The Benefits of Surgical Tubing, by Nadal

[Marius_Hancu]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

No worries. The amount of resistance of a single surgical tubing (especially for someone with Nadal's arms) is more than zero, but not much more...

That's not true.

It depends on the elasticity/resistance of the tubing (they come in different colors), also it increases as a function of the displacement

F=kx

where

F - the (resistance) force
k - factor of elasticity (a property of the material)
x - the displacemet, distance travelled

Thus it's gradually increasing resistance.

I am doing SHADOWING (imitation) of all major shots (FH, BH, serve), also swimming (butterfly) shadowing:

2 series of 15 reps to the limit (I can't extend it any more), for each of the shots/motions

in large amplitudes of motion.

The weights are different in this respect: they apply the resistance to the joint instantly, while the tubing does it gradually.

The latter is much better/healthier for the warmup and even in active training. Proof: I haven't seen tennis pros coming to the court with dumbells, but many have tubing.

I simply do NOT believe the dumbells promote the joint flexibility to the same extent the tubing does.

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by Marius_Hancu

That's not true.

It depends on the elasticity/resistance of the tubing (they come in different colors), also it increases as a function of the displacement

F=kx

where

F - the (resistance) force
k - factor of elasticity (a property of the material)
x - the displacemet, distance travelled

Thus it's gradually increasing resistance.

I am doing SHADOWING (imitation) of all major shots (FH, BH, serve), also swimming (butterfly) shadowing:

2 series of 15 reps to the limit (I can't extend it any more), for each of the shots/motions

in large amplitudes of motion.

The weights are different in this respect: they apply the resistance to the joint instantly, while the tubing does it gradually.

The latter is much better/healthier for the warmup and even in active training. Proof: I haven't seen tennis pros coming to the court with dumbells, but many have tubing.

I simply do NOT believe the dumbells promote the joint flexibility to the same extent the tubing does.

I am no proponent for dumbell use on the court. And if you want some extra (read: low) resistance to help you warm up, go for it. But you said it was for "active training and conditioning". If you meant "warmup" then I (and probably many others) didn't get that meaning.

"Conditoning" to me means off of the court muscle building and strengthening. I know of noone who has accomplished that goal with a single surgical tubing, let alone someone who has Nadal's arms.

[Marius_Hancu]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

meaning.

"Conditoning" to me means off of the court muscle building and strengthening. I know of noone who has accomplished that goal with a single surgical tubing, let alone someone who has Nadal's arms.

I'll accept your definition and I will tell you that it can be used for conditioning. But I am not arguing that people are using it to the exclusion of other devices.

The swimmers are using surgical tubing for decades for dry-land conditioning by shadowing their in-water motions.

And some of them can develop pretty high resistances (say the black ones being marked "for bodybuilders," whatever that means). Just try them.

And they are used both in singles or in pairs.

[Ronaldo]

Used a few of these exercises rehabbing a bad elbow, knee, and achilles tendonitis. Uses therabands and tubing, http://www.thera-bandacademy.com/exe...tic+Resistance

[Marius_Hancu]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo

Used a few of these exercises rehabbing a bad elbow, knee, and achilles tenonitis. Uses therabands and tubing, http://www.thera-bandacademy.com/exe...tic+Resistance

Great stuff.
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