Possibilities for an "all-around" workout plan

[Stuyten]

I'm looking for info on building a schedule that revolves around working out, playing tennis, and eating well. I want something, a plan to adhere to so that I have some focus instead of shooting in the dark.

I'm 17 years old, 6' 1", about 170 lbs. I play tennis 4-5 times a week, on average 2.5-3 hrs and often longer (I played for 7hrs yesterday) and rarely less. I have a gym membership to a real good gym that I've used twice already, and I have previous gym experience. In fact, one free personal training session comes with it, and I plan on getting the most out of this guy. Plus he can show me good form on some exercises you guys might recommend.

My first two trips to the gym I've tried to follow the advice Ano gave in this thread http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=137233 but I think that my needs are slightly different. Its weird though, because hes my age and his situation is very similar, strange.

Thanks for any and all help
-Howard

 

[Stuyten]

Some more information: The goal is to get better at tennis, nothing else. Also for any advice, please be real specific, and as detailed as possible.

 

[xtremerunnerars]

lame double post...boooo

 

[xtremerunnerars]

So are you looking to just build "functional" strength or are you hoping to look better? Compound exercises (involving several related groups and joints) are good for that, although you won't get quite the definition.

I'm in the same boat as you in terms of age (well, almost) but a little lighter. The gym and even the free apt apply as well.

I'm on the weaker side of things (nowhere near what I'd like to be able to do) and the bulk of my muscle is legs-based. I go to the gym every other day ATM, but that'll change soon. Once I can lift weights again I will be following this routine (graciously provided by Ano!) :

Since you want functional strength, the rules are :

1. Choose body weight and free weight instead of machines
2. Choose multijoint exercises
3. Perform 2-3 sets in most exercises in the 5-8 repetition range.
4. Do a full bodyweight program, 2-3 times a week (depending on your recovery).
5. Use the KISS method (keep it simple, sir)

Sample program :

Barbell squat or one leg squat
stiff leg deadlift
dumbbel incline press or weighted push ups
pull ups or dumbell rows
barbell clean and press
dumbell tricep extension
dumbell curl

1-2 giant sets of reverse crunch, crunch, reverse trunk twist and back raises (perform 1 set of revese crunch, without rest do 1 set of crunch, without rest do 1 set of reverse trunk twist, without rest do 1 set of back raises, that's 1 giant set)

2 sets of external rotation (very important to protect your rotator cuff).

Sample diet : (try to eat every 3 hours)

Meal 1 : Oat meal, egg whites, fruits
Meal 2 : whole wheat bread, tuna, fruit
Meal 3: chicken breast, brown rice, salad
Meal 4 (preworkout) fruit and whey protein
Meal 5 (post workout) dextrose, whey protein and creatine
Meal 6 : salmon, brocolli, spinach, tomato, sweet potato

Try to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of your bodyweight and about 2500 calories (18 times your bodyweight)


Supplement : multivitamin/mineral (GNC Mega Men), fish oil and/ or flax seed oil, calcium. If you want to gain strength while minimize inflamation, try to consume up to 10 fish oil capsules/day or 2 tablespoon of flax seed oil.

Here's the exercises:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/AsPullup.html -don't have to do it assisted
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Clean.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBOneArmTriExt.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/DBCurl.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSquat.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html


I hope I was a help!

 

[Ano]

sorry, double posts.

 

[Ano]

Some more information: The goal is to get better at tennis, nothing else. Also for any advice, please be real specific, and as detailed as possible.

Howard, if you want to get better at tennis, practice and practice tennis.

I don't think you can get what you need from this forum. You wanted a detailed training and nutrition program.

You should ask the Personal Trainer in your gym (yes, pay him).

But first, you have to choose a GOOD Personal Trainer. (and yes, the fee of a good PT is not cheap)

How to identify a good PT or a bad PT? A few tips :

1. Ask questions, ask him the differences between a fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fiber. Or ask him to explain to you what is actin and myosin. These are the most basic questions in muscle physiology. If the trainer cannot answer these questions, they are 100% quack.

2. If he can answer that questions, ask this question : what are the differences between scapulohumeral rhythm, lower crossed syndrome and subtalar joint dysfunction? If he can answer these questions, then I guess he might have enough knowledge as a PT. If he can’t answer that question, chances are that he needs to spend less time writing programs and more time doing his homework.

3. Then consult him and if he has a program ready for you in less than an hour, you're getting taken for a cookie-cutter ride.

The point is, you and your unique needs matter. Avoid paying good money for cookie-cutter programs.

A good PT, when he is first contacted by a client looking for help, should ask the client to respond to questions simply to get the ball rolling.

There are usually several follow-ups as well. These questions relate to goals, training history, injury/rehab history, stats (age, height, weight, estimated body fat percentage), body type, dietary habits, problematic exercises, perceived weak points, equipment restrictions, occupation, work environment, and ideal training schedule.

The PT should also request that the clients include an overview of their previous eight weeks of training and perform a postural assessment.

The PT will do manual muscle testing and run the client through some simple drills to give an idea of where his inefficiencies exist. Clients should always go through some performance testing before the PT write the programs.

 

[alkibiades]

Get these two books:

Functional Training for Sports, by Mike Boyle

Core Fitness, by Mark Verstegen

I also suggest this website: www.crossfit.org (read the PDF "What is fitness" first)

I can't recommend that first book highly enough. After you read it, email me if you have any questions.

 

[Stuyten]

Ano, I'll follow through with your advice tomorrow when I have my session (free, comes with the membership). First, a question though. Is it normal to pay a PT simply to provide you with a program and then you follow it, or do you recommend paying him for several sessions? Whats the norm? Thanks for giving me some focus.

Also, alki, I'll definitely check out those books. Thanks for the recommendations. And you meant crossfit.com.

 

[Ano]

Ano, I'll follow through with your advice tomorrow when I have my session (free, comes with the membership). First, a question though. Is it normal to pay a PT simply to provide you with a program and then you follow it, or do you recommend paying him for several sessions? Whats the norm? Thanks for giving me some focus.

Also, alki, I'll definitely check out those books. Thanks for the recommendations. And you meant crossfit.com.

It's better to pay a PT to provide you with a program and several sessions (at least 4 sessions).

Well, I am probably biased with this opinion, because I'm a PT.

 

[Ano]

Get these two books:

Functional Training for Sports, by Mike Boyle

Core Fitness, by Mark Verstegen

I also suggest this website: www.crossfit.org (read the PDF "What is fitness" first)

I can't recommend that first book highly enough. After you read it, email me if you have any questions.

I agree. Both are great books.

Other recommended book : COMPLETE CONDITIONING FOR TENNIS by Paul Roetert and Todd Elenbecker.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageKINETIC-BCC.html

 

[Stuyten]

I finished my session with the PT. There were some funny moments...
After I signed some stuff he took me over to a chest press machine, but I told him I wanted to do freeweights. He told me how he recommends starting off with machines but I let him know that I have had a good amount of gym experience. So he took me over to the bench press and after I proved I had good form went up to 115 and had me do 2 sets, 10 and 9 reps. We did 3 different rotator cuff exercises, and 1 wrist exercise, leg extensions and hamstring pushdowns? (both machine).

When doing the bench press I asked him the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. He mentioned something about oxygen and then concluded that tennis uses mostly slow-twitch, but I challenged him on it, but he didn't discuss it much. He mentioned something about oxygen, and having to have a large endurance on a tennis court. He didn't seem confident. Which does tennis use?

After the workout we sat down and talked. I asked him the difference between scapulohumeral rhythm, lower crossed syndrome and subtalar joint dysfunction. He said something about the shoulder for the first one. He had never heard of lower crossed syndrom. On the third he wanted to see the paper I was reading from, just to read it. He looked and read the terms, and then saw the entire post that Ano wrote. He just sat there for a quiet (read: awkward) minute and read the entire thing. He realized that I had asked him about fast/slow twitch because of Ano.

Overall, I wasn't blown away by him. I feel as if he'd be able to recommend exercises, give me a good weight, and tell me how many reps to do. Not much else. He kept talking about tennis, which made me feel like he was trying to prove to me that he knew what he was talking about, but I didn't get the impression that he did. All the PT's have areas of expertise. He is the "sports-training specialist".

He charges $65 for one session, $300 for 5, and $575 for 10. What are good prices for a PT?

 

[tricky]

Hmm, sounds like a ACE-certiified trainer. Bleh. Is this 24 Hour or Gold's, or a different chain altogether?

 

[Ano]

I finished my session with the PT. There were some funny moments...
After I signed some stuff he took me over to a chest press machine, but I told him I wanted to do freeweights. He told me how he recommends starting off with machines but I let him know that I have had a good amount of gym experience. So he took me over to the bench press and after I proved I had good form went up to 115 and had me do 2 sets, 10 and 9 reps. We did 3 different rotator cuff exercises, and 1 wrist exercise, leg extensions and hamstring pushdowns? (both machine).

When doing the bench press I asked him the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. He mentioned something about oxygen and then concluded that tennis uses mostly slow-twitch, but I challenged him on it, but he didn't discuss it much. He mentioned something about oxygen, and having to have a large endurance on a tennis court. He didn't seem confident. Which does tennis use?

After the workout we sat down and talked. I asked him the difference between scapulohumeral rhythm, lower crossed syndrome and subtalar joint dysfunction. He said something about the shoulder for the first one. He had never heard of lower crossed syndrom. On the third he wanted to see the paper I was reading from, just to read it. He looked and read the terms, and then saw the entire post that Ano wrote. He just sat there for a quiet (read: awkward) minute and read the entire thing. He realized that I had asked him about fast/slow twitch because of Ano.

Overall, I wasn't blown away by him. I feel as if he'd be able to recommend exercises, give me a good weight, and tell me how many reps to do. Not much else. He kept talking about tennis, which made me feel like he was trying to prove to me that he knew what he was talking about, but I didn't get the impression that he did. All the PT's have areas of expertise. He is the "sports-training specialist".

He charges $65 for one session, $300 for 5, and $575 for 10. What are good prices for a PT?

It's fine to pay $ 65 for one session, IF you're trained by a good PT.

The PT you mentioned is not a "sports-training specialist", he is a quack. I bet he can not explain the difference between ATP-CP, glicolysis and krebs cycle either.

Fine another PT.

I don't have time now to give a long explanation. It's saturday morning in my place, and I have to go. I have a VVIP client waiting for me.