NEWS & UPDATES
back and thighs should form a straight
line at the top of the move. Contract your
glutes, and then return along the same
path back to the start position.
STABILITY BALL SUPINE BRIDGE WITH
LEG CURL VARIATION (FIGURE 3)
While in the supine bridge position, flex
the knees to bring the ball toward the
body. Dorsiflex the feet throughout the
movement to keep the heels pressed
against the top surface of the ball.
EXAMPLES OF CORE EXERCISES
FOR TENNIS
AN EXCERPT FROM THE NEW BOOK,
DEVELOPING THE CORE
The following is an exclusive excerpt
from the new book, Developing the
Core, the latest release in the NSCA’s
Sport Performance Series with Human
Kinetics. All text and images provided
by Human Kinetics.
Tennis is a physically demanding and
complex sport that requires a high
level of strength, power, speed, agility,
coordination, balance, endurance, and
flexibility. The players who are most
successful are the best all-around athletes.
Having strong, powerful, efficient core
muscles is paramount to success in the
sport. Tennis is a ground-based sport that
requires efficient transfer of energy from
the ground up through the trunk and finally
out to the arms and racket and into the
tennis ball. The conditioning of the core
muscles helps improve energy transfer,
resulting in greater movement speed,
agility, and power production into the
strokes (serve, forehand, backhand, and
volley), while also reducing kinetic chain
weaknesses and the likelihood of injuries.
STABILITY BALL SUPINE BRIDGE
(FIGURES 1 AND 2)
Lie faceup on the floor, with hands
palms-down at your sides, knees bent at
a 90-degree angle, and the heels of your
feet on a stability ball. Keeping your back
straight, lift your hips off the floor. Your
4
2014
EVENTS
BARBELL ROLLOUT (FIGURES 4 AND 5)
Load a pair of small plates (five-pounders
work well) onto the ends of a barbell.
Grasp the middle of the bar with an
overhand, shoulder-width grip, and kneel
down so your shoulders are directly over
the bar. Your upper back should be slightly
rounded, with your butt off the floor as
high as possible. Keeping your knees
fixed on the floor and your arms taut,
roll the bar forward as far as comfortably
possible without allowing your body
to touch the floor. Reverse direction by
forcefully contracting your abs, returning
along the same path back to the start
position. Repeat for the desired number of
repetitions.
GLUTE-HAM RAISE (FIGURE 6 AND 7)
Adjust the foot plate on a glute–ham bench
for stability and comfort so that the lower
thighs are pressed against the front rollers,
with the knees resting on the supports
below. From a kneeling position, the torso
should be completely upright; the arms
can be folded across the chest; the hands
can be placed lightly on the back of the
head; or the arms can be placed overhead,
depending on the level of intensity desired.
Slowly lean forward, flexing at the hip joint
and keeping the back straight, until the
torso is parallel with the floor, and then
return to the start position. Repeat for the
desired number of repetitions.
Developing the Core features several
other core exercises for basketball,
along with exercises for baseball/
softball, football, golf, ice hockey,
soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field,
volleyball, and wrestling. The book is now
available in bookstores everywhere, as
well as online at HumanKinetics.com or
at NSCA.com.
NSCA BULLETIN | ISSUE 36.05
TRAINING FOR HOCKEY CLINIC
JUNE 6 – 7 | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
TSAC FACILITATOR’S CLINIC
JUNE 13 – 14 | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
NSCA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
JULY 9 – 12 | LAS VEGAS, NV
PERSONAL TRAINERS CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 3 – 4 | WASHINGTON, DC