The Achilles Program
Dr. Michael Risher, DC

Get your
Achilles
back.

The 20-week tendon program I built for a $10 billion professional organization, now written so you can run it yourself. It comes as an interactive PDF: five short sessions a week, a test every four weeks, and a video behind every exercise.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 Start with just the 4-week Primer $29
20 weeks5 days a week4 checkpoints2 tracksInteractive PDF with video
"I sprinted today with 0 pain." Client, days after it hurt to walk
From my inbox

What clients are saying

Real messages from people running the program, copied word for word.

Text messageReal program testimonial
"I sprinted today with 0 pain, on Monday my Achilles was so bad it was hard to walk. Programs been amazing so far"
Instagram DMReal program testimonial
"For the first time I woke up with minimal and little to no stiffness walking"
How many days of running the program?
"3 lol"
Weekly check-inReal program testimonial
"Hey coach just giving you a weekly update, On Thursday I felt a pretty big improvement. It's continued and I still feel pretty good. Still not 100% or full confidence but something definitely changed. I'm excited to keep pushing forward."
"Pretty much no pain or irritation whatsoever for the past 3 days"

Individual results vary. These are individual experiences, not a guarantee of your result.

Get the same program these clients are running.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
Where it came from

Built for a $10 billion organization

A professional organization worth about $10 billion came to me for help with a problem they were ready to spend millions solving.

I spent more than 60 hours consulting with them. The 20-week program came out of that work: a clear progression, tests you can run with a step and a phone, and rules for when to push and when to hold back.

This is that program, written out session by session so anyone can follow it, for $299.

$10BOrganization the program was built for
60+Hours of consulting behind it
20Weeks, five sessions a week
4Checkpoint tests you run at home
$299For the full program

The $10 billion program, for $299.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
How it works

Gates, not dates

Most people stop rehab as soon as their Achilles stops hurting. Pain goes away long before the tendon's capacity comes back, which is why it keeps returning. Even in elite sport, more than 15% of these injuries come back. This program moves you forward on capacity tests, not on how it feels that day.

RULE 1

Everyone starts in the same place

Weeks 1–4 are the same for a marathoner with six months of heel pain and a basketball player coming off a calf strain.

RULE 2

Week 4 is a gate

Pass the test and move on. Don't pass, repeat Weeks 3–4 and test again. The clock pauses; it doesn't run out.

RULE 3

Your situation picks the track

Two questions: do you still have pain, and are you in season? The answers send you to Track A or Track B.

RULE 4

Pain stays at 3/10 or below

And it's back to baseline within 24 hours. Still sore the next morning? Drop the load 10–20% and repeat the session.

The 20 weeks at a glance

Gate at the end of weeks 4 · 8 · 12 · 16
Weeks 1–4 · PrimerFoot, ankle and hip. Everyone starts here.
Weeks 5–20 · Track A or Track BIsometric holds if you have pain or you're in season. Heavy slow loading if you're pain-free and out of season.
Included in the $29 Primer Full program only Checkpoint test

Start Week 1 today. It needs only a wall and the floor.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
Weeks 5–20

Two tracks. Same checkpoints.

After the Primer, you branch. Both tracks use the same four checkpoint tests, so you can switch between them at the phase you've already earned.

Pain present, or in season

Track A · Isometric

30–45 s bodyweight holds

Low fatigue cost and it eases tendon pain the same day, so it won't take anything out of your legs before a game. Plenty of athletes run Track A for all sixteen weeks and finish with a stronger tendon than they started with.

Pain-free and out of season

Track B · Tendon Stiffness

5 s up · 5 s down · heavy

Slow, heavily loaded calf work, progressed hard. It builds tendon capacity fastest, and it costs fatigue you can only afford outside competition. A barbell comes in from Week 13.

Season starts mid-block? Cross to Track A at the same phase, right away. Pain gone for seven straight days in the off-season? Run the checkpoint test and cross to Track B.

Both tracks and every crossover rule are in the full program.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
The checkpoints

Four tests you can run at home

Each one uses a step, a phone and a free metronome app set to 60 BPM. The force-plate numbers they're based on are listed too, in case you ever get tested in a clinic or weight room.

End of week 4

Leave the Primer

Daily pain under 3/10 for seven days and 20 single-leg calf raises on the sore side.

End of week 8

Into Phase 2

Pain at or below 2/10 during loading and 15 deficit single-leg heel raises.

End of week 12

Into the heavy block

Pain at or below 1/10 and 20 deficit single-leg heel raises at 60 BPM.

End of week 16

Into reactive work

Pain 0–1/10 and a barbell calf raise, 3 × 25, with your own bodyweight on the bar.

All four checkpoint tests, written out step by step.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
Choose your start

Two ways in

The program behind work a $10 billion organization was ready to spend millions on. Both options are interactive PDFs you get right after checkout. Tap any exercise name and its video opens, on your phone or computer.

Weeks 1–4

The 4-Week Primer

$29one-time
  • The first block of the full program
  • One page plan: the Core 4 plus a daily hip block
  • Interactive PDF: tap any exercise to watch its video
  • Session tracker and weekly log
  • Checkpoint 1 test
  • Needs only a step, a wall and one dumbbell
Start with just the 4-week Primer · $29

Your $29 is credited toward the full program if you upgrade. All sales are final. See the refund policy.

Weeks 1–20 · Premium

The Full 20-Week Program + Achilles Guide

$299one-time
  • Interactive PDF: tap any exercise to watch its video
  • Every session, Week 1 through Week 20
  • Both tracks: Isometric (A) and Tendon Stiffness (B)
  • All four checkpoints, with field tests and force-plate equivalents
  • Crossover rules for when your pain or season changes
  • Pain rules and the weekly load check
  • Full video library and a 20-week log
  • The Achilles Guide: the reasoning behind every number in the plan
Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide · $299

Instant access after checkout. All sales are final. See the refund policy.

Already bought the Primer?Use the code on the last page of your Primer at checkout to take $29 off the full program.
Equipment

What you'll need

Nothing to buy before Week 2. Don't buy anything until you've passed Checkpoint 1.

ItemWhenNotes
A wall and the floorWeeks 1–4Week 1 is bodyweight only.
A step or stairEvery weekAnything that lets your heel hang below your forefoot.
Dumbbells or a kettlebellWeek 2 onA range you can progress through, not just one pair.
A metronome appEvery testFree. Set to 60 BPM so your numbers compare week to week.
A barbellWeeks 13–20Full program, heavy block only.
A phone with slow motionWeek 16 onFull program, for one hop test.

Nothing to buy before Week 2. Start today.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
Who wrote it

Dr. Michael Risher, DC

I own Rehab Lab Chicago, a chiropractic and physical therapy clinic on Armitage Avenue. Since 2020 we've treated weekend runners, desk workers, chronic pain patients and elite athletes, and I consult for professional organizations on tendon and lower-leg problems.

I wrote this program so you can run a structured Achilles rehab on your own: the exact progression, the exact tests, and clear rules for when to push and when to hold back.

ClinicRehab Lab Chicago
Location2577 W Armitage Ave, Chicago

Built by a clinician. Written so you can run it yourself.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29
Questions

FAQ

Which one should I buy?

If you want the whole plan and know you'll see it through, get the full program. If you'd rather try the approach first, start with the Primer. Weeks 1–4 are identical in both, and your $29 is credited if you upgrade.

What format is the program?

An interactive PDF. Every exercise name is a link: tap it and a video of that exercise opens. It works on your phone, tablet or computer, so you can follow along during your session.

How do I get the program after I pay?

Checkout is handled by Stripe. As soon as your payment goes through, you're sent straight to your interactive PDF. Open it on your phone at the gym and tap any exercise to watch the video.

I'm in season. Can I still do this?

Yes. That's what Track A is for. The isometric holds have a low fatigue cost, so they fit around practices and games.

What if it hurts?

Some discomfort is expected. Pain during a session can reach 3/10, and it has to be back to your normal baseline within 24 hours. If it isn't, you cut the load and repeat the session. The plan tells you exactly what to do.

What if I don't pass a checkpoint?

You repeat the last two weeks and test again. You don't lose any progress. If you fail the first checkpoint twice in a row, get assessed before you continue.

Can I get a refund?

No. The program is delivered the moment you check out, so all sales are final. If you were charged twice or can't open your file, DM @achillesprogram on Instagram and we'll fix it. Full details are in the refund policy.

I have a question before I buy.

DM me on Instagram at @achillesprogram.

Is this medical care?

No. It's general educational information and hasn't been written for your specific injury. Check with your physician before starting, especially if you have a suspected tear or rupture, recent surgery or any condition that affects healing. The full notice is inside the program.

Still deciding? Start with the Primer and put the $29 toward the full program.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 or start with just the 4-week Primer · $29

Stop and get checked if

you feel a sudden pop or tearing in the calf, see a dent or gap in the tendon, can't bear weight, or have pain that wakes you at night. Those aren't load problems, and this program isn't the answer for them. In Chicago? Book an assessment at rehablabchicago.com.

Start this week

Your first session
needs only a wall.

Get the full 20-week program + Achilles Guide $299 Start with just the 4-week Primer $29
Not sure which is right for you? DM me on Instagram Primer · $29 Full program · $299