Movement Analysis
Squash consists of rotational and multidirectional
movements, recruiting all the major muscle areas. Players need to have power in
their upper and lower limbs to cover the entire court and strike the ball with
speed. Rallies contain many dynamic movements, with players swinging the
racquet, sprinting and lunging repeatedly. Agility, flexibility, coordination
and speed are important to succeed, with high levels of endurance needed to
compete throughout the match.
Physiological
Analysis
Muscular power and endurance are essential to players to
execute explosive movements over a prolonged period. This is also the case with
energy systems; both anaerobic and aerobic supplies will be utilised. Points
last between 10-30+ seconds with no delay between rallies. Matches consist of
the best of 3 games, and players receive a 90 second interval between games.
Matches last approximately 45 minutes.
Injury Analysis
Musculoskeletal injuries can occur at any anatomical
structure. The dominant racquet arm is susceptible to shoulder, elbow and wrist
injuries because of overhead and repetitive use. The lower back can also be
problematic due to bending with rotation. The court has a wooden surface and
players wear specific squash trainers. Equipment consists of racquets and
balls, as well as protective eyewear.
An Evaluation of the Athlete
This athlete has no previous experience with a structured resistance training programme and is, therefore, lacking good technique. As an international competitor, she has a high level of overall fitness and skill, but needs to develop strength through further resistance training. She participates in a circuit training class twice a week and zumba class once a week. Circuit training consists of:
- 3 upper limb, 3 lower limb and 3 core stability exercises
- Sets and reps varied depending on targeted muscle group
- All exercises completed during each session
Physically, the athlete demonstrates adequate flexibility, with a body fat percentage of 17% and excellent cardiovascular endurance. During the movement assessments, she displayed exemplary agility and foot speed. However, when performing basic strength and core stability exercises, she was unable to complete the tasks to a high level.
Training should include a progressive core stability programme, as well as a basic strengthening programme. The athlete needs to obtain good baseline strength, before progressing training to an appropriate resistance for the demands of the competition she is participating in.
Training Status
Her resistance training status is intermediate, as she is unfamiliar with a structured programme. The primary resistance training goal is to acquire hypertrophy and muscular endurance and, secondarily, to increase strength and power. She is currently starting the off-season, therefore, sport training should be reduced to low and resistance training should increase and become the main focus.
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