Preparing for camp: a two-week plan

The first day of an intensive camp surprises most players: breath runs short, wrists ache, and the quality of play drops on day two. The problem is not the intensity of the camp — it is arriving unprepared. The two-week plan below gets your body ready for the load before APA Padel Camp.

Week one — volume. Three days a week, do fifty to sixty minutes of steady cardio: a walk-run mix, cycling or swimming. The goal is duration, not speed. Add two sessions of fifteen-minute wrist, shoulder and hip mobility work. Most padel injuries come from a lack of range of motion, not a lack of strength.

Court work. Twice a week, one calm hour. Instead of playing matches, pick a single topic: bandeja and lob in week one, exits off the back glass in week two. Do not keep score.

Week two — intensity. Make the cardio shorter and harder: two days of twenty-minute intervals (thirty seconds fast, ninety seconds walking). One day of lower-body strength: squats, lunges and calf raises, three sets of ten. Do nothing heavy in the forty-eight hours before camp.

Sleep and nutrition. In the final week, never drop below seven and a half hours of sleep. Every camp day means four to six hours on court, so build your water and electrolyte habit now. Two to three litres of water a day, plus one electrolyte sachet on training days, is enough.

Equipment. Do not arrive with a brand-new racket. If your soles are worn, replace your shoes two weeks in advance and play with them at least three times. Keep a spare grip, a spare shirt and taping supplies in your bag.

Follow this plan and you will enter the third day of camp ready to improve, not exhausted. Write to us any time if you have questions.