In order to assess the athlete, a health screen questionnaire will be completed by the athlete. A health screen questionnaire is a tool used to determine whether the athlete feels fully fit and ready to engage in the exercises that will be performed.
Another test that will be used to assess the athlete is the Functional Movement Screen. This is a system used to evaluate the quality of the individual’s movement patterns. The FMS is a key tool that consists of a series of simple tests accompanied by a simple grading system. The test is comprised of seven essential movement drill exercises that require both mobility and stability, which are also vital when it comes to tennis match play. The movements are: Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, In-line Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active Straight Leg Raise and Trunk Stability Push Up. The screening will occur during the preparation phase, as this will allow the athlete sufficient time to correct any limitations or asymmetries in regards to basic their basic movement patterns.
Evaluating
To evaluate the progression of the athlete, the one direct max exercises and the 5RM exercises will be performed every week after the screening process has taken place. These exercises, along with the Functional Movement Screen exercises will be evaluated in order to understand the athlete's performance parameters and capabilities. The evaluation will be used for: allowing the prediction of future performances, indicating weaknesses, assessing improvements, as well as allowing the coach to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme.
Choice of RM testing
To test the athlete's repetition max (RM) two different protocols will be adopted, as each protocol has various positive and negative characteristics. The direct one rep max test has been selected, as it is a reliable method for testing maximal strength (Reynolds, Gordon & Robergs, 2006). However, this method is only suitable for testing core exercises which use multiple joints, as the high loading effects of the one rep max test increase the risk of injury if conducted with assistance exercises which use singular joints (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
To lower the risks of injury when assessing prehabilitation and assistance exercises the 5RM test will be adopeted. Reynolds et al. (2006) reported that the 5RM test was a better predictor of 1RM in comparison to the 10RM test, as any increase over 5 repetitions to failure results in a decreased accuracy.
One Rep Max Testing Exercises
The two exercises chosen for the direct one rep max test were core exercises, as it has been show that large muscle groups and multiple joints are able to handle the load and stress experienced whilst maximal testing (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
Evaluating
To evaluate the progression of the athlete, the one direct max exercises and the 5RM exercises will be performed every week after the screening process has taken place. These exercises, along with the Functional Movement Screen exercises will be evaluated in order to understand the athlete's performance parameters and capabilities. The evaluation will be used for: allowing the prediction of future performances, indicating weaknesses, assessing improvements, as well as allowing the coach to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programme.
Choice of RM testing
To test the athlete's repetition max (RM) two different protocols will be adopted, as each protocol has various positive and negative characteristics. The direct one rep max test has been selected, as it is a reliable method for testing maximal strength (Reynolds, Gordon & Robergs, 2006). However, this method is only suitable for testing core exercises which use multiple joints, as the high loading effects of the one rep max test increase the risk of injury if conducted with assistance exercises which use singular joints (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
To lower the risks of injury when assessing prehabilitation and assistance exercises the 5RM test will be adopeted. Reynolds et al. (2006) reported that the 5RM test was a better predictor of 1RM in comparison to the 10RM test, as any increase over 5 repetitions to failure results in a decreased accuracy.
One Rep Max Testing Exercises
The two exercises chosen for the direct one rep max test were core exercises, as it has been show that large muscle groups and multiple joints are able to handle the load and stress experienced whilst maximal testing (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
- Bench Press - Conducting a maximal test on the pectoral muscles is beneficial, as they are frequently recruited in tennis to perform racket strokes. In addition, knowing the athletes maximal output will help to determine the correct training weight for increasing muscular endurance.
- Arnold Press - Similar to the pectorals, the deltoids are another major muscle group used in tennis. Understanding the athlete's one rep max also allows for calculation of training load.
Three exercises were chosen to conduct the multiple rep test were assistance and prehabilitation exercises. This was a safety precaution, as it has been suggested that assistance and prehabilitation exercises should not be maximally tested (Baechle & Earle, 2008). These exercises were:
- Dumbbell Lateral Lunges - This is a very common movement in modern tennis, as the speed of the game has vastly increased. Estimating the one rep max allows for calculation of appropriate training loads for optimal performance.
- Shoulder External Rotation - In modern tennis, many profession players suffer shoulder injuries due to muscular imbalances. The estimation of the 1RM allows for the calculation of correct training loads for the prevention of imbalances and injuries.
- Wrist Extension - It has been suggested that the incidence of tennis elbow in world-class tennis players ranges from 35-45% (Kibler & Safran, 2005). This suggests it would be highly beneficial to estimate the one rep max of this technique, so training can be optimized to reduce the chances of this injury occurring.
Load
When the training goal is to achieve muscular endurance, it has been recommended that the training load is less than 67% of one rep max (Baechle & Earle, 2008). They also suggest that when exercising at this intensity, the athlete should aim to complete 2-3 sets, allowing a maximum of 30 seconds rest between each set.
Monitoring
To monitor the athlete's progress and to ensure the correct volume, loads and repetitions are being set, an excel spreadsheet would be created. This would display the exercises the athlete is meant to complete, and compare it to what they did. For example, instead of completing 12 reps of Arnold presses in a set, the athlete only does 8. This would be inputted into the spreadsheet, which would then automatically display the new training volume. This allows the coach to see how much work has been completed compared to what has been prescribed, and could aid in assessing which areas the athlete has better progressed in.
To monitor the athlete's progress and to ensure the correct volume, loads and repetitions are being set, an excel spreadsheet would be created. This would display the exercises the athlete is meant to complete, and compare it to what they did. For example, instead of completing 12 reps of Arnold presses in a set, the athlete only does 8. This would be inputted into the spreadsheet, which would then automatically display the new training volume. This allows the coach to see how much work has been completed compared to what has been prescribed, and could aid in assessing which areas the athlete has better progressed in.
Progress Report
The training programme been implemented for three months, and the athlete appears to be developing well during the programme. Their stamina and muscular endurance have increased, and the athlete is able to continue playing for longer before becoming fatigued and requires less rest between games.This is in line with the main training goal of the athlete.
Whilst it wasn't a primary goal, the athlete's strength also increased initially, as the athlete was exercising 6 days a week. The athlete has managed to maintain their one rep max at a higher level than before the training programme was implemented, suggesting the training programme has been a success. This is monitored and evaluated by re-assessing the athletes one rep max for the 5 exercises during the preparation phase before each competition, to allow time to adjust the training program and bring it in-line with the athletes goals.
Flexibility and core stability have been increased, as can be seen in the functional movement screen. However, the coach would like the athlete to improve agility, and requested for the athlete to increase their agility training. Whilst this has been implemented, the athlete still has enough strength and conditioning sessions to maintain their progress.
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