WPH Press
Each Wednesday the WPH features the WPH Wednesday Workout, designed to help you become a stronger, fitter, faster, and better handball player. From leg and shoulder strengthening exercises to HIT Training, biking, surfing, balance, footwork, agility, coordination, first-step explosiveness, hydration, cooling down, upper body strengthening, circuit training, altitude training, swimming, jogging, and much more, the WPH Wednesday Workouts focus on the areas that every handball player needs to reach their peak form.
To view all WPH Wednesday Workouts, go HERE
On this WPH Wednesday Workout, we’ll discuss how to build a Post Tournament Routine.
My Tennis HQ HERE states that the most widely practiced recovery techniques after grueling matches and tournaments are hitting some balls, light jogging or bicycle, stretching, massage, ice bath, physiotherapy, eating and hydrating a lot, meditating, and sleeping.
According to the USTA’s Recovery in Tennis HERE you should consume 20 oz of water after a match and continue to hydrate after a tournament day, making sure to check the color of your urine. You need to consume 10 grams of essential amino acids before and after physical training to jump start protein photosynthesis and repair. The USTA also recommends optimizing your nutritional status, consuming 6-20 grams of protein immediately after competition, starting your nutritional recovery within 45 minutes of completing your competition, sleeping between 7-9 hours per night, taking one to two days off per week (walking, cycling, swimming, golfing on the off days), and avoiding overtraining and fatigue. Much more from the USTA on recovery HERE
We have heard from My Tennis IQ and the USTA on recovery, now let’s hear how some of handball’s current and past greats recover from a tournament.
2021 Tucson Memorial Top 6 Finisher Stephen Cooney Post tournament Routine:
Assess: I always take a moment to assess my aches, pains and potential injuries. If I get out unscathed, good for me. If not, I always make sure to seek the proper advice and get treatment for any injury I may have incurred during the tournament.
Stretch, Hydrate & Rollout: I like to spend a good hour the day after a tournament going through stretching exercises and self massaging with a roller to take out some aches and pains. I also use contrasting hot and cold showers to help with blood flow to get my body back into working order.
Rest: After every tournament it’s very important to decompress and rest. I take time in the evening to hang with friends or catch up on the latest TV show.
Reflect: After a day or two following a tournament I always reflect on how I played and where I can improve. I will take one or two points away from the tournament and look to get better at it. Also, I equally look at areas where I did well and try to keep them sharp and ready for the next tournament.
Get back on it: After I am fully rested all that’s left to do is to get back onto the court, play hard and get ready for the next tournament.
2021 Tucson Memorial Top 7 Finisher Sam Esser Post Tournament Routine:
I typically take two full days off, whether that be Sunday and Monday or Monday and Tuesday depending on if I had any matches Sunday. During those days off I make sure to stretch all parts of my body to help ease the soreness and speed up my recovery time. Typically after that I’ll be feeling back to normal and can continue working out, whether that be Handball, running, or anything else.
Master’s Legend Merv Deckert Post Tournament Routine:
I usually have to leave tournaments on the Monday because traveling from Winnipeg is not that simple and return flights are usually in the morning, which conflicts with the finals. Tuesday I spend catching up on my home assignments, so I’m back to my regular handball routine on Wednesday with light weights and cardio on my non handball days.
Former #1 Pro Naty Alvarado, Jr. Post Tournament Routine:
Typically after a long weekend of handball I would do whatever my body asked me to do.
One of the main factors was travel. If I’m taking the late flight arriving from the East Coast back to the West Coast I would typically take the early Monday morning workout off and would hope to catch an evening workout that consisted of stretching and light weights. I was very fortunate to not suffer any serious/debilitating injuries in the later part of my career. But that had a lot to do with all of the preventive training that took place leading up to a specific event/tournament. This injury free period of my handball life really allowed me more time in the gym even after difficult tournaments.
Fortunately I always came back wanting to make some types of physical improvements to my game. This would cause training sessions spikes immediately after handball tournaments.
Living life as a perfectionist always made gym visits frequent and easy to maintain immediately after tournaments.
Former top 16 pro Rick Hatcher Post Tournament Routine:
For the next couple of days after a tournament I would dedicate myself to recovery and healing. Lots of water, complex carbs and protein. I would soak in the steam room and jacuzzi for about 30 minutes each day. Drink lots of water before and after. I’d stretch it in the steam room. At the TAC [Tucson Athletic Club] we had a cold plunge too. I’d finish my routine with about 5 minutes in the cold plunge. By Thursday, I was ready to get back to playing. I’d play once or twice that week and then the next week I’d get back into my normal routine of cross training and handball to prep for the next tournament.
Now you know how to recover and come back stronger after each tournament!
David Fink
WPH Fitness Director