Dynamic Warm Up and Strengthening

[johnyandell]

Let's hear your thoughts on Mark's new article "Dynamic Warm Up
and Strengthening!"

[don_budge]

Just once...

I watched it just one time. I am sold. I love it! Cannot wait to do this myself. Cannot wait to train my favorite student in this during summer break...she is going to be really tickled with this program. I am on vacation for 4 more weeks but when I return to work each and every day I am going to go early and work on this...and I am going to work very hard. Nobody will out work me!!!

Thanks Mark. This is inspirational work!!! You can turn this eye-opener into a ball-buster with a little extra effort. Ridiculously cool!!!

Now I am going to watch it a second time and I am going to list each and every exercise.

[don_budge]

The Second Time Through...notes from the underground, Dostoyevsky style

This is so good. Mark...I hope that you don't mind. I took notes and distributed to all of the other kids on tennisplayer.net. Copy and print to take to court. This may singularly be one of the best contributions ever to this site. It addresses some of the most important aspects of tennis fitness. This is just a super, super contribution. Do you have any more stuff like this? This alone is worth the price of the subscription. Thanks for the bang for the buck...johnyandell!!!

Strength, stability, balance, coordination, getting the heart rate up, inducing a good sweat. Dynamic flexibility component.

Two laps...jogging around the court

Heel walk...shoulders back, head up, hips under you, toes to sky

Toe walk...push each time as high as you can, strengthen ankles

Ankle edge walk...prevent rolling over an ankle by strengthening

Heel walk with hugs...arms out wide hold for one. Switch arms from high to low. Release arm out wide as far as you can. Core tight. Hips under.

Heel walk with wipers...thumb up, shoulders back. One arm extends up and one down and back. Increase range.

Toe walk with cheerleader...arms up and out from side.

Knee to chest...shoulders back and head straight, hold at the top for two seconds. Try to balance. Point lifted toe to sky.


Lunges...hands above head. Core tight, shoulders back and head straight. Arms as high as you can.

Lunges...hands on hips. Hold at bottom for two seconds.

Lunges...with core rotation. Turn and try to turn head as well. Hold at turn and at bottom.

Hip push...keep opposite leg straight and push into hip. Make sure hip is in line with the knee. Get as low as you can and chest up, arms out.

One leg balance...arms out and leg back, hold for two. Eyes forward to maintain good balance. Slight bend in front knee. Tennis is played on one leg. Stabilize hips.

Leg kick strides...arms straight and lift leg up as you stride. Leg straight.

Hamstring hand walk...pushup position and walk legs up without bending knees.

Tennis Specific...outstanding tennis specific exercises with or without racquets

Shuffle Recovery...first step crossover step and drive off of knee (don’t just lift knee over) use the ground, then shuffle to the end. From doubles sideline to middle line of court.

Split turns...to the right and to the left.

[markkovacs]

More resources

Glad you found the information interesting. Here are a few more resources that you may find beneficial

Dynamic Stretching Book - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156...SIN=1569757267

Here are a list of tennis specific education products that are designed to help improve performance and reduce injuries from the International Tennis Performance Association http://www.itpa-tennis.org/products.html



Tennis Performance Trainer Education program - http://www.itpa-tennis.org/tpt.html

[don_budge]

Very interesting...the results are in. My maiden voyage...

Glad you found the information interesting. Here are a few more resources that you may find beneficial

Dynamic Stretching Book - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156...SIN=1569757267

Here are a list of tennis specific education products that are designed to help improve performance and reduce injuries from the International Tennis Performance Association http://www.itpa-tennis.org/products.html



Tennis Performance Trainer Education program - http://www.itpa-tennis.org/tpt.html

Very impressive amount of publications. That is a lot of work. I think that I might consider the Dynamic Stretching Book but knowing myself when it comes time to pull the trigger and spend my money...I will find some way to put it off.

On the other hand...this morning after I did my abdominals and pushups, I then went outside in my underwear and did your complete program as outlined in the video. My wife was more amused than turned on as she looked out from the kitchen window as she was doing the dishes. In my infinite wisdom...which I have acquired through the ages, I took it easy and didn't go gungho the first time through. It's a good thing because some of the positions are awkward at first and one could easily injure oneself thereby fully negating the objective of the program. Walking on ankles was perhaps the one exercise that one should diligently practice a few times before implementing.

This business of your two tennis specific exercises at the end of the video are really superb. If a player were to practice those two exercises religiously every day for a couple of months I believe that there would be noticeable improvement in the movement aspect of ones fitness. Seeing as the game of tennis is predicated on one's ability to "get in position" I would strongly recommend emphasis on all of these exercises because each and everyone of the exercises are working the muscles and parts of the body that make up the platform or base upon which the swing is performed. A firm and balanced base encourages a strong repeatable swing. What a great program and the best part about the whole deal is that it is free...well at least in the respect that it was included in the subscription of tennisplayer.net.

[don_budge]

Progress report...

I continue to train on these exercises on a daily basis and I am noticing marked improvement in a number of minor injuries that have been bothering me. Hip, achilles tendon and shoulder issues. Each day I feel a bit stronger, more stable and balanced. A key side effect to this series of exercises...mentally it feels good....to feel good. My biological birth certificate reads at 48 and counting...backwards. It is so exhilarating to ride backwards on the rollercoaster of time. But it is hard work too.

I am increasing the distances of each exercise and it feels comfortable to gradually increase the duration. The key is to go slow and gently in the beginning and let the exercises do their magic by increments over time. Nothing can be accomplished overnight but over the course of a month everything gets better.

I intend to continue to religiously incorporate this material into my daily ritual and I hope that in the near future I will be doing a bit of work on your latest article. I plan on using both video applications in my junior training program here in Sweden. That must be a cool feeling knowing that your work is being utilized on the other side of the planet. While you sleep...others are prospering from your sharing.

I really think that this material is beneficial to anyone who is interested in improving the quality of their life...not just tennis players. Super article once again.

[cathyhobart]

Thank you!!

This is exactly what I have been looking for!!! I want to prevent injuries and become stronger overall. I have been looking specifically for stretches before playing, stretches for after playing and strength training.

I noticed that Don listed all of the exercises. Do you have a printable version of these stretches and exercises with a picture?? I would love to keep this in my tennis bag and do it daily.

Thank you!!!

[bottle]

Am exhausted just reading about it.

[johnyandell]

cathy,

No lists or pictures. But you can take some notes!

[bowt]

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/physicaltraining/mark_kovacs/oncourt_training_for_tennis/dynamic_warmup/

I think the audio isnt synced

[johnyandell]

bowt,

are you looking at it in chrome? Explorer which is extinct sometimes has that problem...

[bowt]

no firefox

[johnyandell]

Try chrome it's synced.

[johnyandell]

And on the subject of the warmup. Here is the original one from Pat Etcheberry which is still great:

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/physicaltraining/pat%20_etcheberry/Etcheberry_PSCT_Intro_Warmup_images/Etcheberry_PSCT_Intro_Warmup.html

[bowt]

hey john do you think you could get some more articles on strength and conditioning that are more recent than pats stuff?

also articles on the way training squads are organised