Even a minor injury associated with the breaking of a pair of fibers can cause serious trouble. If there is a complete rupture of the tendon, then surgical intervention is already indispensable. However, the body has a defense system that promotes faster healing of tendon injuries. A large number of capillaries are located in the transition zone, which makes it possible to quickly supply the necessary nutrients to it, which are necessary to eliminate damage.
Ligaments are also made of connective tissue and are designed to connect bones or support internal organs. Bundles can be classified according to their purpose. So, let's say there are ligaments that are designed to increase the strength of the bone articulation.
The Achilles tendon is the most vulnerable spot for people who are actively running. At the same time, it is this tendon that is the most durable in the human body. It has the ability to withstand tensile loads of up to 350 kilos. But it is precisely this that is most often injured in runners. For builders, one of the most vulnerable spots is the knee joint. It contains two main ligaments: the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. To reduce the risk of injury to your ligaments and tendons, you should do exercises to strengthen your ligaments.
What exercises are most effective for strengthening the ligaments?
For the foot and lower leg
- Exercise 1: Lean against the wall and move away from it as far as possible. In this case, the heel should touch the ground. Start pressing your heel into the ground with maximum force. This movement can be performed at any time, and the duration of one set is from 0.5 to 1.5 minutes. Throughout the day, you should do the exercise for about 5 minutes on each leg.
- Exercise 2: Stand on two legs with your lower leg resting on an object. Start pressing your fingers hard into the ground. As the ligaments develop, start working on each leg separately. The duration of a set is from 0.5 to 1.5 minutes.
- Exercise 3: Take a barbell on your shoulders and, standing on your toes, keep your balance. In this case, the second leg should be in the air. Until the weight of the projectile exceeds one hundred percent of your body weight, the duration of the set is one minute. If this working weight is exceeded, do the exercise for 0.5 minutes.
For thigh and lower leg
- Exercise 1: Being in the "step" position, begin, as it were, to pull your feet together. In this case, you should slightly bend the knee joint and fix it. The feet should be fixed at the set point, with the body positioned in the middle between them.
- Exercise 2: You should get out of the split with the help of a friend who holds you by the shin laid back. Gradually it is necessary to increase the amplitude, and then use the weights. In one set (from 2 to 4 for the whole lesson) there should be ten repetitions.
For adductors and hamstrings
- Exercise 1: Stand on a hill and lean forward. Arch your back and bend your knees slightly. Pick up weights weighing 32 kilograms each and hold them. In one set, the duration of holding sports equipment is from 10 to 20 seconds. In one workout, this exercise should be performed for a minute.
- Exercise 2: Stand against the gymnastic wall and grab the bar. A leg raised at a right angle should be held by a friend by the shin or heel. Begin to rise on your foot, while simultaneously pushing the body forward. Press down with your heel, gradually increasing the force. Starting from six seconds, bring this time to a quarter of an hour.
How to strengthen ligaments and tendons, see this video:
