September - October 2001
Vol. 12, No. 5 | Contents
Part I: Getting Started
by Tim Scheett*
*Expanded text,
not as published.
Introduction:
About the AuthorI am a researcher in exercise physiology and an avid racquetball player, whose educational background includes a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, a M.S. in exercise science and a B.S. in physical education, coaching, nutrition and corporate/ community fitness. I competed in my first tournament ten years ago and have been trying to use my knowledge of exercise physiology to improve my game ever since. At the same time, this effort could be one of my biggest distractions, since I sometimes find myself thinking about recovery times for various energy systems instead of the fact that my opponent is in the middle of a 3, 4, or 5 point run!
I'm the first to say that I am not, by any means, an accomplished racquetball player. I am just simply not smart enough to balance training for racquetball with studying as much as I needed to for my doctoral work -- so I went an entire season losing all but two first round matches. But I am a true fan of the sport - even though my ego wished I had given it up! Since I am not a naturally gifted player, I have to work at increasing my success on the court … which enables me to relate well with the vast majority of players I have consulted with over the past few years.
I also admit that I am not a fitness guru who works out ten hours a day, and thinks that everyone needs to look like Arnold Schwartzenegger or Denise Austin in order to be fit and healthy. (Personally, I enjoy life way too much to do that!) But what I do have is a broad knowledge base to draw from in working with anyone - from a professional athlete to an overweight 10 year old - to increase their fitness (endurance), strength, power and sport-specific performance. My research experiences (both laboratory and field) have been in areas such as: the effects of exercise in the heat, fluid consumption, various ergogenic aids, effectiveness of fitness training for women on birth control, how aerobic and strength training in children affects their growth and development, low-carbohydrate diets, and cellular mechanisms leading to delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) associated with muscle damage.
Even though my main research interests are in hormonal and cellular adaptations that occur during and following various exercise stimuli, I have always maintained a keen interest in applied sport physiology (how to take what is discovered in the lab and actually use it to increase athletic performance). That is how I've come to this project: writing articles on various topics pertaining to racquetball and exercise training, fitness and nutrition. I feel that it's part of my professional responsibility to share what I have learned -- and to interpret what is being discovered each and every day in various research labs -- with people who may be interested but are not as directly involved with something as vitally important and geeky as exercise physiology research. Therefore, if there are any particular questions you have or topics you would like to know more about please feel free to send me an email and I will address each question in a future article.
Getting Started
Before I get into the specifics of training for racquetball we need to define some terms. Research has shown that for optimal performance, training programs need to be designed with the specific needs of the sport in mind. Thus, a training program for racquetball should include specific areas such as strength training (lifting weights) and both aerobic (fitness or endurance) and anaerobic (speed/power) conditioning.
Research has also shown us that a specific training program for one individual is not necessarily the proper program for everyone. For example, someone who has never lifted weights before needs to start with basic weight training to learn proper lifting techniques before they begin a more demanding program. Likewise, someone who has never engaged in a cardiovascular workout needs to learn how to predict relative fitness intensities and become familiar with the equipment prior to starting a strenuous cardiovascular conditioning program. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way to discuss or teach this type of "familiarization" in writing.
This being the case, I highly recommended that if you are interested in beginning a training program of any type (not just specific for racquetball) you contact a well-qualified personal trainer or fitness director at a local gym. A recent research study has shown that people who train under the guidance of a qualified trainer make significantly greater improvements in strength and power versus those that choose to train unsupervised. Now the question becomes: How do I know if the personal trainer or fitness director at my gym is qualified to teach me what I want to learn? A general guideline is simply to ask for their credentials. Most people in the fitness industry (especially directors) have gone to school in a fitness related field (corporate and/or community fitness, fitness management, adult fitness, etc.) or have attended a certification seminar and taken exams to become certified. Secondly, ask the fitness consultant or personal trainer about their personal philosophy on sport-specific training (designing a training program to meet the specific needs of a particular sport - in this case - racquetball). Also inquire about their own personal athletic training. I am not convinced that I want anyone training me that doesn't know what it's like to train for athletic competition. Lastly, ask for references - get the names and numbers of current or past clients and talk to these people. Any personal trainer or fitness consultant who is confident in their abilities will gladly provide the names of satisfied customers.
3) Realize that you will have both good and bad days in the gym. If you're having a good day you might want to increase the intensity a bit; likewise, if you feel that you are struggling, it's better to lower the intensity a bit to complete the workout, rather than push too hard and cause an injury or make yourself feel as if you are not succeeding. Even during "bad training days" it is important to feel good about what you are doing in the long run, and not get bogged down with one or two bad sessions.
4) Be patient. People respond differently to training programs. Your basic genetic make-up has already determined whether you are going to be a strength/power athlete or an aerobic machine. Not every individual, despite how much training they do, will be able to gain a significant amount of muscle mass, or vice versa, be able to run a five-minute mile. So it's better to set realistic goals and work patiently towards them. Keep in mind that a person who has never strength trained (lifted weights) before will see relatively substantial increase in strength within the first six weeks of beginning their program. But once they begin to plateau, any further improvement will take much more time. Believe that if you train with the proper frequency, duration and intensity - you will improve with time. I guarantee it!
5) Don't push too hard and over train. Over-training is a relatively new concept in exercise physiology and what research has shown is that the body can only withstand so much exercise before it begins to suffer negative consequences from subsequent exercise. So be sure to allow for sufficient rest in your training program. The body actually breaks down during a training session and it is during the recovery/healing process that the body will make the adaptations required to withstand greater exercise stress (increase in strength, speed, power, etc.).
And finally, 6) Have fun! No matter if you decide to train on your own, with a training partner or with a professional above all else remember - training should be fun - otherwise… why are you doing it??
Top | Racquetball Online | USRA
© United States Racquetball Association
All Rights Reserved