Squash requires repeated short bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with brief rest periods. The athlete's goals are to increase strength, power, and injury prevention. Testing shows needs in areas like rate of force development and power. A training program will utilize complex training, focusing on strength, power, mobility and injury prevention for the shoulder. Exercise selection will consider factors like muscle damage recovery and incorporating different modalities efficiently.

1. Strength & Conditioning
for Squash
Steven Hudson

2. Introduction
Event details
• Squash is a popular competitive sport, with over 15 million players
participating
across 135 nations worldwide.
• The game is confined to an indoor area of 62.5 m2 and is
played with a racket and a ball that can travel up to 230 km/h
• A match is the best of 3 or 5 games dependant on gender.
• Each game is played to 11 points. The player who scores 11 points
first wins the game except that if the scorereaches 10-all, the game
continues until one player leads by two points.

3. Athlete Details
Measure Details
Age 20
Training Age P7 – R4- F0
Level University League
Goals Inc-Strength & Power
Injuries Anterior Glenohumeral dislocation
Comp Schedule Weekly

4. Presentation Outline
• Athlete Details • Pre / Post Testing
• Needs Analysis • Program design /
considerations
• Injuries

5. Needs Analysis • Stiffness (McGill, 2009)
• RFD Bompa & Carrera (2005).
• Deceleration (Li-I,2009).

6. Energy Systems
• Predominantly anaerobic activity, requiring high levels of aerobic conditioning
to avoid fatigue (Majumdar et al. 2009).
• Lactate levels during compertition 5 to 8 mM.l (Majumdar et al. 2009)
• Elite, national standard squash players VO2max levels 60 & 55 ml.kg' min' for
males and females (Majumdar et al. 2009;Gillam et al., 1988)*****.
Squash consists of repeated, short, high-intensity, intermittent bouts. Rallies have a duration average of
5-20 seconds interspersed by shorter resting periods of about 7-8 seconds.
--Exercise ratio of 2:4 --86-90% V02 max --Average blood lactate level of 8mmol.L-1
Energy systems; conclusion.
Girard et al (2007) study confirms that elite squash players have high aerobic power when compared
with other racquet sport players of similar standard. However it was suggested that endurance- type
training has to be limited because it might induce an increase in the magnitude of the fast-to-slow shift
in muscle myosin heavy chain phenotype, thus reducing strength, speed, and explosiveness (Mero et al,
1991: Girard et al, 2007).

7. Conditioning considerations
Distance covered
––short rallies 4-12sec in duration L11.50m & W10.82m
––medium rallies >12 to 25sec in duration L 26.99m & W26.17m
––long rallies >25sec+ Long rallies L53.24m & W51.28m
Winners move less than losers due to dominating the T (Hughes & Franks, 1994).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSvzNWQQl90&featur=eplayer_detailpage
Distance covered in a match by elite squash players> 3,650 meters (915 meters per game)
(Vučković et al, 2003).
five-minute rallies have been known (Vučkovic & James, 2010).
The movement patterns and distances should be designed using match analysis data and
through consultation with an advanced squash coach (Wilkinson et al, 2009).

8. Conditioning:2
Drills will be used as a pre
technical session exercise and
as a testing measure. In the
likely hood of match
cancelations theses drills will
be used as timed intervals to
replicate game play for
conditioning sessions.
Test 1 Fig 1 - Ghosting
Ghosting is the art of moving around the court without the ball, training the muscles and
legs to move in the court in the most efficient manner to get to the ball during match play.
Test 2 - Box Sprint
This is designed to develop speed/endurance. This test requires the player to start from the
back of the squash court and at the command "Go!" Run to the corner of the court.
Tests are an adaption of Majumdar, Mandal & Yadav (2009) using timed intervals instead of
HR & BLT.

9. Injuries
UK population-based study that reported an injury rate of 5 injuries per 1000 squash-playing
sessions (Nicholl, Coleman, Williams, 1995).
Typical injuries are musculoskeletal and eyes (Sharp, 2012).
njuries to the lower extremity are common in racquet sports (Zecher & Leach, 1995).
(Finch & Eime, 2001)

10. Quick overview of James injury;
Injury;The epidemiology of the injury
• Because reoccurrence of the glenohumeral joint dislocation ranged from 47% (forty-eight
of 102) to 100% (twenty-one of twenty-one) among young patients preventative measure
are a must to help counter the possibility of reoccurrence (Itoi et al. 2001).
• During squash players are constantly required to accelerate the humorous using the
rotator muscles of the shoulder, therefore it is vital that their joints are as prepared a
possible to stabilise the humeral head within the socket safely . (Baeche &Earl, 2008).
• Studies have concluded that the incidence of glenohumeral injuries can be reduced
through neuromuscular training (Sims & Spina, 2009).
• An increase in muscle cross-sectional area surrounding the joint will ad to its stability and
counter the atrophy caused by disuse of the injured muscles (Sims & Spina, 2009).
• Plyometric (in nature not however not specifically) exercise will strengthen surrounding
tendons and ligaments, should the correct volumes and intensities be selected for the
participant (Usman et al, 2011: Verkhoshansky & Siff, 2009)
• Flexibility provides a safeguard against injury in all sports, stretching lengthens muscles and
increases laxity of tendons (Hillman, 1994).

11. Late stage:Shoulder Rehab
The following Rehab program was designed to target James shoulders, James has already gone
through early and intermediate stage of rehabilitation (Sims & Spina, 2009) and will be entering
late stage rehabilitation during the current program. To be completed 2x weekly.
Exercise Week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 Week5 Week6 Week7 Week8 Week9 Week10 Week11 Week12
ER cable 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8
Horizontal
(trans)
ER DB
Vertical
3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8
(sagital)
Incline 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 3x8 - - - - - - -
Rollout
Scap P/up
2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8
DB/jerk -- -- -- -- 2x3 2x4 2x4 2x4 2x4 2x4 2x4 2x4

12. Athletes goals
• Increase RFD
• Increase Power
• Maintain Strength
• Reduce injury reoccurrence

13. Pre test Data
Test Pre
BP 1rm 92.5kg
CMJ 32cm
SQ-jump 27cm
Max Chin 12
F-SQ 1rm 110kg
Peak power 6682.8 W
BW 80kg

14. Training Commitment Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Uni Uni Game Day Uni Gym Rest Rest
Session
Gym (Skills) Game Day Uni Work Work Core Drill
Session Training
To be done with
coach.
Complex Training
Complex training varies tasks and loads for efficient time utilisation and multi-faceted physical
fitness (Verkhoshansky & Siff, 2009). Studies have highlighted the conjugate system as a superior
method for increasing performance, however the subjects were elite and could commit to more
training frequency (Robbins et al, 2009). An obvious advantage of a utilising the complex method is
that the development of one motor ability contributes to the development of the others (S&V).
Meaning even though James is in a maintenance phase gains should in theory arise from targeted
weaknesses e.g. starting strength, agility, RFD.

15. Further considerations when selecting exercise protocols
• Chatzinikolaou et al, (2010) investigation suggest that performing an acute bout of complex training (CT)
may induce transient muscle damage and marked performance deterioration for as long as 24-72hours.
• Tomljanović et al (2011) Demonstrated that TRT increased the energetic potential of trained musculature,
which resulted in an overall increase in power qualities, while FT improved postural control and precise
coordination.
• CT caused no significant changes anthropometrics where as the RT group's results showed a significant
increase in body mass (MacDonald et al, 2012).
• CT allows for the incorporation of various modalities into a single work session, offering variability and
time-efficientcy (MacDonald et al, 2012).
Microcycle and Mesocycle example 3:1
Since the adaption of the progressive
overload (Milo- system) into a
fluctuating overload system training
variables have been manipulated to
varying work loads e.g. 3:1 Mesocycle.
3:1 ratio of intensity has been selected
as the most effective method to
optimise James athletic progression.
(Verkhoshansky & Siff, 2009).
Yellow = Performance
Red = Fatigue Bompa & Carrera, (2005).

16. week1 Olympic lifting progress Week 14
James had been exposed to Olympic James technique was safe and fluent
lifting before however failed to by weeks 8-16 but consistency was
demon consistent technique or single still varied. Good enough to target
bar path (i.e. two peaks in velocity). the mechanisms involved.

17. Athlete Workout card
Name:
Phase:
Week:
1. DB Lunge
2. Clean
3. DB Shoulder press
4. BB Bent over row
1. Anderson Front squat
2. High Pull (snatch grip)
3. Wide grip Pullup (W)
4. Bench Press
RPE: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Previous nights sleep: Hrs
Estimated previous days calorie intake: kcal
Win or lose (only applicable on Fridays session)

18. Warm up/Functional Training
Exercise Sets & Reps Rest Description
A. Lateral squat A. 3x5 Continuous A. Per leg
B. Spiderman B. 3x5 B. Per leg
A. SL RDL walk A. 3x5 Walk it off and A. Per leg
B. See lower body B. See lower body repeat
Plyo Plyo
A. See lower body A. See lower body
Plyo Plyo
B. Prowler push B. 3x15metres B. Gradually
increase starting
effort 60-85-100%
Upper Body See shoulder rehab See shoulder rehab See shoulder rehab

19. Phase 1 Loading Pattern Exercises Description
Maintenance
Key:Sets’x’reps
Session 1 Rest 3-4mins between sets Plyo sets distributed within rest periods
1. clean
1. 3x3 wk1
2. DB Lunge
4x3 wk2&3,
3x3 wk4 3. DB Shoulder press DB shoulder press will be performed conservatively,
4. BB Bent over row concentrating on stability, mobility & growth.
2. 4x6 wk1(80%)
4x4 wk2&3(87-93%)
…..3x3 wk4(87%)
3. 3x8 wk1-3(60%)wk4 off
4. 4x6 wk1,2(85%)
4x5 wk3(87%)
3x4 wk4- (85%)
Session 2 1. 3x3,2,1 wk1-3, 3x3wk4 Plyo sets distributed within rest periods
1. High Pull (snatch
2. 3x6 wk1, 4x4 wk2&3,
3x3wk4
grip) Anderson is a concentric focused lift, bar on pins, glutes
on box,
3. 4x6 wk1,2&3, 3x4wk4 2. Anderson Front Pullups will be weighted, but never worked to failure
4. 4x6 wk1,2&3, 3x4wk4 squat (Mcgill,2009).
3. Wide grip Pullup
(W)
4. Bench Press

20. Phase 2 Loading Pattern Exercises Description
Mainten
ance Key:Sets’x’reps
Session 1 Rest 3-4mins between sets Plyo sets distributed within rest periods
1. Power clean
1. 3x3 wk1 (85%)
2. DB Lunge
3x3 wk2&3 (85-90%)
wk4 off 3. Jerk
2. 4x4 wk1(87%) 4. BB Bent over row
4x4 wk2&3(90-93%)
…..3x3 wk4(85%)
3. 3x3 wk1-3(85%)
wk4 off
4. 4x5 wk1,2(85%)
4x4 wk3(87%-93%)
3x4 wk4- (85%)
Session 2 Plyo sets distributed within rest periods
1. 3x3 wk1 (85%) 1. High Pull
3x3 wk2&3 (85-90%) 2. Bulgarian Split SQ
Pullups will be weighted, but never worked to failure
wk4 off 3. Wide grip Pullup (Mcgill,2009).
2. 4x4 wk1(87%) (W)
4x4 wk2&3(90-93%) 4. Bench Press
…..3x3 wk4(85%)
3. 3x4 wk1-3(90-93%)
3x3 wk4 (85%)
4. 4x5 wk1,2(85%)
4x4 wk3(87%-93%)
3x3 wk4- (90-93%)

21. Plyometrics/balistics (Radcliffe, 1999)
week1 week2 week3 Week4 week5 week6 week7 Week8 week9 week week11 Week12
Exercise 10
In order of difficulty
Deload Deload Deload
Anckling 3x15s 3x15s 3x15s 3x15s 3x15s
sticking 3x3 3x3 3x3 3x3 SL 2x3 SL 2x3 SL 2x3 SL2x3 SL 2x3 SL 2x3
Side hop 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x6
Incremental VJ 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x6
Double leg hurdles 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x6
Lateral bounds 3x6 3x6 3x6
Diagonal bounds 3x6 3x6 3x6
Twist toss 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1
/cluster
Med ball slam 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1 3x6 3x6 3x6 3x 1,1,1
/cluster

22. Core Program
Core exercises are to be performed at the end of each session, one plane of movement per
session. Mobility work to be done in the rest period.
Instruction Loading Pattern Exercise Description
Sagital Dynamic 1. Rollouts Hoz Rollouts only after week 6,
incline until then. See shoulder
15x3, 1min rest 2. Plank rehab.
3. Candlesticks
Isometric
1 min on 30 sec off
Transverse Dynamic 1. Pavlof Press
15x3, 1min rest 2. Kneeling chop
3. Cable Crunch Drop a leg,
Isometric 4. T-bar rotations
1 min on 30 sec off 5. Med ball rope
Frontal Dynamic 1. Farmers walks Unilateral loaded
15x3, 1min rest 2. Side plank
3. Arm up F/W
Isometric
1 min on 30 sec off

23. Test Pre Post %increase
BP 1rm 92.5kg 101kg
CMJ 32cm 37cm
Sj 25cm 34cm
Chin Max 12 14
F-SQ 1rm 110kg 120kg
Peak 6682.8 W 6884.3 W
Power
BW 80kg 79kg

24. Session card variables
9
16
3500
8
14
3000
7
12
25006
10
Hours of sleep
20005
RPE
8
kcal
4
1500
6
3
1000
4
2
500
2
1
0
0
0
1
1 2
2 3
3 4
4 55 66 77 88 99 10
10 11
11 12
12 13
13 14
14 15
15 16
16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Week
Week
Week

25. Firstly I made the decision to design a Squash program as
I previously had no understanding of the game, neither
had I participated in it. Choosing an unfamiliar sport
allowed me to challenge myself on the same levels as
coaches/scientists in the private sector e.g. Private and
Governing body (EIS) Strength & Conditioners do not get
to pick their athletes.
However developed the sport of squash is, the list of
articles surrounding mechanics and physiological demands
are limited as the general mass of literature is from private
authors stating their long term assumptions surrounding
participation.
I found this set back to be of a short term hindrance which accelerated my long term gains. I began participating in
the sport along side James, constantly analysing his movements and comparing them to the Pros via Youtube. Post
initial testing highlighted James's weaknesses further. Understanding required fitness components for success while
having a lack of literature allowed me to apply “the creative mind” developing the art of strength, an essential
characteristic of the modern sports scientist (Jeffreys, 2010). Having the opportunity to step outside of my comfort
zone allowed me to make and correct my own errors, an essential part of the learning process (Gravells, 2012).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe-kEl4kZBc
The following slides represent a few testing measures or equipment I would have implemented and why…

26. Inverse Dynamics testing
Inverse dynamic testing would have been a great means of highlighting James’s
adaptions in response to the training. Increases in muscular stiffness as a protective
mechanism against injury from the high GRF associated with aggressive overreaching
lunges and deceleration seen in match play, while increasing his ability to reverse
eccentric forces and return to the ‘T’ in reduced time and also reduce the metabolic
demand on the muscles (Li-I,2009). Realistically time & equipment made this valuable
insight into James’s response to the program unpractical.
40cm 60cm 80cm
Peak VGRF (BW) Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Time of Peak VGRF Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
(ms)
Loading rate Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
(BW/s)
Peak PTA shear Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
force (BW)

27. Squash Systems by...
Northwest Barbell
Questions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyhOmBPtGNM

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