It’s not always easy trying to fit in extra training time to work on your squash fitness. Any session you manage to add in then, you obviously want to ensure is as guaranteed effective and as efficient as possible. A great way to organise your physical workouts to optimise this effectiveness and efficiency is through the use of Circuits.
Circuit training is a form of workout where a series of different exercises are grouped together into one session, with participants working on each station for a prescribed amount of time or reps, before moving onto the next. Once all exercises have been completed, participants rest for several minutes before resuming and completing the next set of the circuit. With this format, circuits can work particularly well in a group setting for squash players – multiple stations can be set-up within the confines of a court, with participants swapping between working and resting.
One of the other biggest advantages of using circuits as part of your squash training is the variety of different exercises that can be included. This variety allows you to not only work hit a range of different fitness elements and body parts each session but also helps keep workouts fresh and interesting.
By tweaking the exercises selected, along with the work/rest times utilised, more emphasis can also be placed on specific elements of conditioning. In a speed circuit, for example, work periods would be no more than around 15/20secs, with rest periods set around 4 or 5 times that (~90secs). A more endurance-focused circuit, on the other hand, would typically be set with stations of between 30 to 60secs, working to an equally timed rest period. Rest time between each circuit, and how many times participants go around the circuit in total, are other variables that can also be adjusted to suit the intensity/theme of the workout.
We’ve got a number of great squash-specific circuits for members here on the site, targeting a wide range of different fitness elements including speed, endurance, and power. We’ll be expanding upon this library every month, with our ‘Circuit of the Month’ series – a FREE monthly circuit available to use for all of our subscribers, to help give you some fresh workout ideas to get you and your training partners into peak shape!
Gary Nisbet
B.Sc.(Hons), CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Dip. FTST
SquashSkills Fitness & Performance Director
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