Tag: training

Fitness starts with building a Strong Foundation

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Today, exercise and fitness are not the same thing. Fitness combines strength and form where exercise builds endurance and skill. Today’s athletes know the secret to creating a finely tuned body is developing our core.

Life these days is stretched more than ever between work and home life. A strong core can give us all more energy and endurance to sustain the stress that plagues us all. Whether you find time to go to a gym or decide to workout at home, we can all turn back the aging process.

Technique and form delivers results in the shortest amount of time allowing our bodies at any age to develop lean muscle mass. Results don’t happen overnight so it’s important to keep a consistent routine combined with exercise, nutrition, and plenty of rest.

When we isolate our core muscles we target the area that all other muscles leverage for well-rounded performance on the tennis court. Resistance training has been proven to be one of the most effective ways for athletes to isolate muscles whereby eliminating and momentum and relying strictly on a single muscle to do the work.

Once we have established a strong core it is much easier to filter in weight training because the house is already built.

Mastering the art of supporting our own weight will return dividends later when combined with proper weight training.

Posture and use of the correct stance are the hallmark basics to achieving that perfect core. As with any form of cardio, breathing and exhaling build stamina over time. Start with 1- minute planks and each week go another minute with a goal of 5 minutes or more.

Once you can hold a plank for this amount of time you are ready to start with pull ups and then eventually weights. You will also notice major physical results and your body shape will start to change shape. You’ll notice you can stand up straighter and reduce the risk of injury.

Always remember to stretch before and after any rigorous activity. You’ll start to notice the effects of stretching daily as you experience less downtime for your muscles to repair. stretching combined with a strong core will also build endurance and flexibility.

Tennis is a cardiovascular activity the requires endurance. Players also helps to de-toxify the body and accelerate the fat burning zone. Activating the heart rate for 15 minutes daily will also improve the body’s ability to fight off disease and infection. The optimal heart rate formula is 220 minus your age, times 60 for the lower number, then 220 minus you age and times 80 for the upper number.

The tennis community has long known that the secret to maintaining a youthful appearance is by keeping a strong core and a healthy lifestyle balance.

Training Tips for Tennis Players

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Finely tuned tennis athletes maintain a well-rounded approach to fitness by combing strength training and tennis. Generating power in you ground strokes is achieved not only through the techniques taught by the tennis pros, but it also requires both lower and upper body strength. Best of all there are many ways to get results without having to step in a gym or have access to a lot of weight equipment.

Start simple and work up towards a more aggressive conditioning regimen. A great place to begin is by developing those biceps, triceps, and forearms for more explosive forehands and backhands. Try hammers for building forearm strength. Pushups and seated rows are awesome for building lean and powerful triceps. Curls and pull ups can make all the difference in creating well defined biceps.

The most agile Tennis players rely on endurance and cardio vascular to go the distance in match play and muscle-bound athletes are not typically as quick on their feet. Therefore, strive for a healthy balance between muscle toning and speed to get the most out of your game since most of us aren’t Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal. Form is critically important to gain the best results so if you are not sure always consult a personal trainer that works with tennis players and can guide you appropriately. This will also reduce the risk of injury.

A general rule is to train in the off days when a player is not taking a tennis lesson or getting ready for an important match. The quickest results can be achieved by strength training two days in a row focusing on a single muscle group each day followed by a recovery day that can be substituted for cardio lie tennis. Once a routine is established you will start seeing changes in your game with additional power in your strokes.

Does age really factor into the decision to play Tennis verses Pickleball?

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In 2017, it was estimated that 962 million people around the planet were aged 60 or over, comprising a staggering 13% of the global population. The population aged 60 or above is growing at a rate of about 3% per year. Europe has the greatest percentage of population aged 60 or over at 25%. Rapid ageing will occur in other parts of the world as well, so that by 2050 all regions of the world except Africa will have nearly a quarter or more of their populations at ages 60 and above. The number of older persons in the world is projected to be 1.4 billion in 2030.

Another interesting statistic points to the fact that over 68% of all pickleball players are also over 60 years of age. Therefore, there is no denying that the lure of Pickleball is growing steadily in parallel with this age demographic population. In fact, there are more than 2 million people around the world playing it today. Skeptics are forecasting that in the next few years, we can expect four times as many pickleball players.

What’s the allure and why are traditional tennis enthusiasts turning in their rackets for paddles?
Maybe it’s because Pickleball has so many skills compatible with those of Tennis? Pickleball uses smaller courts, underhand strokes, and slower balls which appeal to many baby boomers who spent their previous decades hitting overhead smashes and charging the net and now want to stay active and competitive, despite their limitations. The game of Pickleball combines the elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors with a paddle and a plastic ball, the court is the same size as a doubles badminton court, 20 by 44 feet and is striped similar-to a tennis court with left and right service courts. A 7-foot zone in front of the net, called the “kitchen,” designates the area players are not allowed to volley from. However, as of now the only lines that are supposed to be on tennis courts are tennis lines. Lines for 36- and 60-foot play can be added to tennis courts, but they must adhere to certain standards concerning color, spacing and width. Although it’s not uncommon to see lines for a variety of sports on private and recreational tennis courts. As the demand for court time grows through Pickleball ambassadors, more parks are building designated pickleball courts and more clubs are considering doing the same.

For now, the debate between the two sports continues. No player with hip, knee, or shoulder problems ever wants to hear that tennis may no longer be a realistic option. Athletes want to stay active and healthy throughout their entire lives. For these players, Pickleball just might be the answer. Starting in 2018 the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) and the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) will be offering Tennis Pro’s the opportunity to obtain their Pickleball teaching certifications. Additional distinctions for Wheelchair Pickleball will also be available. Interestingly the pro tours have not yet adopted Pickleball as a mainstream sport but that too will most likely change in the future.

If you like this article and want to learn more about Pickleball and would like Beach City Tennis Academy to send you a free copy of the official rule book, please reply to this blog with your email address and we will be happy to send you an electronic copy. Once teaching certifications become available, BCT Academy tennis staff plans to offer lessons and clinics as a licensed provider in designated locations.

The 5 Best ways to train for tennis by yourself

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Often players wonder what that they can do to continue training when they are not with their coach. There are actually several areas a player can make significant improvements in their game by themselves.

By far the best piece of training equipment is the ball machine. Players can work on consistency in their strokes at different speeds and various heights. The name of the game is repetition, and this is the fastest way to get results period! Most public facilities rent ball machines in case your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase one.

Another important piece of training equipment players must have is a ball hopper. These come in various sizes, brands, and prices but are invaluable for holding balls and picking them up so your not herding cats the entire time you are on the court.