DM Performance

Are you crying out for your team to start going to the gym?

Being out matched by teams physically?

Feeling like you have the skill but missing the edge?

Losing sprint races, not feeling quick off the ground?

Time to change that

Next intake of athletes for GAA
Pre - Season Programming is Open Now

Get in touch and make this year your best🔥

Very proud to have spent the last 7 months working with this bunch towards competing at the National Championships, were an absolute pleasure to work with and wish them all the best in the future.

Tendon Rehab - Going to look at the knee here because it's what I have the most experience with.

So, during the rehabilitation process for tendinitis, such as the patellar tendon in the picture or the quad tendon (just above the patella) there is generally 4 clear stages (this is more of a continuum but will make it 4 defined stages for the sake of simplicity)

1. Isometrics
2. Resistance Training
3. Plyometrics
4. Return to Play

In order to effectively rehab from a tendon issue, we can't just focus on pain management, that is only going to push the problem further down the road, we need to look at both pain management and seek adaptation for increased tendon function to avoid the pain coming back.

In the isometric phase, for a knee issue I most often go back to the split squat, this allows the sufficient loading of the tendon across a range of different joint angles, how deep the split squat is tends to be dependent on pain, however in order to encourage tendon adaptation, load needs to be greater then about 70% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Paper referenced in comments. This leads to positive changes in terms of tendon stiffness & thickness and allows you to move onto the resistance training phase.

The same principle applies for resistance training in that the tendon needs to be exposed a load of greater then 70% of MVIC. However the body is a bit like a chain, and a kink in one part will likely cause issues in other parts. With patellar/quad tendinitis, the natural reaction is to avoid flexion of the knee to avoid pain, this means that by this stage there is most likely going to be a mobility restriction at the ankle that won't allow a proper squat to expose that tendon to the required force. This can be sorted by adapting your squat to remove ankle mobility as a limiting factor through something like I put up a couple days ago; squatting on an inclined plate, or even just a heels elevated squat should work. Once full, heavy resistance training can be consistently performed pain-free, time to move on.

Once intensive, chaotic plyometrics can be performed pain-free, it's time to return to sport or full activity!

Men's Strength & Conditioning Class is Returning!

Beginning February 3rd

Limited spaces; drop a message to either account to get booked in or else give a call to

Darragh: 0871261226
The Arena: 069 78465