In today’s fast-moving world, it’s often a challenge to carve out time for the things we most enjoy. This is particularly true for squash enthusiasts balancing family, work, and social life. The quest to harmonise time on the court with physical training can feel like a daunting task, but there’s a savvy solution that can help fit in those crucial fitness sessions amidst a hectic schedule: the concept of ‘bolt-on’ sessions.
With training time scarce due to all our other commitments, squeezing extra sessions into the week to get the necessary squash-specific conditioning work in can be very difficult. This is where bolt-ons are perfect, allowing you to get in some short, sharp sessions to help provide an additional physical training boost even when your schedule is tight.
Bolt-on sessions are succinct, optimised fitness routines of no more than around 10 minutes duration, that you can add on to your regular squash sessions. Exercises such as ghosting, court sprints, or circuits can all be condensed into short, streamlined routines, that you simply ‘bolt on’ at the end of your practice matches or on-court drills.
By weaving these bolt-on sessions into your routine, you’re squeezing in crucial extra fitness work to help further optimise your training potential.
Top 5 Advantages of Bolt-on Sessions for Squash Players:
- Boosted Physical Fitness: Bolt-on sessions allow you to get some work in on specific fitness elements that you otherwise wouldn’t have the time for, such as speed, agility, strength, and endurance, helping you foster a comprehensive athletic foundation for your squash.
- Time-Saving: Bolt-on sessions are a boon for time management. Rather than separate, lengthy gym sessions, these efficient workouts integrate smoothly into your existing training, helping you achieve the most work in the least amount of time.
- Adaptability: The variety in bolt-on sessions means they can span across different physical training aspects – intense stamina drills, controlled strength/stability work, fast-paced speed workouts etc, offering the ability to formulate tailored sessions to meet your own unique fitness goals.
- Elevated Performance: Adding bolt-on sessions to your regime can significantly uplift your game. The extra training builds a stronger foundation, enhances conditioning, and boosts overall athleticism, leading to better performance on the court, with increased physicality, faster reactions, and a sharper competitive edge.
- Injury Prevention: Sessions focusing on strength, stability, and flexibility in particular, are key in helping to avert injuries. By developing more robustness across crucial muscles and joints, you’re less likely to encounter most common squash injuries. These exercises also help in rectifying muscle imbalances and improving biomechanics, and minimising overuse injuries.
Incorporating Bolt-on Sessions Into Your Routine:
Integrating bolt-on sessions is straightforward, and they can be tailored to fit in with whatever your time availability allows for. You can slot these sessions in before or after on-court play, or even on your ‘rest days’ if you want to get some light additional work in on your core or mobility. The aim is to ensure these sessions complement your on-court training and tackle any specific areas needing improvement.
For squash players aiming to enhance their game while juggling a tight schedule, bolt-on sessions are an invaluable strategy. By integrating these compact fitness routines into your regimen, you can focus on specific fitness areas, boost performance, aid in injury prevention, and maximise your limited training time. Embrace bolt-on sessions and unlock a quick and easy solution for improving your fitness on the squash court.
For a jumpstart, try the SquashSkills Training app (available for SquashSkills members). It’s packed with a plethora of bolt-on sessions, each targeting different fitness aspects. Whether your focus is cardio for endurance or strength training for power and stability, there’s a wide range of options at your disposal.
Gary Nisbet
B.Sc.(Hons), CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Dip. FTST
SquashSkills Fitness & Performance Director
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Over the course of the playlist, Gary reveals a variety of exercises to add on to the end of your squash sessions to help improve your speed, strength, endurance, and mobility.
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