Do as Redundant said as well as letting your Tendons rest, muscle is pointless when you're always on the verge of injury. I started slowly on my wrists and moved to my fingers because I always wanted to learn Tiger Claw.

Try these a couple of times. Instead of flat hands on the ground when doing push ups extend your fingers like you're holding a basketball in one hand and try doing push ups.

Also you can and do gain muscle when you use the same weight, it's about how hard and long you go and the different workouts and muscle stretches you know. Unless you want muscle that turn to fat when you stop working out.

Flex Stretching is a slow process of keeping the muscles flexible as they grow. It's practically some of the movements of tai chi yoga or whatever. Slow muscle men will laugh at your small tight agile flexible muscle.

The Chinese know too much about the body and herbs an whatnot. Yoga or Tai Chi WILL prevent and reduce injury in your joints.