Skills and Fitness diary (with video)

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Latest video

I have uploaded a video below that has been edited for time. My purpose for sharing this video is to receive feedback on the things I am working on ... Please be constructive. I know that the number one thing I need to do is lose weight ... then what?

I plan to upload video every few weeks to document my progress both from a fitness persepctive and from a skills perspective. Hopefully you will see me transform into a lean-mean powerhouse on the court by next summer season.

Dizzlmcwizzl video at 290
Attached is a New Video at 280
Service Return Video 1.6.2012
Doubles at 275
Doubles at 268
Singles at 265
Mid point video (260 pounds)
Singles at 260
Doubles at 257
Doubles at 250 pounds
Singles at 247 pounds
Doubles at 245 pounds
Doubles down 50 pounds
Bad angle video
Worse Angle Video
Great Recording of ok doubles
Indoor Doubles Poaching Strategy Advise
Ground View of Groundies and Points
Hitting with a recent college guy
Singles at the 1 year mark
Doubles after 13 months
Singles - Serve and Volley
Returns only
Mindless Ball Bashing
Best singles match to date

My game is a big consistent serve with a powerful forehand that sometimes is inconsistent. I like my backhand because it is dependable and rarely misses in competition, but it does not blow anyone off the court either. My net game is vastly improved but this is still a work in progress.

My biggest liabilities are my size and service return. I am working on the size thing. My service return is sometimes awesome and other times awful. When I am playing a lot and my timing is on I return well, when my timing is off then bad things happen.

[maggmaster]

How tall are you? You look pretty well distributed for what you weigh. Any weight training background?

[dizzlmcwizzl]

I was at one point 6-3 (maybe I have shrunk since I am old).

I never did any serious weight training but I played volleyball in college so there was a time when I was fit, could run and jump. I have always been solidly built however and a lot of my weight is carried in my thighs and gluts.

[danno123]

Cool. Look forward to the videos.

I'm also a 4.0 that's working on improving. Take my advice with a grain of salt, but it looks to me like you should hit your volleys a little bit farther in front of you.

[maggmaster]

Plans for a fitness regimen? Weight training and cardio combined are better than either by themselves.

[j00dypoo]

looks to me like improving your backhand would actually be to your benefit. It looks slow and loopy from that angle. Are you able to flatten it out at all? Even if just by a little it would help take time away from your opponents.

[charliefedererer]

I just want to encourage you on your goal for weight loss.

There is another currently running thread with this video of Tommy Hass hitting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8wwX...ature=youtu.be

Notice how much lower he is able to sink his upper body as he winds his torso in preparation for each shot. Look especially how low he gets on the backhands.

I know that currently your knees could never take that kind of abuse.

But use tennis as a "carrot on a stick" to keep your weight loss going, so you can eventually use a great leg push off and bigger core rotation to power your strokes.

Good luck!

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by maggmaster

Plans for a fitness regimen? Weight training and cardio combined are better than either by themselves.

Basically I plan to exercise more and eat less.

I developed a shoulder strain after running into the wall during a match a couple of weeks ago so I am limiting the number of serves I am hitting. Went to a doctor and for the short term I am doing the "throwers ten" and rest for rehab on the shoulder.

I am doing plyometric work for the legs, lots of core exercises and will do light lifting once the shoulder is well. For cardio, I like the low impact nature of swimming but that is rough on the shoulder until it is all healed. In the short term I do the elliptical but once I drop enough weight I will begin running.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by j00dypoo

looks to me like improving your backhand would actually be to your benefit. It looks slow and loopy from that angle. Are you able to flatten it out at all? Even if just by a little it would help take time away from your opponents.

It does look loopier than it feels so I will experiment with shortening it up. I do like the fact that I have margin with the backhand so I have never given much thought to flattening it out ... I will think about it but usually I use my backhand to hang in there until I can run around to the forehand.

[peoplespeace]

You dont get much advantage from ur big mass currently. If u hit the ball much further in front of u on both sides while being relaxed u should be able to hit a much heavier ball.

[OTMPut]

Originally Posted by dizzlmcwizzl

Basically I plan to exercise more and eat less.

this is sure shot recipe for disaster.

more like:
eat well (no junk; think refined carbs, sugar, processed, etc), rest well and exercise well (more is not better here).

[Bacterio]

Originally Posted by OTMPut

this is sure shot recipe for disaster.

more like:
eat well (no junk; think refined carbs, sugar, processed, etc), rest well and exercise well (more is not better here).

I disagree with this. You can exercise more all you want and eating less is absolutely the end all be all key to actually losing weight.

You don't even have to worry about what you eat. You really should so that you can be healthy and not just look healthy but eating less is what people always fail to understand. They try cutting this out or that, and it makes no difference.

Calories in vs calories out. If you're at 290 for 6'3, I'm guessing you're overeating by a lot. As you lose weight you'll be surprised just how little you actually need to eat to fuel your body.

[OTMPut]

Originally Posted by Bacterio

Calories in vs calories out.

1. all calories are not equal.
2. if you are on calories deficit perpetually, will you shrink and disappear off the planet?

[maggmaster]

Technically a calorie is The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 °C . So they are all equal. Show me someone who has taken this formula 12 * Lean body mass = Kcals and eaten this and only this for 6 weeks, if they have not lost weight I will literally eat my shirt.

[OTMPut]

Originally Posted by maggmaster

Technically a calorie is The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 °C . So they are all equal. Show me someone who has taken this formula 12 * Lean body mass = Kcals and eaten this and only this for 6 weeks, if they have not lost weight I will literally eat my shirt.

lets not forget the context. a calorie of refine sugar affects the body differently from a calorie of fat which in turn affects the body differently from a calories of protein.

[peoplespeace]

Originally Posted by OTMPut

1. all calories are not equal.
2. if you are on calories deficit perpetually, will you shrink and disappear off the planet?

If u are able to do something perpetually, i guess by definition u will never leave the planet

[peoplespeace]

Originally Posted by OTMPut

lets not forget the context. a calorie of refine sugar affects the body differently from a calorie of fat which in turn affects the body differently from a calories of protein.

exactly! For the purpose of a human being (as opposed to a robot) trying and succeding in loosing weight all calories are not equal. Just cutting donw on junk food instead of changing ur diet very rarely get the job done for human beings.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

Originally Posted by OTMPut

this is sure shot recipe for disaster.

more like:
eat well (no junk; think refined carbs, sugar, processed, etc), rest well and exercise well (more is not better here).

I did not plan this as a diary of my food intake and expect to share with each of you every detail of my plan.

However, since it has become a dominant issue this is basically my food plan ....

Move away from processed foods and caffeine in the mornings. Now I am having fruit smoothies and an English muffin but I will change as needed / necessary.

Afternoon lunches are a homemade sandwich a few baked lays potato chips.... also subject to change.

Dinner is prepared by my wife and involves significant fruits and vegetables. Snacks will be apples, oranges and/or carrots.

I am removing the nightly 2 beers and the convenience food while driving to and from work.

My exercise plan is well thought out and involves mornings spent with a personal trainer friend of mine who is helping.

------------

I have little interest in "super diets" that you read in a book. It is my belief that eating healthy foods in reasonable amounts will do the trick. If this plan does not lead to sustained changes then I will investigate the no-carb diets, the no meat diets and the like. Fortunately I like healthy foods ... my main problem is that I usually choose the most convenient food which is often not the healthiest choice.

[j00dypoo]

yeah this turned into some petty discussion about calories.

I think eliminating your 2 nightly beers is enough to do wonders for you. crazy...

[Pacific lefty]

I think its great what you are doing. Your backhand looks good. How about picking up the ball a little earlier on forehand with racket head down a bit more?

As for the food, when I was home for Thanksgiving in USA, I could see how deadly all the convenience foods are...Only eat natural and unprocessed things for your snacks- that's definitely the way to go. How about some light running and footwork drills? I found that running (and by no means long distances) really helped me speed up my game and return the unreturnable shots...I play 4.0 (female 5'4" 115 pounds) and am hoping to move up a grade after recovering from shoulder injury...