Squash Power-Agility Workout #1 - Specific Prep.Phase Program Template Trainer : Timothy Bacon Introduction This is a BASIC program helps develop power for both an explosive first step and hitting power for squash players. This program MUST be preceded by a squash-specific strength endurance program of at least 4-6 weeks in order to prevent injury. The program should also be complemented with a twice-a-week strength program which features functional and core strength, stability, flexibility and exercises for complementary muscles (e.g., hamstrings) to reduce incidence of injury. Alternative and more challenging versions of these exercises are available in Workout #2 - contact Tim Bacon, CSCS,(tbacon@smith.edu or 1-413-330-8222) for more information. Warm Up The first few exercises in the workout are lower intensity and can serve as a specific warm-up for the workout. This can be preceded by about 5 min. of light cardio and 5 min. of dynamic warm-up. Summary Of Program Activity Type Sets Reps Duration Tempo Intensity Rest Squat - Prisoner Exercise 1 10+ N/A slow medium Torso Turn And Reach With MB Exercise 1 10+ N/A slow low to medium Side Shuffle Exercise 1 1 N/A medium medium Carioca Exercise 1 10+ N/A medium medium Side MB Wall Throw Exercise 2 10+ N/A medium medium Jumping Jacks & Sprint Exercise 1 3 N/A fast Shuffle & sprint Exercise 1 3 N/A fast Fast Feet & Sprint Exercise 1 3 N/A fast Woodchop Low/High - 2 Arm Standing Exercise 2 10+ N/A medium Clean And Press - 1 Arm DB Exercise 2 10+ N/A Woodchop High/Low - 2 Arm Standing medium depending on wt. Exercise 2 10+ N/A medium Squat - 1 Leg Exercise 1 10+ N/A slow Tuck Jump Exercise 1 10+ N/A explosive Side To Side Bench Hops Exercise 1 10+ N/A explosive Squat Jump - w/ Stabilization Exercise 1 10+ N/A explosive Lunge - Side w/ Bosu Ball Exercise 2 10+ N/A explosive Lunge - Front w/ Bosu Ball Exercise 2 10+ N/A explosive Fan Drill (AKA -Spider Test) Exercise 1 5 N/A fast 1-2 min. Page 1 of 9
Cool Down Light cardio and stretching can help the body relax after this workout. SQUAT - PRISONER Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : medium Tempo : slow Rest : Stand in proper alignment, at shoulder width, with hands behind the head, fingers interlocked (DO NOT PRESS INTO THE HEAD/NECK). Draw your belly button inward toward your spine. Allow yourself to lower to a squat position under control without compensation. Extend your hips, knees and ankles to a standing position. Warm-up exercise. TORSO TURN AND REACH WITH MB Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : low to medium Tempo : slow Rest : Maintain good posture throughout the exercise with shoulder blades retracted and depressed, feet pointing straight ahead, and neutral spine angles. Position the body arms length away from a wall and have your back to the wall. Activate the core with a proper drawing in and pelvic floor contraction. While maintaining total body alignment, hold the medicine ball against chest. SLOWLY turn the body at the shoulders and hips towards the wall and hold, keep the feet straight. Extend the arm out and touch the wall with the med. ball, bring the arms back and rotate to starting position. SIDE SHUFFLE Warm-up exercise Page 2 of 9
Reps : 1 Sets : 1 Intensity : medium this exercise, this engages the nervous system. Start in athletic stance; knees and elbows slightly bent. This movement will involve shuffling in a lateral direction. Maintain athletic stance and kick lead leg sideways. Move hips sideways with a strong lateral push from the trail leg. Land on the toes followed by the heels in the lead leg. Do not cross the legs over each other, the trail leg just follows the direction of the lead leg. TRAINERS: watch for aberrant movement through the kinetic chain, look to see that the feet remain straight and the hips always face forward; the chest and head should always remain up. This is a power movement, so the goal is quick actions with proper technique. CARIOCA 10-20m until slightly fatigued - warm-up exercise. Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : medium Initiate a thorough dynamic warm-up prior to starting this exercise, thus engaging the nervous system. Begin in runner s stance, knees and elbows bent. Take a side shuffle, crossing one leg over the other. Start by taking the trail leg in front of the other leg, turning the hip slightly to accommodate lateral leg swing. As you push laterally through with trail leg, swing lead leg sideways, and drive foot around into the next step of open side shuffle. Alternate trail leg going behind and in front of lead leg as you move sideways. SIDE MB WALL THROW 10-20m - warm-up exercise. Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : medium Stand 3-4 feet from a wall in an open stance, athletic, balanced position with a light (2.2.kg.) medicine ball. Throw against the wall in a figure of eight pattern - straight, cross, straight. Engage core, keep knees flexed making sure to use your legs and hips. Warm-up for later exercises. Page 3 of 9
JUMPING JACKS & SPRINT Reps : 3 Sets : 1 Intensity : Tempo : fast Rest : Set up a distannce of aboutt 10 feet. On the first signal start stationary jumping jacks. On the second signal, sprint forward 4-5 steps. SHUFFLE & SPRINT Reps : 3 Sets : 1 Intensity : Tempo : fast Rest : Shuffle quickly sideways for 1-2 meters, then randomly (or o a given signal) sprint forward as quickly as possible. FAST FEET & SPRINT Reps : 3 Sets : 1 Intensity : Tempo : fast Rest : Set up a distance of abouut 10 feet. At the first signeal start stationary fast feet, at the second sprint forward 4-5 steps. WOODCHOP LOW/HIGH - 2 ARM STANDING Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : Maintain a tall body line throughout this exercise, good stability through the abdominal complex and neutral spine angles. this exercise - this engages the nervous system. This exercise is a low to full body rotational movement using Free Motion cable technology Adjust the cable arm to the "low" position (as shown) Stand in a perpendicular position relative to the cable stack (as shown) Start with the feet shoulder width apart with a slight "toed out" position Hold the cable in both hands with the arms straight Page 4 of 9
In a bent kneed squat position, perform a low to wood chop pattern as you squat up (NOTE: Rotation should occur through all the links in the chain ie. foot, hips, shoulder etc). As you rotate, allow the back leg to pivot on the ball of the foot (forefoot) Return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps Watch for: Rounding of the mid-back (thoracic area), excessive protraction of the shoulders and/or excessive flexion of the lumbar curve these are indications that the exercise is too advanced and needs to be regressed CLEAN AND PRESS - 1 ARM DB Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : Tempo : medium depending on wt. Rest : Stand with feet approximately shoulder width apart pointing straight ahead and knees slightly bent. Begin with shoulder blades retracted and depressed, stability through the abdominal complex, and neutral spine angles. Activate drawing in with pelvic floor contraction. Perform squat with arms at side. Maintain heel and toe floor contact. Perform explosive triple extension movement in the lower extremeties, and drive the elbows. Make sure the dumbell travels in a vertical, linear fashion (close to body). As hand reaches shoulder height externally rotate the arm and cradle the weight on the shoulder, simultaneously dropping into a deep squat to get under the weight. Then stand up. Use non-dominant hand ONLY when training same day as tennis match/practice. WOODCHOP HIGH/LOW - 2 ARM STANDING Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : Maintain a tall body line throughout this exercise, good stability through the abdominal complex and neutral spine angles. this exercise - this engages the nervous system. This exercise is a to low - full body rotational movement, using Free Motion cable technology Adjust the cable arm to the "" position (as shown) Stand in a perpendicular position relative to the cable stack (as shown) Start with the feet shoulder width apart with a slight "toed out" position Hold the cable in both hands with the arms straight With the knees slightly bent, perform a to low Page 5 of 9
wood chop pattern (NOTE: Rotation should occur through all the links in the chain ie. foot, hips, shoulder etc) As you rotate, allow the back leg to pivot on the ball of the foot (forefoot) Return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps Watch for: Rounding of the mid-back (thoracic area), excessive protraction of the shoulders and/or excessive flexion of the lumbar curve these are indications that the exercise is too advanced and needs to be regressed SQUAT - 1 LEG Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : Tempo : slow Rest : Perform drawing in and pelvis floor contractions. Lift one leg off the floor and dorsiflex elevated ankle. Keep feet parallel in frontal plane. Maintain level hips. Grip toes in your shoes or on the floor (IF NO SHOES) Initiate the squat by bending the knee, keep the shoulder blades down and together. As your knees bend, flex forward slightly in the spine but keep chest up. Squat down as deep as you can with good control, maintaining heel contact with floor and watching hip and knee alignment (no pronation). Return back to starting position and repeat. Progressions: Inertia progressions - No weight to dumbbells to cables to tubing; Movement progression - Squat with touchdown to squat touchdown to overhead press. TUCK JUMP Check for imbalances in leg strength. Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : this exercise, this engages the nervous system. This movement involves jumping in place. Initiate movement with an explosive vertical jump. As you travel upwards, bring legs into triple flexion (at hips, knees, and ankles). Land onto toes and then heals, plometrically load the legs and repeat movement. Page 6 of 9
legs and repeat movement. SIDE TO SIDE BENCH HOPS Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : this exercise, this engages the nervous system. Begin this drill by your side facing a step about 20 cm (8 inch). Use your arms to help you with this drill. Squat down and explosively jump laterally over the step. Land on the toes, then the heels. Repeat to the other side. TRAINERS: watch for even foot position on landing (footprint consistency), and good alignment in the kinetic chain. SQUAT JUMP - W/ STABILIZATION Reps : 10+ Sets : 1 Intensity : Begin with feet shoulder width apart, toes forward and knees aligned over mid-foot and arms by sides. Squat down slightly and jump up into the air extending arms up over head (as if reaching for the sky). Bring arms back to sides during landing. Land softly in a controlled manner on the reactive point of your feet maintaining control of entire body. Hold the landing and repeat. Page 7 of 9
Hold the landing and repeat. LUNGE - SIDE W/ BOSU BALL Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : this exercise, this engages the nervous system. Prepare for this motion by keeping a lengthened position in the body. This movement involves a side step lunge (in the frontal plane) onto a Bosu ball. Start a stride length away from the Bosu ball (with the Bosu ball to one side). Perform a step lunge in the frontal plane as shown. Return to the starting position and repeat for desired number of reps. TRAINERS: Ensure the client does NOT exhibit the following: adduction of the lunging knee, collapsing of the trunk (excessive flexion) or rounding position in the upper back these may be signs that the exercise is too advanced. LUNGE - FRONT W/ BOSU BALL Reps : 10+ Sets : 2 Intensity : this exercise, this engages the nervous system. Prepare for this motion by keeping a lengthened position in the body. This movement involves a step forward (sagittal) lunge onto a Bosu ball. Start a stride length away from the Bosu ball (with the Bosu straight ahead). Perform a step sagittal lunge as shown. Return to the starting position and repeat for desired number of reps. TRAINERS: Ensure the client does NOT exhibit the following: adduction of the lunging knee, collapsing of the trunk (excessive flexion) or rounding position in the upper back these may be signs that the exercise is Page 8 of 9
too advanced. FAN DRILL (AKA -SPIDER TEST) Reps : 5 Sets : 1 Intensity : Tempo : fast Rest : 1-2 min. Place 5 tennis balls at the corners of the service and baselines on a tennis court (including "T"). On the signal, sprint and retrieve the balls, placing them on the center "hash" mark on the baseline. Important Disclaimer: No express or implied warranty (whether of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or otherwise) or other guaranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information or content contained in any of the pages in this web site or otherwise provided by personal training on the net. No responsibility is accepted and all responsibility is hereby disclaimed for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use or misuse of any information or content or any reliance thereon. It is the responsibility of all users of this website to satisfy themselves as to the medical and physical condition of themselves and their clients in determining whether or not to use or adapt the information or content provided in each circumstance. Notwithstanding the medical or physical condition of each user, no responsibility or liability is accepted and all responsibility and liability is hereby disclaimed for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the use or misuse of any of the information or content in this website, and any and all liability for incidental and consequential damages is hereby expressly excluded. Copyright Personal Training on the Net 1998 2008 All rights reserved Page 9 of 9