As with many sports, the arrival of Summer signals the end of the traditional squash season in the northern hemisphere.
While some players take a break or reduce their squash playing schedule in favour of different pursuits over the Summer months, for many others it’s seen as the perfect opportunity to get in a good block of structured training to really focus on getting into peak shape, and to help ensure they can hit the ground running ready for the new season in the Autumn.
At an amateur and recreational level, sports such as rugby and football have long embraced the professional lead of properly constructed pre-season training plans, and it’s great to see that this is really starting to catch on with squash players of all levels as the performance and injury prevention benefits become better acknowledged.
We have a wide variety of training sessions available on the SquashSkills Training app to cover the whole spectrum of player’s needs, for those keen to start putting a plan together – whether you plan to just include some extra ‘bolt-on’ conditioning drills before/after your matches over the summer, or if you’re looking to go the extra mile and replace certain on-court sessions completely each week with dedicated fitness sessions.
Getting some friends from your club involved is a really great idea for off-season training as well, as it allows you the opportunity to gain the increased motivational and competitiveness benefits that good training partners provide.
Of course, it’s important to also note that for a lot of players getting a bit of rest first at this time of year is no bad thing.
Acknowledging that your joints need a little bit of a break and structuring in some time away from the court and/or some active recovery work and cross-training (particularly non-weight bearing work such as swimming or cycling), can be just what is needed to regenerate and replenish tired bodies after a long Winter/Spring season of games and training. Players with a lot of matches in their legs may be best served in using at least the early part of the summer period to take a couple of weeks away to rest and recuperate from any little niggles and sprains/strains, before going back into a summer training block feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
If you are taking a short recovery period to ease off on your court time, take the opportunity to really reflect on your game and start thinking about setting some challenging goals and targets, ready to step it up and work toward getting into peak squash condition over your pre-season training period.
Summer is the perfect chance to work hard, get fit, and feel good, as well as a great opportunity to get a jump start on your future opponents – particularly if those same opponents have spent their sun-filled weeks living rather more leisurely, enjoying BBQs, beaches, and pool-side loungers as opposed to experiencing the joys of court sprints and ghosting!
Not sure where to start with your Summer training schedule?
Why not join us here at SquashSkills on our exclusive online Summer Training Program with Nick Matthew this July and August, and go through a first-class summer training phase designed to really get your game firing on all cylinders leading into next season.
Over 8 weeks, you’ll follow a program designed specifically for the start of the season. The course includes on-court and off-court workouts, periodic fitness testing, and guidance on recovery and healthy living to maximize your results.
Gary Nisbet
B.Sc.(Hons), CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Dip. FTST
SquashSkills Fitness & Conditioning Director
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