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Hey everyone,
Something I've been thinking about a lot as both a coach and a player is how our community's approach to physical training has evolved over the past few years. Honestly, I feel the conversation around strength and conditioning is actually much better on average than it was even a 7+ years ago when I first started writing my book on this topic.
That said, there are still a few persistent misconceptions that I see leading many club players to waste a ton of time on things that look flashy but don't deliver results.
This sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole, and I got so obsessed with creating a better, more logical framework that I ended up writing a huge blog post detailing my entire training philosophy.
But instead of just dropping a link, I wanted to share a couple ideas here to get your thoughts and hopefully start a good discussion.
One thing I’ve noticed is when I start working with a new player and ask about their current gym routine, I've found they almost always fall into one of two camps.
Very few players are in that productive sweet spot in the middle. To help fix that, I created the “Peak Performance Pyramid” to help players visualize how to prioritize their training.
Essentially, it’s built on a simple, two-step principle: Build the engine first, then tune it…
Many players are either trying to tune an engine that's too small, or they’re just not training with a clear enough plan to really make progress in the first place!
This is obviously just a quick summary of the philosophy. If this way of thinking resonates with you, I've put everything into a massive free article on my blog. It breaks down the entire pyramid, provides specific "playbooks" for training each athletic quality, and debunks all the common myths.
You can read the full guide here:
https://peakperformancetabletennis.com/table-tennis-exercises/
I'll be honest, it's a pretty long article, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Do you agree that too many of us get caught up in the flashy stuff instead of the foundation?
Let's discuss.
Cheers,
Kevin
Something I've been thinking about a lot as both a coach and a player is how our community's approach to physical training has evolved over the past few years. Honestly, I feel the conversation around strength and conditioning is actually much better on average than it was even a 7+ years ago when I first started writing my book on this topic.
That said, there are still a few persistent misconceptions that I see leading many club players to waste a ton of time on things that look flashy but don't deliver results.
This sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole, and I got so obsessed with creating a better, more logical framework that I ended up writing a huge blog post detailing my entire training philosophy.
But instead of just dropping a link, I wanted to share a couple ideas here to get your thoughts and hopefully start a good discussion.
One thing I’ve noticed is when I start working with a new player and ask about their current gym routine, I've found they almost always fall into one of two camps.
- The first camp tends towards the "too generic" side. They'll go to the gym, run on the treadmill, do a quick circuit on the machines—usually for sets of 10-20 reps, and maybe end with some stretching. And honestly, that's a fantastic start and far better than nothing! But it’s a plan for general exercise, not athletic performance. It lacks the focused purpose and progression that truly moves the needle. And with a few basic tweaks, that same time could be spent in much more productive ways.
- The second camp goes to the "too specific" extreme. These are the players who have maybe watched a few too many IG reels...Their training is mostly “fast feet” ladder drills, hand-eye-coordination drills, and trying to mimic strokes with resistance bands because they think it looks more like the sport. Again, not the best use of time!
Very few players are in that productive sweet spot in the middle. To help fix that, I created the “Peak Performance Pyramid” to help players visualize how to prioritize their training.
Essentially, it’s built on a simple, two-step principle: Build the engine first, then tune it…
- Build the Engine: This means using your gym time to fill the "empty buckets"—the raw athletic qualities TT doesn't provide on its own. Primarily, this is building a foundation of genuine strength, speed, and power.
- Tune the Engine: Only after you've built a bigger, more powerful engine do you focus on tuning it for the track. This is where specialized training comes in, using tools like medicine ball throws for rotational power and multi-directional speed and agility work to bridge the gap between your raw gym strength and your on-table skill.
Many players are either trying to tune an engine that's too small, or they’re just not training with a clear enough plan to really make progress in the first place!
This is obviously just a quick summary of the philosophy. If this way of thinking resonates with you, I've put everything into a massive free article on my blog. It breaks down the entire pyramid, provides specific "playbooks" for training each athletic quality, and debunks all the common myths.
You can read the full guide here:
https://peakperformancetabletennis.com/table-tennis-exercises/
I'll be honest, it's a pretty long article, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Do you agree that too many of us get caught up in the flashy stuff instead of the foundation?
Let's discuss.
Cheers,
Kevin
