Ready to Progress?
Phase 2 of 4
Phase 3 begins when strength and daily-load tolerance are sufficient to start storing and releasing energy through hopping.
Phase 2 Criteria
Phase 2 Criteria
Build capacity before adding impact
First-step pain is minimal and stable, ideally around 2/10 or less.
Approximately 45–60 minutes of brisk walking is tolerated.
Heavier strengthening does not create a meaningful next-morning flare.
Approximately 20–25 quality single-leg calf raises can be completed.
The high-load toe-extended heel raise can be performed with meaningful external resistance around an 8–10RM effort.
Small two-leg hops are tolerated without sharp plantar heel pain.
You do not need five sets to graduate. The point is meaningful capacity, not checking off an arbitrary historical set count.