Achilles Tendons and CrossFit: Injury Prevention Strategies with Brent Fikowski
Release Date: 11/17/2025
Achilles Tendons and CrossFit: Injury Prevention Strategies with Brent Fikowski
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Achilles Health in CrossFit 02:17 Brent Fikowski's CrossFit Journey and Achilles Injuries 05:28 Understanding Achilles Ruptures in CrossFit 06:12 The Role of Physical Preparation in Preventing Injuries 09:13 Training Practices in CrossFit and Their Impact on Achilles Health 12:11 The Importance of Calf Training in CrossFit 15:22 Exploring Structural Development for Achilles Health 18:14 Prehab Strategies for Achilles and Calf Strengthening 21:26 Conclusion and Key Takeaways 25:50 Understanding Calf Muscle Dynamics 27:14 Effective Calf Training Strategies 29:30...
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Bilateral Quad Tendon Rupture Story with Jalen Shabazz
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Jalen Shabazz 01:01 The Day of the Injury 02:29 Immediate Aftermath and Surgery 04:59 Post-Surgery Recovery and Physical Therapy 07:30 Rehabilitation Journey Begins 10:06 Returning to Strength Training 14:06 Gradual Return to Olympic Lifts 17:45 Relearning to Walk and Running Again 20:07 Getting Back to Jumping and Advanced Movements 22:21 Navigating Pain and Adjustments in Training 23:33 Athletic Background and Early Injuries 26:22 Transition to Weightlifting and Knee Issues 30:22 Understanding the Causes of Tendon Ruptures 34:52 The Impact of Pain Ignorance...
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Calf & Achilles with Dylan Carmody
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Technical Challenges 03:11 Dylan Carmody's Background and Expertise 05:53 The Importance of Calf Research 08:59 Biomechanics of the Calf and Achilles 12:12 Understanding Muscle Function: Soleus vs. Gastrocnemius 14:57 Training Considerations for Calf Muscles 17:47 Injury Mechanisms and Rehabilitation Strategies 20:45 The Role of Aponeurosis in Muscle Function 24:03 Exploring Tendon Strain and Adaptation 27:01 Athletic Performance and Muscle Characteristics 37:03 Exploring the Role of Soleus and Gastrocnemius in Running 42:33 Understanding Tendon Development and...
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Tendon & Cartilage with Jess Ellis
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:47 Ethics of Wearable Technology in Sports 05:48 Pathways to Professional Sports 08:46 Understanding Tendon and Cartilage Dynamics 11:53 False Steps and Achilles Ruptures 14:50 Patellofemoral Pain: An Overview 17:47 Mechanics of the Patellofemoral Joint 20:45 Cartilage and Joint Dynamics 23:21 Managing Patellofemoral Pain 26:30 Fluid Dynamics in Joint Health 29:21 Graded Exposure and Rehabilitation Strategies 32:13 Conclusion and Future Directions 55:32 Eccentric Training and Joint Mechanics 57:57 Isokinetics and Functional Assessment 01:00:39...
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Tendons, Dynamic Movement, and Rehab with Matt McInnes Watson and Derek Garza
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Updates from the Guests 02:34 Dynamic Movement and Plyometrics in Rehabilitation 05:32 ACL Rehabilitation Strategies and Insights 08:43 Understanding Knee and Ankle Dynamics 11:34 The Role of Compliance and Stiffness in Recovery 14:33 Gradual Return to Plyometrics and Dynamic Movements 17:30 Exploring Ankle Mechanics and Achilles Rehabilitation 20:29 The Importance of Individualized Rehabilitation Approaches 23:25 Reverse Engineering Movement Patterns for Recovery 26:41 Final Thoughts on Rehabilitation and Dynamic Movement 40:13 Training for Tendon Resilience...
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Tendon Rehab with Q Willy
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Q's Journey 02:59 The Influence of Mentorship in Physical Therapy 06:06 Challenging Traditional Beliefs in Physical Therapy 08:57 The Limitations of Physical Therapy Education 11:53 Experiences as an Athlete and the Role of Strength Conditioning 14:53 The Disconnect in Athletic Training and Rehabilitation 17:49 Understanding Tendon Pain and Rehabilitation Strategies 20:50 The Importance of Function Over Pain 23:57 The Role of Manual Therapy in Rehabilitation 26:48 The Psychological Impact of Injury on Athletes 30:04 Reframing Rehabilitation: Keeping Athletes...
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Achilles and Patellar Tendons with Jarrod Antflick and Jon Houghton
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sports Medicine and Tendinopathy 02:52 Understanding Tendinopathy: Causes and Challenges 05:28 Differentiating Tendon Issues: The Role of Ultrasound 08:29 Metabolic Influences on Tendon Health 11:41 Treatment Approaches: Loading vs. Anti-Inflammatories 14:36 The Role of Surgery in Tendon Management 17:24 Innovative Techniques in Tendon Surgery 20:10 The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis 23:20 Patient Management: From Diagnosis to Treatment 26:06 The Impact of Tendinopathy on Athletic Performance 29:10 Exploring Controversial Treatments: PRP and Stem Cells 32:07...
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Patellofemoral Pain with Colby Beecham
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Colby Beecham and His Journey 02:58 Injuries and Their Impact on Physical Therapy 06:00 Understanding Patellofemoral Pain 08:54 Differentiating Between Knee Pain Types 12:01 The Thermostat Analogy in Rehab 15:09 Loading Strategies for Knee Pain 18:13 The Role of Manual Therapy and Passive Modalities 20:56 Isometrics and Their Effect on Pain 23:58 Lifestyle Factors in Recovery 26:58 Conclusion and Key Takeaways 33:57 Understanding Patellofemoral Pain and Treatment Approaches 37:07 The Importance of Lifestyle Factors in Recovery 39:28 The Role of Imaging in Pain...
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Achilles and Patellar Tendons with Gaspar Epro
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Tendon Research and Personal Insights 02:58 Exploring Tendon Development in Infants 05:42 The Berlin Method: Training Older Adults 09:01 Understanding Muscle Strength and Stability in Older Adults 11:40 Challenges in Calf Muscle Growth 14:31 The Mechanics of Tendon Adaptation 17:21 Cyclical Loading and Its Importance 20:39 Tendon Creep and Muscle Fatigue 23:26 The Role of Resting Length in Tendon Strain 26:02 Investigating Overtraining and Tendon Health 29:12 Conclusion and Future Directions in Tendon Research 43:26 Understanding the Berlin Method Frequency 47:13...
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Patellar Tendons with Jordan Kilganon
Jacked Athlete Podcast
Chapters 00:00 The Journey of a Dunker: Early Years and Injuries 03:02 Understanding Knee Pain: Causes and Solutions 06:09 Training Techniques: Isometrics and Warm-ups 09:00 Diet and Its Impact on Performance 12:00 Adapting to Age: Training Adjustments Over Time 15:05 The Mechanics of Jumping: Techniques and Styles 17:58 Warm-up and Cool-down: Importance in Training 20:52 Managing Volume and Intensity in Training 24:10 The Role of Recovery: Isometrics and Pain Management 26:51 Final Thoughts: The Future of Dunking and Training 33:07 Exploring Conservative Management Techniques 36:09...
info_outlineChapters
00:00 Introduction to Achilles Health in CrossFit
02:17 Brent Fikowski's CrossFit Journey and Achilles Injuries
05:28 Understanding Achilles Ruptures in CrossFit
06:12 The Role of Physical Preparation in Preventing Injuries
09:13 Training Practices in CrossFit and Their Impact on Achilles Health
12:11 The Importance of Calf Training in CrossFit
15:22 Exploring Structural Development for Achilles Health
18:14 Prehab Strategies for Achilles and Calf Strengthening
21:26 Conclusion and Key Takeaways
25:50 Understanding Calf Muscle Dynamics
27:14 Effective Calf Training Strategies
29:30 The Importance of Single Leg Training
31:49 Optimizing Calf Raise Techniques
33:14 Equipment Considerations for Calf Training
36:34 Addressing Achilles Tendon Pain
42:47 The Role of Footwear in Calf Training
50:08 Preparing for Rebounding Box Jumps
57:34 The Importance of Calf Strength and Conditioning
01:03:15 Recovery and Warm-Up Strategies
01:07:50 Metabolic Health and Tendon Adaptation
01:13:05 Long-Term Tendon Health and Consistency
Takeaways
Brent Fikowski shares his experience in CrossFit and the importance of Achilles health.
Achilles injuries are prevalent in CrossFit, especially during rebounding box jumps.
Proper warm-up and conditioning can significantly reduce the risk of Achilles injuries.
Calf training is often neglected in CrossFit, leading to potential injuries.
Variability in training can help strengthen the Achilles tendon.
Plyometric training should be approached with caution to prevent injuries.
Structural development of muscles and tendons is crucial for injury prevention.
Prehab strategies can help maintain Achilles health and prevent injuries.
Loading techniques for calf raises should focus on slow, heavy movements.
Metabolic health plays a significant role in tendon strength and injury recovery.
Article on this podcast: https://www.professionalfitnessathletesassociation.org/achilles-training
Brent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fikowski/
Website: https://brentfikowski.com
PFAA: https://www.professionalfitnessathletesassociation.org