Built from Broken: A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body

by Scott H Hogan

One of the simplest ways to eliminate exercise-related joint pain is to take the momentum out of the movement. This is especially effective for working through tendon pain and learning new exercises. More often than not, you can work through discomfort safely just by reducing the weight and slowing down the repetition speed to at least three seconds during the lifting (concentric) phase and three seconds during the lowering (eccentric) phase. Your body responds in a completely different manner to this type of training. Slow repetition speeds allow you to safely perform previously uncomfortable movements without pain while also strengthening connective tissue.

Collagen is the second most abundant substance in the human body (behind water), accounting for about 30% of the total protein.