Yesterday we talked mental training and today physical training! Off court training for racquetball players is something athletes should address for increased success. A good trainer can really make a difference in an athlete’s performance.(both ways-good and bad!)
Periodized strength training makes for great athletic performance. When our athletes on the USA Team heard about periodizing their training back in the 90s their response was “We don’t want to peak for one tournament, we want to peak for every tournament!”
Players should understand that peaking for one tournament does not mean they have to lose all the others they play in. Let me move back here and explain the periodization thing. You divide your strength training into cycles of 5 weeks with one week active rest. The cycles are base, strength, power, and maintenance. After 24 weeks of training you can repeat the process or break down weeks into mini-cycles to peak for a big tournament. That is the Reader’s Digest explanation of periodization and a good trainer knows all of the above and much more and will cycle your training for you.
Off season is when you can make your biggest gains. In-season is more tricky. I like to tell my athletes if they are spending more than 30-45 minutes in the weight room they are taking time away from practicing their craft. We compete in racquetball, not cross-fit!
My advice is find a good trainer and let her or him take control of your workout schedule but you must give them the feedback of your week in and week out work and play schedule. Often trainers do not know enough about the demands of racquetball. I suggest you get them out there watching.