Here is former number 1 player from Florida University, Tyler Hochwalt training in my gym. Although today was the first time that we have trained together in person, we have been training on the internet together via the use of Pegasus Trainer. It was great to have him in town. There is no doubt in my mind that if continues to get fitter, he will climb the rankings. Just 2 weeks ago Tyler qualified for the main draw of a future and notched his first win over a top 300 player, Victor Estrella; 6-1, 7-5.

The single leg squat with the suspension trainer is similar to that of the swiss ball single leg crunch in that you have some resistance to help ease the difficulty of the exercise. Everything we do is primarily single leg. Whether it is hopping, walking, running, or bounding, those movements are all single leg activated.

I am slowly working this exercise into all of my clients routines, and am excited to have found such a safe and functional exercise for single leg strength training.

The core generates the rotational forces needed for many athletic movements including throwing, swinging, striking and twisting. It acts to resist or neutralize external forces such as gravity, contact or momentum. We are only as strong as our core. A weak core limits our strength capacity.

Start off using a light weight. Amer is doing this with a 25 pound dumbbell which is actually pretty light for him. A good goal is to do 2 to 3 sets of 20 reps a piece. That will certainly strengthen your core!

Pauly P

This is a safe exercise that you can do with a swiss ball just about anywhere. I like this one because of how it isolates the hamstrings in a functional way. If I want to add resistance, simply but the ball on a less than smooth surface or add some ankle weights to your legs.

Try starting off with 10 reps per set, and work your way up to 20. Make sure not to let your hips collapse or sag here and keep a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.

Here is Ashley Harkleroad performing this cable pull in Santa Monica, CA. Ashley is a great athlete and a fantastic tennis player. You can tell she really engages her obliques by moving her shoulders and hips to move the cable horizontally across and parallel to the ground.

Ashley has a rock solid backhand and this exercise helps strengthen her left side. The left side is important for the double handed backhand because for most players, this is the area that hits the ball.

Be sure to keep your spine nice and straight and rotate around it.

When I drove 40 mins to pick up my new TRX Suspension Trainer, I knew I was getting something that was going to enhance my gym and training sessions with my clients.

The great thing about the TRX is that you can bring it to just about anywhere. Whether it is a tree, a playground, or any room in the house, it is easy to attach and start using within minutes.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this piece of equipment for doing Inverted Rows. I believe that the inverted row is, along with pullups, one of the best pulling exercises out there.

Simply adjust the resistance of the exercise by increasing or decreasing the angle at which you are pulling your body at.

Notice how I can get single arm, internal rotation, at the top of the motion. This really works the forearms as well as your core and back.

Like all training, over doing IT training can cause burn out and “overtraining”. Make sure to check with a physician before trying this. If you are looking to get fitter, and have a decent base, try this one out. You can always start with just a few reps and lengthen the recovery time in between intervals.

Enjoy watching me suffer! As Greg Lemond once said, “I’ve never suffered so much in my life, … but then again, I know how to suffer.”

Did Murray Overtrain?

For many trainers, coaches, parents, and individuals looking to improve their fitness or performance, they believe that excessive running, biking, weight lifting, jumping, or combinations of the aforementioned, is the way to achieve their goals. I have witnessed this many times. With little or no progression, it is not uncommon for people to be subject to workouts that include an over abundance of training to one movement pattern or body part. This will inevitably lead to muscle soreness, lack of mobility, decreased performance, and the inevitable injury.

There are many signs of “overtraining”, and these include:

- Muscle Soreness
- Depression
- Injury
- Decline in Performance
- Movement coordination symptoms:
- Increased incidence of disturbances in movement
- Disturbances in rhythm and flow of movement
- Lack of ability to concentrate
- Reduced power of differentiation and correction
- Onset of Colds and Virus’s

Pay attention to how you feel and notice if you are suffering from any of these conditions. If you are, back off of your current work schedule and rest for 1 to 4 days. Then examine your present training routine and make any necessary adjustments to it.

In this clip, Silviu explains where the approach should be hit, and how to finish the point with a rock solid volley. Oklahoma’s George Chianturia gets some great pop on his shots and works on hitting more of a flat approach, rather than an approach with a ton of topspin.

A flatter approach will “shoot” through the court and stay low, while adding too much topspin to the shot, can allow your opponent more time to get under the ball and hit a forcing shot.

Here are my Sooners warming up on the court before we start our Agility and Speed training. This drill incorporates shuffling, running forwards and backwards, and really gets the whole team working as one unit…which, in my opinion, is very important. Coach Silviu does a great job of running this drill. Enjoy!