Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

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Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Progressive Loading Protocol for Runners

July 22, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on July 22nd, 2018 at 11:38am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

The hamstrings are an essential group of muscles that are located on the posterior (back side) of the thigh. Due to their position in the body, the hamstrings function to provide shock absorption and propulsion while running. But, there comes a time where a sudden increase in mileage, poor gluteal function, or various other factors can cause too much repetitive strain on these muscles, thus leading to tendinopathy.

Because the hamstring group is composed of three muscles (semitendinosis, semimembranosis, and biceps femoris), the location of your pain may vary. Some prime areas are at the origin of all three hamstring muscles on the ischial tuberosity OR at the insertion points by the anteromedial, posteromedial, and posterolateral knee joint.

Anytime you are experiencing pain, it’s important to find a competent healthcare provider. Most overuse injuries are too multifactorial to resolve solely from this article. But, I’m hopeful it will at least provide you with some guidance in facilitating the process to pain-free movement.

With the growing research (h ere and here) on slow eccentric loading to resolve overuse tendon injuries, what are the most effective exercises in reducing pain and resolving tendinopathy at the hamstrings? Or, if you choose to look at it from a preventive viewpoint… which exercises can be used to increase the loading capacity and strength, as a means to reduce the overall likelihood of future injury?

The following exercises are in order from simple to advanced. The goal is to use these exercises as a way to progressively load the hamstring muscle group and reverse the tendinopathy. And, with all rehabilitation programs, other methods are recommended in addition to this loading protocol to increase positive outcomes. This may include modifying your running mileage, incorporating pain relief methods, and using an appropriate form of manual therapy.

Programming recommendations vary from 2x/day of 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions, to every other day. Initially, the dose has to be manipulated based on how you respond. Therefore, using the 24-hour rule is important. Simply, it’s fine to feel pain during and up to 24-hours after loading the desired area. As long as pain does not persist past 24-hours then the appropriate load has been applied.

Let’s dive into the progression:

Note: While performing each of the exercises below, it’s important to realize that this is a progression. Do not complete each exercise at one time, but start at the beginning and progress to the next exercise in 3-4 weeks. The goal is mastery and control during each exercise which requires a 5-8 second eccentric contraction.

Exercise #1: Elevated Hip Lift

Exercise #2: Eccentric Ball Curl

Exercise #3: Elevated Single Leg Hip Lift

Exercise #4: Single Leg Eccentric Ball Curl

Exercise #5: Romanian Deadlift

Exercise #6: Single Leg Deadlift

Thank you for reading this article! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

In the Spotlight: Kerry Wittwer

July 8, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

We are back at it with another edition of ‘In the Spotlight.’ This time, let’s chat with Kerry Wittwer!

Kerry contacted me just over 3-months from her race with goals to stay injury-free and run the 1/2 in under 2:00. With 3-months until race day, it was important not to try anything fancy but work on correcting various imbalances and begin introducing strength training to Kerry’s program. Luckily for us, Kerry responded very well and was able to supplement her running with strength training with no setbacks or overtraining.

What I have learned about Kerry is that she will always find a way to get things done. While juggling family-life, work, and travel, there are rarely check-ins where she reports missing days or falling off track. Like I always say, you can have the best program in the world but if you are not consistent over an extended period of time, it does NOT matter. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about Kerry and can simply provide a small amount of guidance in order for her to be successful. And, I’m super pumped to see how she does with her 1st marathon!!

Without further ado, let’s shine the spotlight on…

Kerry Wittwer

Q: Where are you from?

A: “I’ve pretty much been living in Tennessee or Georgia for most of my life (since I was 8). Through high school, I was in Kingsport in East Tennessee, then College at UT in Knoxville, then 12 years in Atlanta, and then 5 years ago my husband, girls, and I moved up to Franklin.”

Q: What do you do for work?

A: “I am an architect, and work for a firm out of Atlanta called ai3,”

Q: When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: “Aside from running, which is what I do with any available time I can squeeze from my life, my family loves sports. We are a big soccer family; my oldest daughter plays competitively and my younger daughter is starting to get into it, as well. When we’re not at one of their games, we’re normally at a Nashville SC or Atlanta United game….or just watching one on tv.”

Q: What are the top reasons you enjoy running and fitness?

A: “I’ve always enjoyed being active, but somehow after my second daughter’s birth, I decided THAT was the time to run a half marathon. She was 5 months old when I ran my first half, and I haven’t really stopped since. I have found a new sense of pride, peace, and pure enjoyment. I wish I had started so much earlier in life, but am determined to make the most of my time now. I want to run as long as I can, and I want to run as many races with my children as possible. My daughter has already run a few 5ks with me and I can’t wait until she is old enough to run a half with me.”

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? Why?

A: “Are we talking for running purposes because there are definitely better climates for it than where we are right now in Tennessee! I love Colorado and Switzerland though, if I could literally pick anywhere.”

Q: When you first started working with Garrett, what were the goals you wanted to achieve?

A: “I had been running consistently for 4+ years and completed 6 half marathons when I began working with Garrett. I had gotten to a pretty consistent completion time and was hanging in the 2:10 to 2:16 range, but would find myself just wearing totally out around mile 10 and I really wanted to run a sub 2:00 half.”

Q: What motivated you to work with Garrett and/or start supplementing your running with strength training?

A: “I had experienced one stress fracture and some shin splint issues over the past few years and have been a bit cautious not wanting to find myself injured again, but I knew there were better ways to improve performance, speed, and efficiency AND not get injured.”

Q: Even though you only had 3-months before your race, did you feel like adding strength training made a big impact?

A: “It made a humongous impact. I was actually shocked at how quickly I noticed a change in my running.”

Q: What are the most noticeable improvements you’ve seen so far?

A: “My overall speed is the number one difference. I was shocked at the perceived effort and how it feels easier, yet I’m going faster. I also noticed a large change while running uphill.”

Q: How did your race go? And, are there any specific areas you think you need to improve moving forward?

A: “My race was “almost” perfect. (Perfect is pretty difficult to achieve) I hit my goal of a sub 2 hour half marathon and finished in 1:58:39. This was more than a 12 minute PR. Although I noticed improvements quickly, I think that I could be so much stronger than I am now and that is the most intriguing to me moving forward. If I was finally able to hit that goal with only 3 months of change, what’s in store for me if I keep working?”

Q: What is your favorite part about the individualized programming option?

A: “My favorite part is that it’s tailored to me. Garrett is looking at my current fitness, mileage, goals, weaknesses, past injuries, and available (limited) time, and then designing a plan specific to me that is going to make the most of where I’m at. I was always overwhelmed by the amount of exercises that were “good for runners” and I never really knew which to do, how many reps, what weights….Having Garrett design a plan for me each month takes all of that stress out of it.”

Q: What is that one thing (exercise, drill, etc.) you dislike the most but continue to work on because you know it will help?

A: “Oh man….there may be a few to put on this list. 😉 I really don’t like the deadlifts.”

Q: How do you feel Garrett’s services may differ from other professionals in his field?

A: “The specificity to running being the number one goal. It is strength training for runners.”

Q: The word on the street is you have your eyes set on even bigger goals now that you surpassed the 2:00! Could you tell us about that?

A: “Well, I just turned 40 in June, and my midlife crisis must have struck quickly, because I am now officially registered for my first full marathon!”

Thank you for reading this ‘In the Spotlight’ segment. And, a big shout out to Kerry Wittwer! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback.

3 Reasons Why You “Feel” Tight

June 13, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on June 13th, 2018 at 8:27am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Flexibility and tightness are two common and often misunderstood concepts. Just because you feel tight in a particular area does not mean you actually need to stretch. Wait, what?!?

The problem with the term ‘tightness’ is that it can be very subjective. When you finish a hard workout, your muscles feel tight. When you get punched in the arm and it bruises, that could feel tight. And, when you sit for extended periods of time, it’s likely that you’ll feel tight. But, without assessing muscle length with specific tests to determine the degree of tightness, this is just a subjective measure based on how your body feels.

Over the years, numerous runners have approached me with the goal of improving flexibility. This may be due to a shortened stride, the feeling of excess tightness following their runs, or actually having to stop mid-run and stretch due to tightness. I could easily give in and prescribe a series of static stretches to address the specific areas they are complaining about, and most people would be content. Instead, I feel it’s important that we dig deeper to uncover if these are actually flexibility problems. And if not, what drills, exercise, and/or therapy do they need to function at their best.

Several of the reasons you may be “feeling” tight are…

Lack of stability

Stability is a term that refers to the body’s ability to control it’s joint position. As you move, joints slide and glide around their articulating surfaces with the goal to be as centrated and optimally positioned as possible. Plain and simple, the stabilizers surrounding your joints contract in anticipation and in response to movement in order to keep you upright. It’s then the job of the prime movers to get you from point A to point B.

For some people, maintaining stability can be an issue. In these instances, your body will find other ways to create stability which can be by increasing tension and tone in certain muscles to then create a false sense of stability. I often see this around the hip and shoulder joints as prime movers become facilitated in order to “help out” the poorly functioning stabilizers. Instead of stretching this “tightness,” let’s address the stability component to restore function to the joint and surrounding tissue.

Lack of strength/endurance

Are you truly tight or did you just push the body past it’s threshold? In every running program there are increases in mileage from week to week in order to prepare you for your goal race. At some point, these increases become a little more challenging as you demand more from the body. If you do not have the capacity to continue increasing the demand, fatigue and tightness are often a symptom.

Stretching may help temporarily but it’s actually more rest, recovery, and increasing your capacity to load the body which will undoubtedly resolve the tightness. In essence, this type of tightness may be your body’s warning sign saying you are exceeding it’s limits. Therefore, strength training and establishing a more resilient foundation may actually be a viable strategy to reduce muscular tightness.

Lack of tissue extensibility

Sounds fancy, huh? Well, it’s not…

Simply, are you tight? This is the only way I think about tightness and it needs to be determined through testing that looks at muscle length. Do your tissues possess the ability to lengthen to the degree in which we have quantified average? If not, you are objectively tight.

All of the other examples above can leave you feeling tight but as a subjective symptom that would be better called stiffness or tone. This example is the only true tightness which actually means you have limited range of motion caused by tight muscles.

Would static stretching be good here? Ehh. Maybe yes, maybe no. But rather, full range of motion movements to end-range, mobility drills, and gradually training the nervous system to allow you into deeper ranges.

Interested in learning more about this topic? Click below to watch a video on ‘3 Reasons you “Feel” Tight’…

Thank you for taking the time to read this article! On a daily basis, I work with runners just like you who are actively stretching and searching for ways to improve flexibility and overall performance. Without an accurate assessment to determine the root cause, you may actually be wasting your time. I know that sounds frustrating, but I’d love to help!

Instead of doing the same things and expecting different results, I want to share with you a FREE resource that will help you get on the fast track to success. The ‘Building the Bulletproof Body Guide: A Distance Athlete’s Guide to Injury Prevention and Performance,’ touches on various topics that will help you excel in all areas of your running. This guide is super important because it will help you build a solid and more reliable foundation upon which to increase your mileage. And… It’s something I want you to have for free. Click here to download your guide right now!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

In the Spotlight: Jessica Homolya

June 10, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

We are back at it within another edition of ‘In the Spotlight!’ This month, let’s hear from Jessica Homolya. I started working with Jessica in December 2017 and have enjoyed watching her progress from pain to big improvements in strength and finishing the Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon with a new PR.

When we first started working together, Jessica was struggling with knee and hamstring pain. After the evaluation, it was clear that there were specific areas that needed to be addressed with therapy and exercise. In addition to incorporating slow eccentric movements to alleviate the chronic knee pain, she worked diligently to restore strength and proper motion at the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine.

There are some people who need to be pushed and then there are others who just need to be guided. Jessica has a great background in exercise science and is one of the most motivated and hardworking people I know. In her case, it’s more so tweaking the dials and letting her do what she does.

Without further ado, let’s shine the spotlight on…

Jessica Homolya

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself (born, raised, family)?

A: “Born in Somerset Kentucky but raised in up state NY. I went to Western Kentucky University and received a degree in Exercise Science. I moved to louisville Kentucky out of college which is where I met my husband Ken. We have 3 crazy kids ages 6, 4, and 2.”

Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: “My husband and I play softball together! I love working out and basically doing anything physical or competitive. We run a bunch of adventure races and I just ran my second half marathon. I love to spend time with my kiddos and we all love movie night at home!!”

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? Why?

A: “Thats a hard question. I guess I would say that Im pretty happy right where I am at. I would like to slow down a bit but Im pretty happy with Nashvegas! Its pretty centrally located to a lot of cool places with in driving distance and its a great city!”

Q: What are the reasons exercise (lifting, running, etc.) has been such a big part of your life over the years?

A: “I have always been an athlete from the moment I could pick up a ball. When I was a senior in high school i developed a pretty bad eating disorder because I was always bigger/more muscular than most of the girls in my school. At that point in my life i didn’t appreciate the muscle that I had!!! Needless to say, I was very sick for about 5 years. It wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year in college that I decided to change my life and be healthy. I changed my major from animal science to exercise science and i dove in. I have loved learning about nutrition and exercise and have lived the lifestyle ever since. I love working out and I love cooking healthy delicious food!!!”

Q: When you first started working with Garrett, what were the main goals you wanted to achieve?

A: “When I first started working with Garrett I was a train wreck. I had run my first half marathon in april 2017 and had only trained 3 weeks for it. I had the worst knee and hamstring pain to the point that it would wake me up in the middle of the night. My body had also changed after having 3 children and my core was seriously compromised and my glutes were not firing. For a person who loves working out and being active, this was a huge problem. I just wanted to feel good again and get stronger. I needed help!”

Q: After you started seeing improvements in your knee and hamstring pain, did your goals change at all?

A: “My goals absolutely did change!!! I said I would never run a half marathon again but as soon as I started feeling better guess what…I signed up for a second one!! My knee pain and hamstring pain had resolved to the point that I could run so I trained for it and improved my time by 24 minutes WITH NO PAIN!!! I felt absolutely amazing!”

Q: In the beginning, what motivated you to work with Garrett?

A: “I just wanted to be out of pain and to get stronger. I was so sick of working so hard to only hurt and not see any progress.”

Q: What are the most noticeable improvements you’ve seen so far?

A: “My knee and hamstring pain is gone!!!! I can sprint around the bases playing softball without feeling like I am going to tear ever muscle in my leg. I am getting stronger and most importantly I am pain free!!! I am actually seeing results!!”

Q: What is your favorite part about the sessions?

A: “I LOVE that he pushes me past my comfort zone. The intensity of my workouts is so much higher when I train with Garrett.”

Q: What is that one thing you dislike the most but continue to work on because you know it will help?

A: “I don’t really dislike anything about the workouts/programs. I love working hard and the progress I am seeing is driving me even more!!”

Q: Recently, you ran the Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon. How did your training go for this race and the race itself?

A: “The road training for the race was grueling but rewarding. I pounded the pavement with zero knee pain for the first time in a year and I loved it. The strength training for the race was very centered around core strengthening and hip strengthening. This I am positive is what made this race absolutely amazing for me. I was able to hit my time goal, feel good while running the race, and even more importantly i felt AMAZING after the race! I can honestly say that this race was by far my most rewarding race to date because I felt like I had something to prove to myself and that was that I could do it again, have a goal and meet it, and feel good during and after!!!”

Q: How do you feel Garrett’s services may differ from other professionals in his field?

A: “Garrett is very passionate about what he does and he is 100% invested in his training clients and their personal goals. He is extremely knowledgeable with the human body, functional movement, exercise to improve weakness and rehab injury. He isn’t just some cookie cutter trainer. He truly is an expert at what he does!!! Every program is specific to his client and their needs/wants. He assesses your strengths and your weaknesses and tailors your program to you and your fitness goals!!”

Q: Looking ahead, do you have any new goals you are working towards in 2018?

A: “Ha!!! My goals are always changing. After the race I was sure I was going to run a full marathon but right now my main goal is to build strength in my hips/glutes, to be stronger all around, and to maintain a physique that I am comfortable with. I may talk him into working on my speed while sprinting since I have slowed down a bit from the distance running!”

Thank you for reading this ‘In the Spotlight’ segment. And, a big shout out to Jessica Homolya! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback.

In the Spotlight: Meredith Richardson

May 7, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

We are back at it with another ‘In the Spotlight’ series. This time, let’s hear from Meredith Richardson who’s hard work and ‘never quit’ mentality are two huge contributors to her success.

Over the past 6-months, Meredith has been enrolled in my Custom Exercise Programming option to help her stay injury-free while preparing for a 50k trail race. This includes a monthly check-in/testing and an individualized strength training and corrective program to fit her specific goals and needs. Due to not being local, as well as family and work commitments, this was the best scenario for her situation.

During our monthly sessions, I quickly noticed her determination and consistency, and knew she was not someone I had to worry about. Meredith pretty much only needed to be guided through the process and the rest would take care of itself. I always find myself impressed with people like her who have such a strong right mindset and work ethic for success. Even though tornado warnings caused her 50k to be cut short, it has been great to see her excel and improve in all areas.

Without further ado, let’s shine the spotlight on…

Meredith Richardson

Q: Where are you from?

A: “Hendersonville, TN.”

Q: What do you do for work?

A: “Full-Time Tennessee Army National Guard; Assistant Professor of Military Science (ROTC) at Middle Tennessee State University.”

Q: When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: “Anything outside! I love to run- trails or greenways. Hiking. Cycling. Basically any outdoor activity.”

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? Why?

A: “Utah. I went on vacation a couple summers ago and fell in love with the place. The geography is so varied across the state and encompasses 5 different National Parks. There are endless options on activities to do!”

Q: What are the top reasons you enjoy trail running?

A: “I love being outside and moving through nature.”

Q: When you first started working with Garrett, what were the goals you wanted to achieve?

A: “My race goal was to complete my first Ultra Marathon with a 50K race. I told Garrett from the beginning that I would define success as completing the Ultra and remaining injury free.”

Q: What motivated you to work with Garrett and/or start making changes in your routine?

A: “In the past, completing even half marathons resulted in soreness and pain (specifically in the hip flexors) afterwards. I knew if I was going to be able to complete an Ultra, I would have to do something different besides “just running”. Through simply googling ‘strength training for runners’ it was completely overwhelming, and often contradictory from one site to the next. One thing that immediately drew me to Garrett is that he performed an assessment on ME and then developed a plan based on what I needed. There was nothing generic, but completely personalized from where I was to where I wanted to go. The monthly assessments were huge as a way for him to continually make changes on my plan as I became stronger. It also coincided with my training plan to match strength with higher mileage.”

Q: What are the most noticeable improvements you’ve seen so far?

A: “Before I started with Garrett, I would see hip fatigue starting as early as mile 6 or 7. By the end of the initial six months, I could go on 25+ mile training runs without having any hip flexor issues! This was a HUGE improvement!”

Q: What is that one exercise you dislike the most but continue to work on because you know it will help?

A: “That’s a hard question because if I can’t master an exercise, I want to keep doing it until I master it! Honestly, the challenge of any exercise draws me to it, so there isn’t any one exercise that I dislike / have to make myself do.”

Q: Running a 50k trail race can be challenging! Were there any struggles you encountered along the way?

A: “Two weeks before my race- I developed shin splints due to high mileage. AH! I was in pure panic mode until I contacted Garrett. He was great!! I was able to get in to see him that week for assessment and an Active Release Techniques (ART) session. He gave me stretches and techniques to use over the next two weeks up until race day which helped me to complete the race without my shins slowing me down.”

Q: What is your favorite part about Garrett’s Custom Programming offering?

A: “I loved that it was customizable to me. Garrett didn’t create a one-size-fits-all plan. He took into account where I was, what my goals were, and where I needed to be in creating my monthly work-out plan.”

Q: How do you feel Garrett’s services may differ from other professionals in his field?

A: “It was very unique that I could see him on a monthly basis, but yet have such a high personalized plan. I drove from Hendersonville to Franklin to see him because there wasn’t anyone else that I found who is doing what he does. My schedule doesn’t allow for me to see a personal trainer on a weekly basis. Garrett’s workouts gave me the personal training plan but I was able to perform the workouts based on my schedule.”

Q: Looking ahead, do you have any new goals/races you are working towards?

A: “This summer I am focusing on strength. With work, I will be unavailable to see Garrett, but he has already provided me with a workout plan to do during the summer. I have some more Ultra Marathon goals for this fall and winter.”

Thank you for reading this ‘In the Spotlight’ segment. And, a big shout out to Meredith Richardson! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback.

Using Plyometrics to Bridge the Gap From Your Warm-Up to Running

April 18, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on April 18th, 2018 at 8:12am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

The dynamic warm-up is one of the most valuable aspects of any running, exercise, and performance program. But too often do we focus solely on tissue temperature rather than specific movement limitations and demands of the activity. This often leads to a “warm-up” that has been taken too literally and only prepares the body in some aspects but not the most vital.

With running in particular, it’s important to realize that the activity specifically requires a push-off/propulsion, ground contact/shock absorption, and stance/weight bearing phase. Therefore, all three of these areas need to be included in your warm-up to properly prepare the body.

Where I think runners typically go wrong is by neglecting plyometric movements to bridge the gap from stretching and mobility to the activity of running. Running places 2-4 times bodyweight on the muscles and joints due to it’s repetitive bound and land action. Therefore, we can’t expect to be prepared for running without some type of jumping and landing to prepare the body for this added stress.

There are two lenses to view plyometrics:

Landing-based
Power-based

When adding plyometrics into your program, it’s important to start simple and learn the basics of shock absorption before creating power. Shock absorption is important for runners to properly distribute the impact of each ground contact and increase the load bearing capacity of the bones, joints, and muscles. This can be done with exercises, such as the vertical jump & stick, and single leg vertical jump & stick.

Once proper deceleration and positioning is mastered through these landing-based plyometrics, adding a more explosive movement with power-based plyometrics is important. Power-based plyometrics mimic the repetitive, elastic movement of running to a greater degree. Instead of “sticking” each landing, emphasis is placed on landing and quickly getting back into the air. The transition between landing and jump is called the amortization phase and needs to be minimized to as quickly as possible. The faster the transition, the more power can be created within the stretch-shortening cycle. This can be done with exercises, such as ankle hops, squats jumps, and single leg repetitive jumps.

Power-based plyometrics, in addition to being very important to bridge the gap from the warm-up to running, can also have an impact on running economy. Increasing elasticity in the lower extremity can be a positive factor to reduce overall energy expenditure during running. If your muscles are elastic and therefore more able to store and create energy, the demand on the body to fuel these muscles decreases. This leads to a more efficient movement pattern.

To learn more about how to use plyometrics to bridge the gap and boost your running, watch the video below…

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

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