• Hands clampers: Squeeze the level one (easy) hand clamper 10X. Then the medium clamper and I finish with the hardest hand clamper 10X. The hand clampers work the hands and wrist strength.
   
• Wrist curls: 10X. Hold your body still and focus only on the wrists.
   
• Ball squeeze: Use 2 relatively new racquetballs and put a ball in each palm. Squeeze 10X without thumbs and 10X with. Then squeeze both balls concurrently and hold for 10 seconds. This works the tensile strength of my fingers, so that I may have a stronger grip on my racquet handle for those missile passes coming at me at full force.
   
• 10 pounds weights: 10 repetitions each exercise: Chest press with bent arms, chest press with straight arms, side fly (lift the weights from your side up to shoulders) front fly (lift them straight up and down in front), and then finish with punching out with both weights.
   
• 25 pounds weights: Chest presses, bicep curls, overhead punches, and shoulders shrugs both ways. As you get stronger, you may choose to do the chest presses with just one hand (barbell in each hand).
  
  

10 military push-ups and 10 sit-ups.       

 

• 15 pound ankle weights (floor exercise): Side legs lifts, side leg kicks, then switch to straight up leg lifts, and finish with a slow bicycle.
   
• Resistance training with rubber resistant band:* Chest press, bicep curl, side pull, and finish with a rowing motion (sit on rubber band).

All of these 9 exercises take about 20 minutes and I finish with some light stretching. Viola! I’m done for another day! The long grueling, tortuous two hours and multiple repetitions weight routine are simply not practical.

Do this routine 3 to 4 times a week and I increase the reps once every two weeks by two. For racquetballers starting out, I suggest doing this routine every day for faster results. This weight routine has allowed me to hit the racquetball harder and with better control and accuracy on every shot. Results can be as soon as a month’s time. Give it a try. What works for McClayson may also work well for you.

*Resistant band is essentially a large rubber band (4" x 6’). Click here for image 4