The Core Rehab Program
Do these consistently for 4-6 weeks. Skip the trendy ones — these are the ones with the strongest evidence for patellar tendon.
1. Spanish Squat
How: Band around the back of the knees and anchored, sit back into a squat.
Dose: 3 sets of 45s isometric holds, daily
Why: Loads the patellar tendon without compressing it — proven to reduce pain quickly.
2. Heavy Slow Squats
How: Back squat or goblet squat, 3s down and 3s up.
Dose: 3 sets of 6-8, 2-3x/week
Why: Tendon remodeling requires slow, heavy load over weeks.
3. Single-Leg Decline Squat
How: Squat on a 25-degree decline board on one leg.
Dose: 3 sets of 10, 2x/week
Why: Targets the patellar tendon through its painful range.
4. Calf Stretching
How: Wall stretch, back leg straight.
Dose: 30s per side, daily
Why: Limited dorsiflexion increases knee load — calf mobility helps offload the tendon.
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