ShinTekk began in 2011 and has been dedicated to helping improve the health and wellness of those who strive to better themselves through fitness ever since. They are a group of friends and family based in Middleboro, Massachusetts. ShinTekk was designed and patented by inventor and avid runner Charlie Gillis and his long-time friend “Tall” Paul Singley (1).
I started running about 4 years ago. I couldn’t run more than a ½ mile without
stopping. I started to get better after
a month or so, but I tried to progress too quickly and started to develop
injuries. In fact, I spent much of my
first year injured in one way or another, which is why I started my blog. I had shin splints almost that whole year and
developed IT Band pain as well. I looked
everywhere and there really weren’t any decent options to treat shin
splints. I recently came across ShinTekk,
which claims to strengthen the muscles in your legs, which can lead to a
reduction in injuries to knees, shins, and other leg ailments.
According to their website, ShinTekk
increases the bio-mechanical efficiency of the legs by enhancing strength and
flexibility. ShinTekk
has you perform a resistive dorsiflexion exercise which engages the muscles and
ligaments in your lower leg. Resistive
dorsiflexion is the go-to method recommended by physical therapists to boost
running performance and train against and/or rehab shin splints (1). I wish I would have found this when I had
shin splints.
You can use the ShinTekk
with bare feet, just socks, or in your running shoes. You simply slide your foot under the U-Bar
and then onto the trough. You lift your
toes up using your heel as the anchor point.
There are Resistance Bungee bands that come in different strengths (from
3.5 lbs. of resistance to 16 lbs. of resistance) that apply the tension to make
the exercise harder or easier.
The ShinTekk
website also talks about how most runners spend too much time on strengthening their
core, quads, hamstrings, and hips. While
those are all important areas to work on, many people fail to work on the
pretibial muscles (the ones in your shin area), which is where ShinTekk
comes in (1).
ShinTekk
has been tested and endorsed by professional athletes and trainers for the NBA,
NHL, as well as runners, cyclists, physical therapists, and others in the
medical field. The website has some
rather compelling statements, but I wanted to see how well it worked for me.
I started using ShinTekk
3-4 days per week. I would do 3 sets of
15 reps with the yellow (6 lbs.) resistance band. After about 2 weeks, I went up to the red
band (8 lbs.) resistance. I can see a
difference in the amount strength in my lower legs as well as less fatigue
during my runs. I am now using the ShinTekk
every day and will continue this process for the next two months to see how
well it does at fighting off injuries as I train for my 12-hour race in July.
I am very pleased with my ShinTekk
so far. It’s made of plastic and is very
durable. I bought the ST, which retails
for $59.95, which comes with the ShinTekk,
a starter pack of 3 resistance bungees, and a pad that goes under the U-Bar
(which is what you lift up with your foot).
I also bought the Replacement
Bungee Pack that has 8 resistance bungees for
$14.95.
Pros:
Can help treat and prevent shin splints and other leg
ailments.
Decent price at $59.95
Solid construction
Endorsed by medical professionals and athletes
ShinTekk’s Social Media Links:
I am really looking forward to seeing the true benefits of
using ShinTekk
as I continue to use it over the next few months. From my initial testing of the ShinTekk,
I think this will be a vital tool in my fight to remain injury free. If you get one for yourself, please leave a
comment and let me know about your results and I will include them in the
update.
