Sprints

How To Increase ‘Off-The-Mark’ Squash Acceleration – A Primer [VIDEO]

18 June, 2016 By Mick Holmes Leave a Comment

There are lots of speed & agility drills a squash player can do to improve their squash acceleration and quick movement around the squash court.

To get the most out of any of these exercises it’s vital you have strong calf-muscles and general strength in the surrounding soft-tissue of the feet & ankles.

Here are 2 videos for you.

The first is a quick & easy diagnostic tool to identify if there is anything that is not quite right, structurally, with the interaction between your feet & ankles:

I want to emphasize – if you think there might be an issue here, it’s important to seek out face-to-face guidance from an experienced professional.

Assuming your feet & ankles are structurally sound, you are now ready to strengthen the area:

I think the key with seeing lasting results is to get into the mindset of doing these calf-raises throughout the day.

They can be part of an effective, dynamic squash warm-up so there’s no preparation needed. And they’re not going to make you start sweating when you don’t want to.

Doing this simple yet effective exercise multiple times per day…

…for just 45-60 seconds each time…

…will automatically improve your acceleration & speed on court.

Additionally, when you want to get into some speed & agility drills, like those in the 7-week squash fitness bootcamp, your results will be infinitely better and you’ll be encouraged to keep going.

Have fun & play your own game!
Mick Holmes

How To Train Squash Fitness Out-Of-The-Box

28 July, 2015 By Mick Holmes Leave a Comment

There are 2 ways you can jump ‘out of the box’ when thinking about how to train squash fitness.

Let me ask you: How much time do you spend training on a squash court?

Obviously to practice racquet skills, particular shots, match-play etc. you need to be on court.

However, looking for new ways for how to train squash fitness is a great opportunity to ‘jump out of the box’ we call a squash court – both literally and figuratively!

Literally Jumping Out Of The Squash Court

When thinking about how to train squash fitness, there are a handful of reasons why I recommend you train not only out of a squash court, but outside completely:

1. Getting a healthy dose of Vitamin D (one of the best natural sources for this is the Sun) is vital for your overall wellbeing. With the amount of artificial light squash players are exposed to, it’s imperative to get outside where there is natural light, as much as possible.

2. Walking around barefoot (on grass, sand, or some other natural surface) for 20 minutes a day grounds or ‘earths’ the energy systems in your body. If that’s not enough, here are at least 10 more reasons.

3. If you mix up where you are doing your training – rather than just turning up to the same location every day – then you keep your squash-mind fresh when you are on court… and your body adopts a novel ‘readiness’ where the squash court is yet another place to utilize your strength & endurance.

4. It’s fun & enjoyable… afterward you just feel great! And you never know what kind of wildlife you will attract. 🙂

Now this brings us to…

Figuratively Jumping Out Of The Squash-World Box

A lot of players would question whether you can actually train useful, applicable & effective squash fitness outside of the court.

The answer is – Yes, you sure can!

Of course, you can train different kinds of short-burst sprinting, like Tabata Sprints on the beach or basic Hill Sprints.

The most under-utilized way for how to train squash fitness for any player though is bodyweight exercises. It’s funny for me because I believe they are the best squash fitness workout you can do.

Apart from making your body pliable & strong, they can be done anywhere!

On-Court/Off-Court: Final Say On How To Train Squash Fitness

Of course, you do need to be practicing movement patterns on court, whether that is basic squash footwork or full squash ghosting drills.

However, I encourage you to explore & experiment with different ways for how to train squash fitness – try something new that your club mates or training partners aren’t used to… spice up your time on the squash court by changing up what you do off court!

Maybe you’re not ready to commit to a full squash fitness training program just yet. That’s okay.

So I suggest trying this dynamic warm-up, which is a small time investment that makes your body feel great & ready for matches.

Have fun & play your own game!
Shmick Mick

How To Heal Blisters And Open-Cuts Fast

11 February, 2015 By Mick Holmes Leave a Comment

If you’ve been using new shoes, or for whatever other reason, and you get a blister on your toe or foot, often by the time you take your shoes off after you’ve finished your match, the blister has actually come right off.

Now…

…you have an open wound.

It can put an unwanted halt on the momentum of your match-play as well as the progression of a squash fitness training program.

Rather than waiting for at least one week for new skin to grow or trying to ‘push through the pain’ I recommend putting some Lucas’ Papaw Ointment on the wound then covering it with some Elastoplast, where there is no sticky part of the tape on the actual wound – only around it.

Then leave it for 2-3 days.

You can take the tape half-off after a day and reapply some more Lucas’ Papaw Ointment. But then tape it straight back up again. Keep the blister/wound moist.

In this way, you will dramatically speed up the healing process and be back on court sooner, fighting fit!

Have fun & play your own game!
Shmick Mick

Lovely Hill Sprints For Out-Of-Breath Squash Fitness [VIDEO]

21 July, 2014 By Mick Holmes Leave a Comment

Squash hill sprints, like court sprints, squash ghosting drills and Tabata sprints, are like icing on the cake of an effective squash fitness workout.

They consist of finding an incline – the steeper the better (preferably steeper and longer than the one in the video above) – long enough for you to run for 15-20 seconds at full speed.

The aim is to repeat 8-12 reps in one session.

It’s amazing how much more the incline taxes your lungs and your whole body compared with if you are sprinting on flat ground.

The Art Of Squash Hill Sprints

You start at your mark and run uphill for 15-20 seconds.

Briskly walk back down the hill to your start mark.

It shouldn’t take more than a minute to get back (you will learn to walk slower the more reps you do!!).

As soon as you get back, start your 2nd sprint uphill.

Repeat this at least 8 times for a full session, looking to build up to 12 sprints.

In your first session you might only be able to do 4 or 5 reps before your body has lost its ability to power itself up the hill with any real speed.

That’s fine – just note that down and try to beat it in your next session.

Powering Through Squash Hill Sprints

The value in hill sprints – apart from the incline – comes from that last handful of seconds in the 15-20 second rep so try to find an incline where you have enough space to power through.

This will call upon deep reserves in your whole body.

And if you really want to pump it up – and you have an extended incline – trying doing a set of Tabata sprints uphill.

To do this successfully, your body really needs a strong core foundation for the required sustained, explosive power.

How To Make Squash Hill Sprints Easier

Smile! 🙂

Like at the end of the video above, be willing to joke around with what you are doing – either with people you’re training with or in your own head – while still giving 100% effort.

Watch yourself as you get out of breath, as your body fatigues.

Be aware that right now, in the moment, you are fatigued and that within a handful of minutes the session will be over and you can watch your body resting, as you are feeling more powerful.

This is just one little mind-trick to fool your body into getting fitter – a kind of mental fitness.

Soon you’ll be powering around the squash court with ease.

Have fun & play your own game!
Shmick Mick

4-Minute Squash Fitness With Tabata Sprints [VIDEO]

19 July, 2014 By Mick Holmes 1 Comment

Tabata squash sprints, like court sprints, squash ghosting drills and hill sprints, are like icing on the cake of an effective squash fitness workout.

They consist of 8 reps over 4 minutes and it’s almost the best 4 minutes you can spend on your squash fitness.

You do 20 seconds of 100% all-out sprinting with 10 seconds rest (which adds to 30 seconds) – and, as I said, you do that 8 times… if you are able 😉

Performing Tabata sprints automatically puts your body into an out-of-breath state that reflects what it’s like to play in a tough squash match with lots of long rallies.

It taxes your entire body.

The Science Of Tabata Squash Sprints

The protocol described above comes from research done by Dr. Izumi Tabata.

His findings from a 1996 study on moderate and high-intensity interval training helped legitimize a movement – away from chronic cardio, like long-distance jogging and toward high-intensity workouts. He showed that high-intensity intermittent training actually improves both anaerobic (intensity and muscle building) and aerobic (slower, oxygen consuming) body systems, while aerobic exercise only improves aerobic systems.

Where & How To Do Tabata Squash Sprints

You’ll need an interval timer, like they sell at Gymboss.com or you can download a free app for your iPhone here or for your Android phone here.

You can do the sprints on a beach (like in the video above), or on a running track, up a hill or anywhere you have the space.

And you can apply the same protocol to any exercise you are doing. Just make sure you’re doing the same movement over the whole 4 minutes.

2 Common Mistakes With Tabata Squash Sprints

Mistake #1: Some people do a different exercise for each 20 second rep which defeats the purpose of the Tabata protocol approach.

Solution: The instant repetition of the same muscles is what makes it effective.

Mistake #2: Not putting in 100% effort right from the start because you want to conserve energy for the whole 8 reps.

Solution: Do as many reps as you can with 100% effort, even if you don’t make the full 8. When you can feel your body doesn’t have the ability to explode with that maximum effort, just remember how many reps you were able to do, then try to beat it next time.

How To Make Tabata Squash Sprints Easier

If you are building a strong core foundation underneath any sprint work you are doing, then:

You will feel the positive effects you are hoping for sooner and more powerfully; therefore
You will persist to the point where you actually become fitter

For squash players, Tabata sprints are definitely something to try at least once!

Have fun & play your own game!
Shmick Mick