Tennis - A personal perspective of teenage development of tennis players

My wife I have spent the last 18 months investing time, energy, (and money) into my 13 year old daughter’s tennis. Starting serious tennis last year as part of a school based tennis program, Eliza was exposed to a sport very heavily based on repetition of a series of key movement patterns. Being reasonably athletic she adapted quickly and in most court sessions can replicate these movements successfully. Zoran and Trevor, (tennis coaches) have provided a fantastic grounding for her and continue to focus on the finer points of the sport developing her skills and strategies for the sport.

Spinal Posture in Cyclists

I have long wondered about the long term effects of being bent over a set of handle bars for many hours each week as per elite cyclists or triathletes, or really any person who cycles frequently. Over the last twenty odd years I have worked with many cyclists and triathletes and low back pain was not uncommon in this group and I always believed that there was a simple connection between the lumbar and thoracic posture assumed on the bike with the associated back pain or change in spinal curves. Till now I had not ever found any research based evidence to support or change my thoughts on the matter.

Who do you rely on for quality information?

With the explosion of fitness and health magazines, it’s not surprising that many personal trainers and strength coaches get asked to write articles and provide their opinion on a range of current and relevant issues. This provides the opportunity for many professionals to gain great publicity and increase their profile and as a result increase their income. This was not available 20 years ago and has totally changed the way in which other professionals access and use information. The issue with this is that is some cases the person selected to contribute to the resource may not always be the ideal person to influence industry knowledge and standards.

Functional Movement Screen and Core Stability show no relationship to performance

I have long been doubtful about the value of core stability in strength training. Whilst I believe that motor control stability of each joint is a must for good health and performance, I have felt that the average personal trainer, fitness professional, and strength coach places too much emphasis on both functional movement and core stability in training programs. Both the strength coaching and fitness industry love gimmicks and many professionals in both industries need or persist in having the latest and greatest to use with clients as if to prove they are well educated, experienced or worthy of the dollars being paid for their services.

Resistance Training Is an Effective Tool against Metabolic and Frailty Syndromes

The evidence is overwhelming in support of the benefits of strength training towards many health related lifestyle diseases. This paper review the value of resistance training in managing and improving metabolic syndrome, and associated frailty issues. I always like reading reviews and this one is no exception. Whilst it saves a lot of time in reading and digesting large numbers of papers, there are always a few things to consider when reading reviews.

Effects of a 30-Day Fitness Challenge on Body Composition and Health Markers in Sedentary Women

It's unusual for any study to have large numbers of participants, yet this study from the US and Canada involved nearly 73000 sedentary women. The women volunteered to participate in a 30 day challenge and results were collated to determine the effectiveness of this initial 30 day exercise program. Supported by Curves International, and using the Curves staff and equipment this study shows significant results over this 30 day period. There are however a few issues I have with this research process.

Research and Reviews

Welcome to my blog. Visit this site regularly to read summaries and updates on current research relating to exercise and fitness. My aim is to provide you with information that you may not normally have access to or be able to read in full. This will have a focus on topics related to my current research but I will also include research updates on other areas that I feel would be valuable to everyone.

Of course I will keep you updated on my own fitness industry research and provide links for you to read more or see pictures and videos of work we are conducting at USC. Feel free to comment and ask questions and I will do my best to answer where I can.