Tennis Fitness and Movement

The body will adapt when loaded beyond what it is normally required to do. Once the adaptation has occurred the load must be further increased.

2.Specificity of Overload:

The body will adapt specifically to meet the new demand. The training effect is specific in speed, resistance, duration, muscle groups and joint action.

3.Rest Principle:

In response to a training session those components which were overloaded will show some breakdown. Then, following the exercise the body rebuilds that component to a higher level. This rebuilding process takes from 12-40 hours depending upon the intensity.

4.The Maintenance Principle:

The training effect is fragile. If the training load is stopped or reduced the body will readapt to the lower load. The training effect, however, can be maintained if the frequency is cut to 1/3 but the intensity and duration must stay the same.

5.Sequencing Principle:

An endurance base permits better recovery and therefore can permit more strength and power training. Strength is dependent upon building muscle mass while power is dependent on the speed of movement. It is more effective to build strength then, to train at high speed for power. Therefore, when building a training calendar, training for endurance, then strength, then power, then build the ability to repeat (tolerate) many repeated power bursts.

6.The Taper Principle:

Training results in both a breakdown and fatigue. Even though the training effect is being affected, it is often masked by these factors. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve good performances during heavy training. However, if training is stopped, the training effect will fall off. Therefore, we must keep the training while the fatigue decrease – then performance will be optimal. Prior to competition begin to decrease the amount (volume) of training but keep the intensity (quality) the same. Progressively decrease the volume up to the competition. The ideal time for a taper will differ with the different athletes. A guideline is ten days. Important: The taper attempts to hold the training effect at its present level – it is not building improvement. Therefore is achieved at the expense of training. Related Principles:

1.Principle of the Ceiling Effect:

In each fitness component every individual has a genetically endowed limit for improvement. The further one is from this limit the greater improvements can be achieved for a given load. As the limit is approached smaller and smaller increases are acquired for greater and greater investments.

2.Principle of Warm-Up and Cool-Down:

Prior to vigorous exercise, a warm-up activity should be undertaken to elevate temperature. This probably reduces susceptibility to soft tissue injury and decreases the anaerobic energy supply during exercise. A cool-down period following exercise assists in heat dissociation and enhances the removal of waste products.

Hobson Performance Tennis Academy