Sprint & jump training

[WildVolley]

I've been getting back into sprint and jump training for athletic performance. Despite scrambling often on the tennis court, I've found my muscles and connective tissues aren't really well trained for top speed work and I've already had a mild hamstring pull, which most likely occurred in the eccentric phase of a full sprint stride. I'm holding off doing full out flying sprints with spikes until I have more of a speed base developed.

I'm also doing some basic plyometric work, mostly bounds and some depth and rebound jumping. I know a lot of people do box jumps because they reduce impact, but the the ability to bounce out of impact is sort of the whole point of plyometrics.

One of the nice things about sprint and jump training is that they can be accomplished in a short period of time. Most of the exercises involve reps/sets that are performed in under 5 seconds.

Top speed work probably has some carry over to tennis court coverage. The start training and jump training is definitely relevant to court movement. Anyone else do sprint or jump training as part of their overall/tennis conditioning?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

So, you are saying that sprint & jump training is something different than plyo training?

 

[WildVolley]

So, you are saying that sprint & jump training is something different than plyo training?

There's definitely overlap, but much of sprint training isn't actually plyo training. The most obvious form of sprint training is just sprinting, which is just running as fast as you possibly can. I usually start out with less than full out runs and then if I'm healthy work into flying 10m or 20m sprints. Relatively slowly accelerating into top speed saves considerable energy compared to rapid acceleration. I time my speed using a camera.

There are a number of common sprint drills, such as A-skips, B-skips, isometric holds of high knees, etc. which aren't plyos. But, yeah, there's a lot of overlap between the plyometrics done by jumpers and sprinters. Single leg alternating bounds are probably the most relevant plyo for sprinting.

 

[WildVolley]

Full out speed work takes a lot of rest between efforts. Let's say that I'm going to do 3 full out 10m flying sprints. After a warmup, I'll do a flying sprint which is only going to take seconds. Rest between sprints needs to be five minutes so the body has time to recover to allow another full out effort. So three short sprints will take over 15 minutes. Most sprinters will only do full speed days two or three times a week.

 

[socallefty]

Most of us have much more low hanging fruit in terms of improving our tennis than doing sprint/jump exercises. We all have holes in our technique and inefficiencies in our footwork we can improve. We can lose weight and/or improve our endurance, improve our leg strength, do flexibility exercises etc. Even with improving speed on the court, it is more fun to do hand feed drills in certain patterns (Spanish X drill is an example) and hit the ball rather than doing pure sprint work if you are a tennis enthusiast. I don’t know how many of us are so motivated to improve our rec tennis by doing things outside of the tennis court and gym.

 

[WildVolley]

Most of us have much more low hanging fruit in terms of improving our tennis than doing sprint/jump exercises. We all have holes in our technique and inefficiencies in our footwork we can improve. We can lose weight and/or improve our endurance, improve our leg strength, do flexibility exercises etc. Even with improving speed on the court, it is more fun to do hand feed drills in certain patterns (Spanish X drill is an example) and hit the ball rather than doing pure sprint work if you are a tennis enthusiast. I don’t know how many of us are so motivated to improve our rec tennis by doing things outside of the tennis court and gym.

Lots of people are spending time in the gym and then saying it is for tennis. Sprint and jump work has more direct transfer to tennis than lifting weights. Sprinting and jump training also has more relevance to tennis performance than jogging, yet a lot of people on the board talk about distance running.

On the other hand, lifting weights is probably a safer method of building muscle than doing sprinting or plyometrics. But most professional tennis players don't carry much muscle for obvious reasons. Probably most people don't do sprint or jump drills because they're not in good enough shape to do them and the injury risk is high unless you're in good enough shape. And the risks are higher the older you get.

 

[WildVolley]

Here are some sprint warmup drills demonstrated by Noah Lyles, the current World Champ in the 100m and the 200m. The big difference between this form and distance running is the emphasis on forefoot landing and the very high knee drive, which relies much more on hip flexors like the psoas muscles than distance running. Foot and hip flexor strength is relevant to scrambling to a ball in tennis. Guys like de Minaur and Monfils probably have good foot and hip flexor strength.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's an example of a speed workout that doesn't take much time. Ideally, the flying 10s would be measured in order to track progress over time. I can track my flying 10s using a camera that shoots in slow motion. I use Kinovea (a free sports based video analysis software) to measure the time between the cones.

 

[WildVolley]

Doing start drills for sprinting can help court movement by improving acceleration. Some things to look for when scrambling for a tennis ball (if you have video) are the shin angle as you drop to accelerate (you can be closer to 45 degrees if you can generate a lot of power) and if you're able to stay up on your toes. If your heel is touching the court as you accelerate, you are losing a lot of power. Doing calf exercises and practice starts without letting your heel drop can train the proper motion and help build the foot stiffness to move quickly to the ball. Building up to aggressive starts will reduce the chance of rupturing your Achilles tendon while playing tennis.

Here's a video of Christian Coleman, the current world record holder in the 60m dash, running a ridiculously fast 40-yard dash the way it is measured for football players. Notice how his heels don't drop and how he keeps his feet low and strikes back at the ground with his feet. Normal people will be more upright because they can't generate as much force, but the overall form should be the same.

 

[WildVolley]

If you haven't accelerated aggressively in decades, it is best to start slow and work your way into it. I suggest starting with jumping rope using both feet and concentrating on not allowing your heels to touch the ground. Once you gain strength in that motion, it is best to start jumping rope on a single foot or switching feet. The next step would be doing slower accelerations on a hill. A hill can allow you to practice accelerations without needing a lot of power or quickness. Of course, the stress on your calf muscles will be greater than on flat ground, but I think it is an effective training surface.

For tennis, I think it is a good idea to do shuttle runs while focusing on keeping on your toes and aggressively drop stepping into acceleration which allows you to drop your knees closer to the court and get a more effective angle for pushing off.

I think for most adults, an aggressive start on a track while spiked up will put the most stress on the Achilles. I strained my calf muscle a couple of years ago by practicing block starts in spikes. This year I'll have more than three months of training before actually using spikes on a track.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's an inspirational video on how to train for speed by Tony Holler who is a high school track coach in Illinois. He is becoming known for his emphasis on developing speed for sports.

My worry with this advice for adults is that most aren't physically prepared to full out sprint without an unacceptable level of injury risk. So any sprint training should start with a realistic assessment of your physical capabilities. If you haven't sprinted in a decade, you need to progressively train running at higher speeds over months before attempting a full out sprint. Common sense is important, and injuries can set you back years. Progressive training, adequate rest, and proper nutrition are more important when you are 40 than when you are 18.

 

[bigR]

I did a little sprint, lateral shuffles and box jump landings off the box. It is definitely a good idea. I want to do more especially upper body for swing speed and such. I feel it’s great for the tendons

 

[WildVolley]

I did a little sprint, lateral shuffles and box jump landings off the box. It is definitely a good idea. I want to do more especially upper body for swing speed and such. I feel it’s great for the tendons

What do you do for explosive upper body training? Jez Green, the tennis performance trainer, advocates using medicine balls, especially those with handles, for rotational and upper body power.

I think drills like explosive push ups and things like sledge hammer training can allow someone to train upper body power in a safe way that can't be achieved with traditional barbell movements.

 

[bigR]

What do you do for explosive upper body training? Jez Green, the tennis performance trainer, advocates using medicine balls, especially those with handles, for rotational and upper body power.

I think drills like explosive push ups and things like sledge hammer training can allow someone to train upper body power in a safe way that can't be achieved with traditional barbell movements.

I have done some medicine balls full body throws out of a squat. I was recommended to get handheld 1-2lb medicine balls and do medial and lateral tosses for the rotator cuff muscles like this

It seems good for a coordination and natural firing of the muscles.

Other than that the torpedo balls for core power+ speed sounds great. I need one of those. I will sometimes toss the 10lb medicine ball and go pick it up. Not quite an efficient set of reps but you get practice. I have gone up to a 45lb plate standing rotation ab work so I imagine you can train some decent speed without the toss.

One more thing is sit ups on a swiss ball. This one feels great to simulate serve core mechanics. You can extend (depending in flexibility) 20-40 degrees BACK and snap upwards while tossing a tennis ball for warm up then a weighted ball or med ball. Helps train the core to move the body and keep the shoulder fluid. Let me know if I have not explained this very well. I can’t find a vid of exactly what i mean rn.

 

[WildVolley]

I have done some medicine balls full body throws out of a squat. I was recommended to get handheld 1-2lb medicine balls and do medial and lateral tosses for the rotator cuff muscles like this

It seems good for a coordination and natural firing of the muscles.

Other than that the torpedo balls for core power+ speed sounds great. I need one of those. I will sometimes toss the 10lb medicine ball and go pick it up. Not quite an efficient set of reps but you get practice. I have gone up to a 45lb plate standing rotation ab work so I imagine you can train some decent speed without the toss.

One more thing is sit ups on a swiss ball. This one feels great to simulate serve core mechanics. You can extend (depending in flexibility) 20-40 degrees BACK and snap upwards while tossing a tennis ball for warm up then a weighted ball or med ball. Helps train the core to move the body and keep the shoulder fluid. Let me know if I have not explained this very well. I can’t find a vid of exactly what i mean rn.

Thanks for the video of Alcaraz. I hadn't seen that drill with a weighted ball. I primarily use tubing for my external rotation work.

Jez Green had his athletes throwing a medicine ball off of a wall and then moving to catch it off of the bounce. That's made the exercise both dynamic and efficient.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

 

[z00]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

What causes muscle pulls during sprinting when warmed up? I keep pulling my adductor muscle on left leg, I keep playing, don't sprint too fast/hard, but I still feel the pain. It has been 3 months. I do warm up for 10min-15 before playing.

 

[onehandbh]

Here's a video from the Sprint Project explaining why athletes over the age of 30 should be sprinting at least once a week. The basics are to train on grass if possible. Start slowly and progressively do sprint drills to regain the ability to go full speed without pulling a muscle. I've been working on it for about 7 months now, and I'm finally getting to the point at which I can go close to top speed without risking muscle pulls. It's nice to regain the ability to really turn over your legs.

I haven't done any sprint training since I was a teenager.

After watching the video, I am ready to start.

 

[WildVolley]

What causes muscle pulls during sprinting when warmed up? I keep pulling my adductor muscle on left leg, I keep playing, don't sprint too fast/hard, but I still feel the pain. It has been 3 months. I do warm up for 10min-15 before playing.

It can be that it hasn't fully healed or that you just have a bad motor pattern which is causing those muscles to stay tight when they should be relaxing, leading to small strains again and again. Ideally, you should relearn the motion at slower speed and slowly work your way back into it. I had a hamstring pull which caused me some small problem over a 6 month period.

 

[WildVolley]

I haven't done any sprint training since I was a teenager.

After watching the video, I am ready to start.

My best advice is to start slowly and progressively build into it. I got two separate muscle pulls (calves and hamstring) by going too hard too soon, because I believed that playing a lot of tennis was a sufficient base for doing full speed sprints again.

Always do your sprint training fresh and immediately back off if you feel any pulls. Better to just call a workout early and then go lift weights or do something else rather than get a serious muscle pull. The good thing about sprint training is that it isn't too time intensive. The bad thing is you need the space to be able to do it. I'm doing all my training these days on a baseball field in a local park.

 

[z00]

It can be that it hasn't fully healed or that you just have a bad motor pattern which is causing those muscles to stay tight when they should be relaxing, leading to small strains again and again. Ideally, you should relearn the motion at slower speed and slowly work your way back into it. I had a hamstring pull which caused me some small problem over a 6 month period.

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

 

[Fintft]

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

Sorry to hear that and I have no answer for you, just a reminder to everyone else to warm up their hammies
On the topic I do sprints and jumps. Have neglected lately though, but I was thinking that it is about time to get back into it, also after noticing my endurance going down.

 

[WildVolley]

How did you resolve that hamstring pull and identify the bad motor pattern?
My abductor hurts only when I sprint from standstill to the net, and on fast direction/pivot changes. Box jumps, or any explosive leg dominant moves also irritate it.

First, I stopped trying to stretch my hamstrings and reduced anything that loaded it. Then I started doing gentle exercises of that muscle (leg weight curls and iso and eccentric portion of a heel bridge) while also doing a lot of muscle massage. In sprinting, the biggest threat to the hamstring is when the leg is driving down hard while contracting prior to the foot strike as the muscle is both tensing and rapidly lengthening. I did gentle leg cycles and dribbles (much like the sprinter drills on that video) before I upped the speed. I tried to make sure I wasn't reaching out too much with my foot as my speed increased. I used youtube to research rehab drills and tried to practice the motion that caused the injury without reinjuring the muscle, which meant less intensity. I also lifted when I could do it without pain, things like Romanian deadlifts and hamstring curls on a bench attachment.

There was a lot of info on hamstring rehab for sprinters online, including references to several studies. I doubt that there will be as much info on abductor rehab, but I'm sure that you can find some.

The hard part is that you might have to back off doing the explosive movements that aggravate your injury for a while, which is difficult if playing tennis is helping to cause the problem.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's Kalen Walker, a D1 sprinter, running a faster time (4.15 seconds) in the 40 yard dash (NFL measuring method) than anyone in the history of the NFL combine. Just some inspiration.

 

[Bambooman]

I do a lot of sprint and jumping work etc. For many better movement IS the low hanging fruit for tennis. None of the guys in my group really do any of this.

 

[WildVolley]

Long podcast on how to get into sprinting as adult with minimal injury. Didn't listen to the whole thing, but the section suggesting throwing medicine balls as a safe form of training for the sprint also is relevant to tennis players.

 

[WildVolley]

Here's a video of Jordan Anthony, the Div 1 100m champion for 2025, and the fastest football (American) player doing some weight lifting and sprinter-type drills in the weight room. He ran an outrageously fast, though wind aided, 9.75 this year.

He does hanging high pulls the way that I do them. I simply lack the wrist flexibility to clean a barbell onto my chest, so I just pull it up without racking it. I want to save my wrists for tennis. I'd advise the same for anyone who isn't an experienced Olympic lifter or who doesn't know he can easily clean a barbell without injuring his wrists.

The knee drive into the elastic band is a drill I've known as Yuris. The idea is to get the feeling of thrusting your hips forward with the drive off of your big toe. Best to do this without shoes. He also does very small range and specific split foot squat concentric movements while on the ball of his front foot to build calf strength and stiffness in the movement. The ability to get up on the ball of your foot when split stepping and accelerating is directly relevant to court coverage in tennis.

 

[WildVolley]

Sprint training update. I'm now doing about three workouts a week in which I attempt to hit top speed for about 10 meters at an attempted 100% effort. I run down a slight incline on a baseball field doing moderate acceleration and then try to build to top speed. I'm now able to do this without hamstring pain. That only took me about a year of training to get over the slight tightness/pain I'd get after sprinting. It's nice to be able to go full out without worrying about pulling a muscle.

Using a high speed camera and Kinovea (a free sport analysis software), I've measured a top speed turnover of about 4.5 strides per second. I think that's close to the turnover I had in my early 20s. The big difference is I don't put as much power into the ground, so I'm not covering ground like I did when I was young. I ran an electronically timed 100m this summer in a meet and was about 3 seconds slower than in my early 20s. I'd like to cut a second off of my current time, but the best way to do that is focus on staying healthy and being consistent with my training.

A current training goal is to make sure to hit top speed at least once a week from now on. If you haven't sprinted in a while, the probability of pulling a muscle is high. If you sprint weekly, it seems easier for the body to maintain the tissue tolerance for the movement. My advice is to start slowly if you haven't sprinted in years. Better to err on the side of caution than set yourself back months with a major pull.

In terms of tennis, my court coverage has been improving. I've been able to get to balls that would have been out of my reach a few months ago.

 

[onehandbh]

Sprint training update. I'm now doing about three workouts a week in which I attempt to hit top speed for about 10 meters at an attempted 100% effort. I run down a slight incline on a baseball field doing moderate acceleration and then try to build to top speed. I'm now able to do this without hamstring pain. That only took me about a year of training to get over the slight tightness/pain I'd get after sprinting. It's nice to be able to go full out without worrying about pulling a muscle.

Using a high speed camera and Kinovea (a free sport analysis software), I've measured a top speed turnover of about 4.5 strides per second. I think that's close to the turnover I had in my early 20s. The big difference is I don't put as much power into the ground, so I'm not covering ground like I did when I was young. I ran an electronically timed 100m this summer in a meet and was about 3 seconds slower than in my early 20s. I'd like to cut a second off of my current time, but the best way to do that is focus on staying healthy and being consistent with my training.

A current training goal is to make sure to hit top speed at least once a week from now on. If you haven't sprinted in a while, the probability of pulling a muscle is high. If you sprint weekly, it seems easier for the body to maintain the tissue tolerance for the movement. My advice is to start slowly if you haven't sprinted in years. Better to err on the side of caution than set yourself back months with a major pull.

In terms of tennis, my court coverage has been improving. I've been able to get to balls that would have been out of my reach a few months ago.

For someone just starting to do some sprints, what distance do you recommend to start off?
Something shorter like 30-40 meters?

 

[WildVolley]

For someone just starting to do some sprints, what distance do you recommend to start off?
Something shorter like 30-40 meters?

I would recommend doing short distance stuff. That means 10m flies and short accelerations (preferably on a hill). I believe the Atomic Speed Workout advocated by Tony Holler is a good place to start, but I'm hesitant to recommend some of the harder bounding (box jumps & speed bounds) as a warmup, because I think it is a bit much for adults who haven't been sprinting in a while or have more bodyweight and therefore more impact from any sort of high repeat jumping.

Doing a 10m fly, you'll probably run at least 30-50m, but since you're not trying to accelerate to top speed immediately, you'll need about 15-25m to reach high speed before going fast for 10m or so and then slowing down for another 10m or so. If you aren't ready to go hard on a 10m fly, I think short runs at fast pace for 40m is a good workout. Make sure to give yourself adequate recovery between the reps.

For hill accelerations, I keep them quite short. The idea is to not allow your calf to collapse and to keep your feet close to the ground as you accelerate. 5-10 strides per repetition is good. It is more about developing form and power than endurance. A hill allows you to mimic the acceleration position without needing the power necessary to hold that form on flat ground.

 

[WildVolley]

Does anyone else do daily box jumps? I've found that the main benefit of jumping up onto something is simply limiting impact in landing. You can train multiple days without needing the recovery of depth jumps or other more aggressive plyometric exercises.

While box jumps aren't ideal for training the bounce of a jump, there's probably benefit for quickness out of the split step in tennis. I can tell I'm getting more power out of my jumps, and I'll often do a split step into jumping onto something.

The main danger is missing the landing. I often jump up onto a 25" retaining wall. I keep my wits so that if I slip off, I can protect myself from the edge of the wall.

 

[WildVolley]

Interesting video by Chris Korfist (a sprint coach) on simple iso holds for what he calls the spring ankle model, which prioritizes going off of the big toe as a joint used in sprinting and running. Strength in this position is useful for tennis players as you should not allow your heel to collapse to the court during the start of a sprint to the ball. Strength in this area probably also provides protection to the Achilles tendon, as you don't want the Achilles rapidly lengthening while you push hard off the court as you accelerate. The world's best starters show significant ankle stiffness as they are accelerating.

 

[onehandbh]

Does anyone else do daily box jumps? I've found that the main benefit of jumping up onto something is simply limiting impact in landing. You can train multiple days without needing the recovery of depth jumps or other more aggressive plyometric exercises.

While box jumps aren't ideal for training the bounce of a jump, there's probably benefit for quickness out of the split step in tennis. I can tell I'm getting more power out of my jumps, and I'll often do a split step into jumping onto something.

The main danger is missing the landing. I often jump up onto a 25" retaining wall. I keep my wits so that if I slip off, I can protect myself from the edge of the wall.

I haven't tried box jumps, but I've seen some people doing it in the gym. I might try adding this a couple times a week. How many jumps do you do each time?

I'm on week 3 of the Atomic Speed workout you sent a link of earlier. Trying ot ease into it.
Doing it once a week. Next week, I'll try 2x a week.

 

[WildVolley]

I haven't tried box jumps, but I've seen some people doing it in the gym. I might try adding this a couple times a week. How many jumps do you do each time?

I'm on week 3 of the Atomic Speed workout you sent a link of earlier. Trying to ease into it.
Doing it once a week. Next week, I'll try 2x a week.

I vary how many box jumps I do. Some days I only do one or two, usually after I've warmed up doing something else. Other days, I'll do a few sets of two or three jumps. I also vary how I do them. Some are done standing. Some with a short step-in or run in. Other times, I'll just try to fire from the hips or the ankles. The main benefit is being able to do something explosive while reducing impact to my knees. I think jumping onto the soft boxes I see online would be the safest.

Sounds good that you're able to do the ASW without any problems. I've being doing a version of it 3x a week, and recently I've noticed more abdominal muscle soreness. I find it interesting that I notice different muscle groups being worked harder as I get faster.

 

[Roforot]

Id like to get involved with this. I had a calf tear 2 years ago and have had chronic tightness in both calves for a while. I’ve tried stretching, tens units, hanging off ateps, and calf raises? Any suggestions on how to start?

 

[onehandbh]

I vary how many box jumps I do. Some days I only do one or two, usually after I've warmed up doing something else. Other days, I'll do a few sets of two or three jumps. I also vary how I do them. Some are done standing. Some with a short step-in or run in. Other times, I'll just try to fire from the hips or the ankles. The main benefit is being able to do something explosive while reducing impact to my knees. I think jumping onto the soft boxes I see online would be the safest.

Sounds good that you're able to do the ASW without any problems. I've being doing a version of it 3x a week, and recently I've noticed more abdominal muscle soreness. I find it interesting that I notice different muscle groups being worked harder as I get faster.

I spoke too soon! Just strained my left hamstring. Will see how serious it is tomorrow. Hopefully it heals soon. In hindsight, I was probably a little too sore from the leg workout yesterday to go 100% on the ASW today.

 

[WildVolley]

Id like to get involved with this. I had a calf tear 2 years ago and have had chronic tightness in both calves for a while. I’ve tried stretching, tens units, hanging off ateps, and calf raises? Any suggestions on how to start?

Yes, slowly and progressively. If you haven't sprinted in a while, work your way into it.

I think that calf raises are great. For training a sprint start, do some bent leg calf raises too. Be progressive with your plyometric training. I'd start with doing more extensive low impact plyos such as jump rope or hopping on both feet. You want to accustom your calf muscles and Achilles to bouncing and impact before going hard in an acceleration or attempting a top speed run.

I suggest working on dribbles as shown in the video below before trying faster speed sprinting. These lower impact exercises will build your leg muscles up for the impact of sprinting and help with form while reducing injury risk.

 

[WildVolley]

I spoke too soon! Just strained my left hamstring. Will see how serious it is tomorrow. Hopefully it heals soon. In hindsight, I was probably a little too sore from the leg workout yesterday to go 100% on the ASW today.

That's unfortunate. My advice is to not do any aggressive stretching for a while and do easy hamstring exercises while it heals. Even simple hamstring curls without weight should help the muscles heal in a proper fashion. I also think that adding in hamstring isometric holds once they can be performed with low to moderate levels of pain are helpful in speeding up how quickly you can back to sprinting again.

Since hamstring pulls are common, you can find a lot of good resources online on hamstring rehab for return to play. Good luck. Hopefully it is just a minor strain.

 

[McLovin]

Id like to get involved with this. I had a calf tear 2 years ago and have had chronic tightness in both calves for a while. I’ve tried stretching, tens units, hanging off ateps, and calf raises? Any suggestions on how to start?

Ever done yoga? Downward dog is a nice calf-stretch, as are some of the poses. A good 30-minute yoga session twice a week will do wonders.

 

[WildVolley]

I found this discussion of squatting for speed training interesting. The takeaway is that squatting isn't an ideal exercise for speed development. Squatting is largely a balance exercise, is bilateral, teaches to push vertically rather than horizontally, and trains the body to slow down as the bar moves up. So don't expect to get fast in the weight room doing traditional squats. The coaches also discuss some replacement exercises that might be more efficient for speed development.

The Fast Lane: To Squat or Not to Squat for Athletic Development

Join Chris Korfist, Dan Fichter, and Chris Kerr as they break down the squat debate—does it really make athletes faster, or is it time to rethink training?

simplifaster.com

 

[mad dog1]

Squats are for strength and power, not speed.

 

[WildVolley]

Squats are for strength and power, not speed.

I agree. Those coaches discuss why so many football programs are confused about this. Some freak players like Bo Jackson were incredibly fast and when coaches tested them on the squat found they could put up huge numbers without training. So it was believed, wrongly, that increasing strength in the squat would make weak athletes faster. Korfist in that interview says he now has evidence from many athletes he has trained that increasing squat numbers doesn't translate into better acceleration and speed.

I have started doing limited squats again, primarily for knee health. But I've found that from playing a lot of tennis, my external rotation is compromised such that it hurts my shoulder to even hold onto the bar while doing a back squat.

Since I now train primarily for improved movement and to be able to play tennis for more decades, I'm trying to optimize my exercise choice. For example, I was benching during the summer, but I'm not making that a priority. Being able to bench my bodyweight won't make much a difference in tennis, but having greater calf strength and durability will. I'm spending more of my time sprinting, running lines, and doing plyometrics with less emphasis on power lifts.

 

[onehandbh]

That's unfortunate. My advice is to not do any aggressive stretching for a while and do easy hamstring exercises while it heals. Even simple hamstring curls without weight should help the muscles heal in a proper fashion. I also think that adding in hamstring isometric holds once they can be performed with low to moderate levels of pain are helpful in speeding up how quickly you can back to sprinting again.

Since hamstring pulls are common, you can find a lot of good resources online on hamstring rehab for return to play. Good luck. Hopefully it is just a minor strain.

Thankfully, it was relatively minor. Painful and difficult to walk a couple days, but a week later, I'm already at around 85%.
Will continue sprint training again soon.

I think my lack of hamstring flexibility /range-of-motion may have been a factor to the injury. I tried ramping up the acceleration and stride length and sprinting harder when when it happened.

 

[Robert F]

Squats are for strength and power, not speed.

Yes but strength leads to power and then speed...up to a point.
I always think of strength as the foundation to all physical characteristics.
As you gain strength you then need to train it to the skills you want to use it at and eventually it has diminishing returns.
A high school kid who can't squat 225, would get a lot of benefit on the field of sport by getting his or her squat up to 225. Getting the squat from 225 to 315 some benefit, 315 to 405 less benefit and if it takes a lot of training to get to 405, that time might be better spent on other aspects of their sport.

 

[onehandbh]

I vary how many box jumps I do. Some days I only do one or two, usually after I've warmed up doing something else. Other days, I'll do a few sets of two or three jumps. I also vary how I do them. Some are done standing. Some with a short step-in or run in. Other times, I'll just try to fire from the hips or the ankles. The main benefit is being able to do something explosive while reducing impact to my knees. I think jumping onto the soft boxes I see online would be the safest.

Sounds good that you're able to do the ASW without any problems. I've being doing a version of it 3x a week, and recently I've noticed more abdominal muscle soreness. I find it interesting that I notice different muscle groups being worked harder as I get faster.

Do you ever do box jumps or sprint training on the same day that you lift (legs)? (Legs afterwards)

 

[WildVolley]

Do you ever do box jumps or sprint training on the same day that you lift (legs)? (Legs afterwards)

Yes. I've been doing a variation of the Atomic Speed workout with two attempts at top speed. Then, I'll do a few box jumps or stair jumps in the park I train at. Later that day, I'll do a leg workout. Usually just some hex bar deadlifts, leg curls and extensions, and then Romanian deadlifts or high pulls with the hex bar. After a hard workout like that, I'll take two days of recovery. During recovery days, I always try to walk a few miles if I have time and I'll do some accelerations if my legs feel good. I'll also do some core work, like hanging leg raises, leg swings, and some psoas stuff I've been playing with.

 

[WildVolley]

Yes but strength leads to power and then speed...up to a point.
I always think of strength as the foundation to all physical characteristics.
As you gain strength you then need to train it to the skills you want to use it at and eventually it has diminishing returns.
A high school kid who can't squat 225, would get a lot of benefit on the field of sport by getting his or her squat up to 225. Getting the squat from 225 to 315 some benefit, 315 to 405 less benefit and if it takes a lot of training to get to 405, that time might be better spent on other aspects of their sport.

Did you listen to that Fast Lane video? Both those coaches used to have their athletes do traditional barbell squats (and did them themselves while they were competing) and now believe that there are more effective and safer ways to gain strength and athleticism for their athletes (primarily football and track athletes). They don't believe there's anything magical about the back squat (king of all exercises). They say that split stance squats, isometric one leg squats, various deadlift machine exercises, etc. are more effective and safer methods of developing strength and posture for athletic movement.

 

[Robert F]

Did you listen to that Fast Lane video? Both those coaches used to have their athletes do traditional barbell squats (and did them themselves while they were competing) and now believe that there are more effective and safer ways to gain strength and athleticism for their athletes (primarily football and track athletes). They don't believe there's anything magical about the back squat (king of all exercises). They say that split stance squats, isometric one leg squats, various deadlift machine exercises, etc. are more effective and safer methods of developing strength and posture for athletic movement.

My point is more about building strength whether it is a barbell or leg press. You need to build strength as a foundation for the other performance characteristics.
If you start doing very odd exercises first you loose out on strength.

These coaches seemed fine, but I'm not sure they are the experts in the field.
Previous evidence has shown superiority to bilateral vs. unilateral exercises for building strength.

I think both unilateral and bilateral, machines vs. free weights all have their place. Appropriate tools.
I just worry that too many people are doing plyometrics, balance training, functional training without a good training base.
And to some extent agree that after a certain base is established, the gains for chasing strength mind not meet the needs of their sport.

I can't remember where I read it, but good olympic throwers did best if they could bench around 440. Building a bench beyond that detracted from performance. But to be elite they needed that strength level around 440.

No way does a tennis player need to bench 440. It would be a waste of time for them to try to bench 440. The translation would be too low to sports performance.
But, where I think some base level of strength comes to injury prevention. Without training with weights to build up muscle tissues, tendons and ligaments, just going to plyometrics or jump training could increase the risk for injury.

 

[WildVolley]

My point is more about building strength whether it is a barbell or leg press. You need to build strength as a foundation for the other performance characteristics.
If you start doing very odd exercises first you loose out on strength.

These coaches seemed fine, but I'm not sure they are the experts in the field.
Previous evidence has shown superiority to bilateral vs. unilateral exercises for building strength.

I think both unilateral and bilateral, machines vs. free weights all have their place. Appropriate tools.
I just worry that too many people are doing plyometrics, balance training, functional training without a good training base.
And to some extent agree that after a certain base is established, the gains for chasing strength mind not meet the needs of their sport.

I can't remember where I read it, but good olympic throwers did best if they could bench around 440. Building a bench beyond that detracted from performance. But to be elite they needed that strength level around 440.

No way does a tennis player need to bench 440. It would be a waste of time for them to try to bench 440. The translation would be too low to sports performance.
But, where I think some base level of strength comes to injury prevention. Without training with weights to build up muscle tissues, tendons and ligaments, just going to plyometrics or jump training could increase the risk for injury.

I agree with you in building strength for injury prevention, especially if we're talking about out-of-shape or obese adults. I believe the barbell squat is a good exercise, just overhyped. In my opinion, running around and jumping are foundational exercises, not barbell squatting. There was a thread here that became sort of a joke, in which people were humorously claiming that it wasn't safe to play tennis unless you could barbell squat 2x your bodyweight (I don't think they were serious). Kids, for example, should be running around and jumping long before they attempt any powerlifting moves. I support resistance training of various sorts as auxiliary exercises, and perhaps foundational exercises for obese adults who haven't been running around and jumping in quite a while. Adults need to use common sense and limit injury risk in training.

 

[Robert F]

I agree with you in building strength for injury prevention, especially if we're talking about out-of-shape or obese adults. I believe the barbell squat is a good exercise, just overhyped. In my opinion, running around and jumping are foundational exercises, not barbell squatting. There was a thread here that became sort of a joke, in which people were humorously claiming that it wasn't safe to play tennis unless you could barbell squat 2x your bodyweight (I don't think they were serious). Kids, for example, should be running around and jumping long before they attempt any powerlifting moves. I support resistance training of various sorts as auxiliary exercises, and perhaps foundational exercises for obese adults who haven't been running around and jumping in quite a while. Adults need to use common sense and limit injury risk in training.

Agree to agree.
Also, I think it is better to squat to build strength and do jumping/running/wresting/sport to build court specific power and speed.
Things like an agility ladder aren't bad but are not better than just doing tennis specific running, jumping etc.
And I think some strength coachs have their clients doing odd movements with weights to mimic the court. But when you mix the weight with "skill" you aren't really practicing that skill it's become something else. It's like swinging a 10 pound racquet--wow if I can hit my forehand with a 10 pound racquet I'll crush it with my regular racquet. No you'll just get good at swinging a 10 pound racquet. Instead build you upper body strength with core movements--presses, rows with some assistance work for smaller muscles and then with the new strength practice with your normal gear to translate it to on court.