Tenpin Bowling

Fitness Training for Bowling

bowling ball Nearly every sport requires a certain degree of fitness. The fitness level, and therefore the training required, depends on the sport. This is what we call sport specific training. Even if a training program doesn't directly help your score, it could help reduce injury and keep you on the lanes for longer. By being able to practice your bowling for longer periods without fatigue, your scores should improve

What areas to train?

The following factors are some of the important physiological and physical attributes of a successful bowler: exceptional hand/eye co-ordination and balance, good flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness and low body fat.

A good musculoskeletal system maximises bowling power and control, and minimises injury risk. A good level of endurance keep you healthy, reduces fatigue and aids recovery. Your training should reflect these demands of bowling and aim to improve the areas which will have an impact on your game.

Bowlers have a high injury rate in the shoulders, knees, hips, elbows and wrists. You can reduce your injury potential by paying close attention to these areas in your conditioning program.

Training for Strength

It is important to work on areas that you are weak and that you are injury prone, and also to use all of your muscle groups. If strength training is new to you, you should gradually build up your workloads. Make sure you are using correct techniques to reduce the chance of injury and to maximise your strength gains.

There are several principles of training that should be followed. One is the principle of specificity. This means that improvements in strength (and other aspects of fitness too) are specific to the area that is trained. It is therefore important to target the areas that you want to improve. This may mean training the leg muscles for improving balance, the torso area to improve stability, and the upper body region for strength, power and accuracy.

Another training principle is progressive overload. Improvements in strength are gained as the body adapts to the higher demands (the overload) placed on it during strength training. If you always exercise at the same level, the body will adapt to this new level and you will stop improving. To ensure that you are constantly improving, you need to progressively increase you training (either increase the time spent exercising or the intensity) as you adapt.

To achieve good gains in strength, you should build up to 2-3 workouts per week. If you are new to strength training, it may involve just body weight exercises until you achieve a good baseline strength.

Training for Cardiovascular Endurance

Although cardiovascular endurance plays only a minor role in bowling performance, it plays a major role in your health. The recommended training level for improving cardiovascular endurance is at least three sessions per week of at least 30 minutes each.

You can keep track of your improvements in aerobic fitness using this simple fitness test.

There are a range of other aerobic fitness tests available too.

Should you warm-up?

It is very important to warm-up before any fitness training session, and even before bowling. You can do this by doing some very light aerobic (low intensity) exercise for a few minutes, followed by some stretching exercises. The stretching exercises should include the body parts that are being used, and should take you at least through the range of motion that will be involved in the exercise. See warming up for bowling page for more information.

Where to next?

There is a wealth of information on the net about training for sports, from running to weight training. Be careful interpreting what you read. The challenge is to find scientifically sound information that is relevant to bowling. The details of a conditioning program have not been provided, as this needs to be developed on an individual basis. Ask a personal trainer to design the details of a program, based on the principles discussed above.

These are the areas that I will be discussing in future updates of this site. Stay tuned, subscribe to the newsletter, and come back often.

TRAINING for CO-ORDINATION and BALANCE
TRAINING for FLEXIBILITY
DECREASING BODY FAT