Notes on
Mile Run Times and Interval Sprints Conditioning for Tennis Players
jediknightdan
09-17-2004, 08:34 AM
My couch thinks that running a
mile is a good work out
for tennis and i think that
more agility drill will be better which is better
Smashlob
09-17-2004, 08:12 PM
Wow! This is a milestone post
for you in terms of grammar and spelling seeing as I could actually read it,
there seemed to be very few errors.
The real answer is that there is no
"better," running a mile will help you with
your endurance out on the court. Agility drills will help you with your
explosiveness. A combination of the two of these drills would probably provide
the best conditioning for
you.
(Edited for grammar, touche my friend)
Baseline Basher
09-17-2004, 09:06 PM
Distance running would only help
your tennis by improving
stamina. Gnerally, it slows you down because your body is used to pacing itself.
But I agree with Smashlob, a combination of agility drills and endurance running
would improve your game.
Type40
09-19-2004, 01:04 AM
I ran 5ks (3 miles) 4 times per
week for 2 years, and i became very fit and lost weight, but it did not help my
tennis game at
all.
Running middle distances, tunes your body up incorrectly for tennis, and you actually
start to fade in long matches.
I find that running in sprint interval
bursts is much better for tennis. Run for 1 minute,
walk 1 minute, repeat for 20 minutes.
Then sprint hard for 30 seconds, and
walk for one minute, repeat for 10 minutes.
perfmode
09-20-2004, 12:36 PM
long distance running =
bad
It teaches your body to run @ 60% so it can finish it's task. Tennis is about giving
90-100% in short bursts. If you do distance running, your body will go crazy
when you try to sprint in the 5th set of a match.
Jayzzz
09-22-2004, 06:13 PM
See that's interesting because I
would think a COUCH would want you to sit on your ass and get fat, rather than
run a mile. Very interesting
indeed!
PusherMan
09-22-2004, 07:31 PM
Heheheh...I'm with Jayzzz on
this one. If you do nothing else outside of your tennis workout, running a
mile certainly wouldn't
hurt your game. Still, if your goal is to better your game, there are plenty of
other more beneficial things you could be doing with your time.
kevhen
09-23-2004, 12:28 PM
Maybe the couch is tired of
getting sat upon.
goober
09-25-2004, 12:01 PM
running a mile is really nothing.
If you can't run a mile easily you are not
in very good shape. 16-18 year old male athletes should be able to run 2-3 miles
pretty easily on top of whatever their sport practice requires.
If you
want to get into better shape you should be able to run a mile or more, do agility
drills and lift weights besides playing tennis !
Type40
09-29-2004, 12:11 AM
I'm 40, and I was running miles
in under 7 minutes up till about a year ago. Try a seven minute mile some
time.
Trey
09-29-2004, 06:50 PM
I'm 40, and I was running miles
in under 7 minutes up till about a year ago. Try a seven minute mile some time.
I
clocked a 4:36 1600 meters in high school. 8)
I don't think they run
mile races any more
except for special occasions.
couch
09-29-2004, 08:51 PM
I think running a mile is better than
nothing. I think this running short, sprint-type, distances versues running
longer distances is a bit over-rated. I think you need to do a combination of
both. When I run 2-3 miles for a workout I try to run as fast as I can. I think
if you just jog it doesn't do a lot of good; it is better than nothing however.
I think you need the longer distances to sustain stamina for a long match but I
also think you need the short, sprint-type runs for the quick bursts of tennis. I think we all do
a lot of quick bursts when we play or hit tennis so we already get a
lot of those work-outs.
VictorS.
09-29-2004, 08:59 PM
I think running a mile every day can only
help out your stamina as it pertains to tennis. I think where the
distance running hurts your tennis performance....is
when you're running 4-5miles daily. The body is capable of only so much. After
running 5miles...it's difficult to see how you could muster enough strength to
play top-notch tennis. I think jump
roping in intervals is a great way to get in shape for tennis. I like doing them
in 3min intervals...15min total. Jumping rope is great for a number of reasons.
It's a total body workout. In addition, it's great for footwork (all the boxers
do it).
Type40
09-30-2004, 01:48 AM
I ran 4:25 in high school, now
I'm 40 6:57 miles feel pretty good.
andirez
09-30-2004, 03:51 AM
For me, interval training is
much better for my game than running 5 miles weekly. Interval training learns
your body to recuperate rapidly after an exhausting point. After you practice
this, you'll notice that your hart beat rate will drop much faster to its normal
level, while otherwise it would have stayed quite high for a longer period. What
I do like is running a mile or two before a
match to wake you up a bit and get any alcohol leftovers out of your system, but
that's in the week-ends ;)
fishboy
09-30-2004, 09:45 AM
In the Alan Iverson
voice:
A mile!?!? what are we
talking about? A mile?! I mean, a mile. We're talking about
a mile. A mile ain't nothin
compared to the game that I live and die for. A mile? I mean, I know, I
know fitness is important, but a mile?
A mile ain't nothin'. Just
suck it up and let it happen. A mile can be a good
warmup, and an even better warm down. A little slow running after a hard work
out or match will help you feel less sore the next day.
Run the mile, then do your
sprints/suicides. Or run the mile after. It ain't
gonna hurt your speed if you train for speed.
joelfish
ShooterMcMarco
10-05-2004, 05:42 PM
The best work out for tennis is H.I.I.T or
simply, High Intensity Interval Training. hiit is basically just what it sounds.
An example for a starter's hiit program would be to jog for 1 minute, then
*sprint hard for 10 seconds then jog again for 1-2 minutes for a total of 6
minutes. You can even pyramid it later doing 1 min jog, 10 sec sprint, then 1
min jog, 15 sec sprint etc. Just keep the sprints rather short, like for
starters, always keep it under 20 seconds or so.
hiit also allows you to
be more explosive. With long distance jogging, that doesn't happen. If you're
"big boned" or chubby or whatever euphemism have you, hiit is also beneficial
metabolically. When you rest, your body will keep metabolizing at a higher rate
than normal.
Type40
10-05-2004, 08:06 PM
Yes that sounds about right,
i've also heard this described as Fartlek training, or maybe that's slightly
different.
Marius_Hancu
11-24-2004, 05:25 AM
My couch thinks that running a
mile is a good work out
for tennis and i think that
more agility drill will be better which is better
You need both and much
more.
Check my posting at:
Great Fitneess Sites:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/viewtopic.php?t=23127
My comment:
Incredible to find so much wisdom in one discussion page. Not said
sarcastically.
Endurance is best developed by
running longer distances and/or by biking. Usually, two day per week of this
type of training prior to the beginning of the actual playing season is
sufficient to develop proper endurance…presuming that you are engaged in a total
program of conditioning. If running, 3
miles is a good benchmark. If biking, 5 to 6 miles would be desirable. During
the actual playing season, I would try to maintain endurance by dedicating one
or two days per week to this type of training.
Energy
pathways
D. Matthews and E. Fox, in their revolutionary book, 'The
Physiological Basis of Physical Education and Athletics', divided the running
requirements of various sports into 'energy pathways': ATP-PC and LA, LA-O2, and O2. These
abbreviations mean:
Adenosine Triphosphate (a complex
chemical compound formed with the energy released from food and stored in all
cells, particularly muscles. Only from the energy released by the breakdown of
this compound can the cells perform work);
Phosphate-creatine (a chemical
compound stored in muscle, which when broken down aids in the manufacture of
ATP);
Lactic acid (a fatiguing
metabolite of the lactic acid system resulting
from the incomplete breakdown of glucose. However, Noakes in South Africa has
discovered that although excessive lactate production is part of the extreme
fatigue process, it is the protons produced at the same time that restrict
further performance. This discovery is unlikely to alter the much-used phrase
'Swimming in lactic acid'); 02 means aerobic
running in which ATP is manufactured from
food, mainly sugar and fat. This system produces ATP copiously and is the
prime energy source during endurance activities.
My Translation:
ATP and PC are stored in muscle cells, PC aids in production of ATP, LA is
from glucose breakdown it produces ATP; O2 ATP produced aerobically from
breaking down sugar and fat.
These energy pathways are
time-duration restricted. In other words, once a certain time elapses that
specific pathway is no longer being used. There is some controversy about these
limitations but the general consensus is:
Duration Classification Energy
supplied by
1-4 secs Anaerobic ATP
4-20 secs Anaerobic
ATP + CT
20-45 secs
Anaerobic ATP + CP + muscle
glycogen
45-120 secs Anaerobic, lactic Muscle
glycogen
120-140 secs Aerobic Muscle glycogen + anaerobic, lactic acid
240-600 secs
Aerobic Muscle glycogen + fatty acids
Here is an energy pathway
classification for some of the more popular sports:
My Comment: here
he introduces elements CT, CP, and glycogen without explaining what they are,
and forgets about PC. Kind of thing that derails would-be science students.
Apparently the first four stages are part of
the ATP-PC & LA group, stage five is LA + O2, stage six is
O2.
Here is an energy pathway
classification for some of the more popular sports:
Sport ATP-PC and LA LA-02 O2
Soccer
a)
Defence 80% 20% Nil
b) Attack 60 20 20
Hockey 60 20 20
Tennis 70 20
10
Basketball 85 15 Nil
Volleyball 90 10 Nil
Rowing 20 30
50
Translated into action
How do these findings relate to practical
fitness training sessions? Let's take the sport of volleyball - 90% ATP-PC and LA, 10% LA-O2.
My Comment: seems
what he is trying to say, is that in soccer on average 70% of the players
energy is derived anaerobically through processes such as lactic acid, 20% is
derived from a combination of anaerobic lactic acid and aerobic O2 type energy
production, and 10% of the energy is derived from purely aerobic O2 type energy
production. In other words according to the writer's scheme of things, 70% of a
soccer player's energy is expended in bursts of less than 120 seconds of
activity followed by a rest, 20% is expended in periods wherein the player has
been active without rest for between 120 seconds and 240
seconds, and 10% is expended in periods wherein the player has been active
without rest for between 240 and 600 seconds without rest. On top of
everything the writer apparently threw in a typo where 120-240 was typed as
120-140.
Taking volleyball
as an example, translating from the hard to understand Horwill,
Horwill advises that 90 percent of the training should be anaerobic
ATP-PC & LA type training such as "4 x 4 x 200 in 30 secs
with 90 secs recovery," or "2 x 4 x 400 in 64 secs with 128 secs rest"
meaning two sets each involving four runnings of the 400. Horwill says the
athletes should rest between sets for however long it takes for their pulse to
drop to 130 beats per minute.
Taking volleyball
as an example, translating from the hard to understand Horwill,
Horwill advises that 10 percent of the training should be training of
the type wherein ATP is produced both aerobically and anaerobically, LA-O2
type training. To cover this 10 percent Horwill advocates exercises such as
"5 x 600 in 105 secs with 210 secs rest" or "2 x 2 x 800 in 2.5 mins with
2.5 mins rest".
Thus apparently
Horwell is saying that the line between ATP-PC & LA type training on the one
hand and LA-O2 type training on the other, is the line between the 400 and the
600. To confuse things he doesnt say if he means yards or meters.
Two of the
examples of training for O2 purely aerobic type energy expenditure gven by
Horwill are: "3 x 1 mile fast (4.5-5.5 mins) with half the time of the run as
recovery" and, "5 x 1000m in under 3.5 mins with half the time of the rep as
recovery.". Thus it seems Horwill considers approx 900 meters to be the dividing
line between LA-O2 type activity on the one hand and purely O2 on the
other.
As a general rule
for team sports, Horwell reccomends a long slow run for as long as a typical
game in the sport lasts once a week, a faster run for half the time length as
the first run once a week (I guess once a week), and then speed sessions
mimicking the conditions found in the game, with about ten reps of each
sprint (who knows how many times a week?).
For pro boxers
Horwill advises a 36-72 minute long run, 900 meters run in 3 minutes 12 times
with a rest of 1 minute between each run.
Horwill says that
any male in team sports who cannot run 4000 meters in 15 minutes is a "weak
link".
The article by
Horwill was I thought compared to the other stuff on the net extraordinarily
perceptive. Seems the fitness guys who ignore the sport of tennis are brutes
compared to the ones who discuss tennis.
Friends who participate in
middle- and long-distance running, swimming, or cycling may be jealous, but as a
tennis player, you don't
have to spend hours on the treadmill or in the pool to reach your physical peak.
In fact, too much time spent on those activities may hurt your game more than
help it.
''When you do a lot of endurance
training, you actually train your muscles to slow down and conserve energy,''
says David Robinson, a tennis trainer based in
Washington, D.C.
Witness what happened to former
Top 100 player Felicia Raschitore, who left tennis to become a
triathlete. When she attempted an on-court comeback, she found that she had
remarkable stamina, but totally unimpressive speed. ''She was in great shape
physically, but she couldn't sprint for anything,'' recalls Robinson, who
coached Raschitore at the time. ''Her body had been trained exclusively for
long, slow activities.''
Endurance training for tennis requires enough
aerobic conditioning to see you
through three long sets; 20 to 30 minutes three times a week is usually
sufficient
The only time you absolutely
have to increase your aerobic activity is when you're looking to shed a few
pounds
Although many tennis players make
running their aerobic activity of choice, they should beware of the pounding
their joints take. ''Try to keep your training to low- or no-impact
activities,'' says Robinson. ''Otherwise, you're risking injury.'' (Monica Seles
found this out the hard way: Running 4 miles a day to lose weight, Seles
developed shin splints.) You can also take to the pool for either lap swimming
or deep-water running. If you prefer your workouts on dry land, stairclimbers,
elliptical trainers, or rowing machines will do the trick. And remember to mix
it up
Imagine running a 100-meter dash
every 20 seconds. That's pretty much what you do when you're in the midst of a
tough match
Try (as conditioning for tennis)
sprinting for 10 seconds, then walk for 5; sprint for 15 seconds and walk for
10; sprint for 30 seconds and walk for 15; sprint for 5 seconds and walk for 5.
Continue to mix up the length of each sprint and recovery period, but don't let
any sprint last more than 90 seconds.
If the majority of your matches
are on clay or other slow surfaces, concentrate on 200- to 400-meter sprints
with a 1 to 2 minute rest in between. More hard court and grass play?
Incorporate shorter intervals of 50 to 100 meters, with a 30- to 60-second
breather between each set.
The next time you're on a
stairclimber or a bicycle or in a pool, begin with a 1:2 ratio of
speed-to-recovery work. For example, increase the intensity to the highest level
you can endure for 30 seconds, then recover at a slower pace for 1 minute. Next,
sprint for 1 minute and recover for 2 minutes. If this feels comfortable, you
can move on to a 1:1 speed/recovery interval (30 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow).
Aim for about seven to 10 intervals per workout.
My comment: The
above link contains an article reproduced at the Tenniz Friendz Singapore MSN
group. The posting at the group does not give the author's name but his name
should be found so he can be awarded a medal. More proof that the fitness
writers who at least mention tennis are like geniuses compared to those who
do'nt.
My Comment: These
people advise a 3-4 mile jog at "a good pace" as conditioning for girls soccer
in the off season. They also reccomend something called "soccer
tennis".
Interval
Running (off seasion women's college tennis conditioning)
Warm-up 1 mile run
5x200, 200 jog as
rest; 5x100, 100 jog as rest
5x50, 50
walk as rest 5x20, 20 walk as
rest
Working out with Lindsay
Davenport
January 1996, she
hired coach Robert Van’t Hof, who encouraged her to strengthen her body and get
fitter. She began by improving her quickness with 45 minutes of sprints after
her 90-minute practice. Gradually, she incorporated a 2-mile run and an hour of
cross-training in the gym into her routine.
Working out with Venus Williams
Much of Williams's workout are drills her father
and coach, Richard, borrowed from other sports. She throws a football or
baseball the length of a court for 30 minutes to help her service motion. She
and her sister Serena play soccer on the court for 30 minutes to help with
footwork. Williams works out with boxing gloves and a speed bag to fine-tune her
reflexes for volleys. She surfs to help her balance. 'And every once in a while,
I'll run a mile for stamina and do
sprints of varying lengths,' Williams says.
They are two excellent
forms of training for sports that require a good aerobic base - soccer, tennis, basketball,
football, boxing... the list goes on
As its name suggests this
type of endurance training involves exercising continuously for 30-45
minutes.
Continuous endurance
training can take many forms... swimming, cycling, running etc.
| Continuous Training |
| Frequency |
3 x week |
| Intensity |
75-80% HRmax |
| Time |
30-45mins |
John can run 2 miles
continuously in 12 minutes... if he pushes himself! Using interval
training he breaks the distance up into half-mile sections -- 4
in total. He knows he can maintain a faster pace if he's only running half a
mile so his target
time is 2.5 minutes for each half-mile section.
His interval training session looks like this...
| Interval Training Session |
| Repetitions |
Distance |
Time |
| 4 X |
1/2 mile |
in 2.5
mins |
The intensity of interval
training is higher -- around 85-90% maximum heart rate (80-85% VO2max)
but resting between each repetition allows your body to recover and lactic acid
to disperse
-- http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/intervaltraining.html
Another
relatively smart guy mentioning tennis. At his common-sensical page he explains
how to measure intensity of an exercise.
Distance Running. (for men's
college tennis) Start with 3 miles under 24 minutes. Over the course of three to four weeks,
increase it to 6 miles under 48 minutes.
Then move it to 3 miles under 22 minutes. Over the course of the next three to
four weeks, increase it to 5 miles under 35 minutes.
-- http://athletics.ucsd.edu:16080/strength/UCSD%20Men's%20Tennis%20workouts.htm
1
mile
3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj
(MAR) 7 Jul 1999 Rome
5
miles
22:05+ # Phillimon Hanneck
(ZIM) 20 Mar 1993 New
Orleans
22:08 # Ismael Kirui
(KEN)
2 May 1993 Dublin
5000
m
12:37.35 Kenenisa Bekele
(ETH) 31 May 2004
Hengelo
-- http://www.gbrathletics.com/wrec.htm
My comment: The world record in the
mile (track) is 223 seconds. The world record for 5 miles (road) is 22:08, 1328 seconds approx. Generally a road time at this distance multiplied by 0.97 equals a track time at this distance. Thus the 1328 seconds must be adjusted to 1288 seconds. Thus the adjusted pace per mile for the world record over 5 miles is 258 seconds. Thus
a five miler's per mile time of 258 seconds multiplied by 0.86 would give an
estimate of the five miler's pace for a mile. Thus someone running five miles
in 2100 seconds, 35 minutes, 420 seconds per mile, could be expected
to run a mile in 0.86 times 420 seconds, which is 361 seconds or 6 minutes 1 second.
A mile is 1609 meters. The world
record for 5000 meters (3.11 miles) (track)is 12:37.35, 757 seconds, a per mile time of 243 seconds. The world record for the mile (track) is 223 seconds. The 5000 meters pace of 243 seconds per mile, multiplied by
0.92 equals the world record mile time of 223 seconds. The world record for 2 miles (track) is 7:58.61, 479 seconds, a 239.5 second pace. The 2 mile seconds per mile world record pace times 0.93 equals the world record seconds per mile pace for the mile.
4000 meters is 2.49 miles. 3.11 minus 2 is 1.11; 2.49 minus 2 is 0.49; 49/111 is 0.44.
0.93-0.92 is 0.01. 0.44 times 0.0100 is 0.0044. 0.93 minus 0.0044 is 0.9256. Thus I estimate that someone who can run 4000 meters or 2.49 miles in 900
seconds a 361 second per mile pace, can run a mile in 0.93 (0.9256 rounded off) times 361 = 336 seconds or 5 minutes 36 seconds. The reason I bother with this calculation is that according to Horwill at http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0071.htm (see notes above) any male in team sports who cannot run 4000 meters in 15 minutes is a burden to his team.