Former Athletes Speak – Nida Hamilton

When did you first meet the staff of PPT?  How did it come about?

I began training with Don and Scott in 2009. I played tennis at Score Tennis and Fitness when Don and Scott began running the fitness/conditioning program at the club.  I first was introduced to them during the group conditioning classes that were part of the tennis program.  As time went on, I really liked their approach to tennis-specific training and injury prevention, so I started taking private/mini-group training sessions with them to help further improve my game and allow me to become less susceptible to injury.

What was your strength and conditioning/training experience before PPT?

Prior to training with Don and Scott, my strength and conditioning experience was pretty limited.  Two times a week I would go to 30 minute conditioning groups before my tennis classes, but I never really did any extra individual training before PPT.

How did the PPT approach differ from what you were used to?

The PPT approach was very specific for what I needed to do to be a better tennis player.  Don and Scott created tennis-specific exercises to help strengthen my shoulders, core, and legs – the primary muscle groups involved in tennis.  They would also look to see if I had any imbalances in my strength or flexibility and address them to help decrease the likelihood of getting injured because of it.  They would also run me through some on-court drills to work on my speed and agility.

What did you notice as a result of their system of training?

As a result of working with Don and Scott, I noticed getting less small/nagging injuries even in the summer when the number of tournaments picked up significantly.  I also was getting better results during competition as my national ranking continued to slightly improve every year after I started working with them.

At what level and in what sport did you compete in?

I played tennis at a national level. Throughout my junior tennis career I had high rankings of #24 G18 national singles ranking (2009); #3 G18 midwest singles ranking (2009); #1 G16 national doubles team ranking (2007); and #1 G18 midwest doubles ranking (2009).  I later received a full scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern University where I reached a high doubles ranking of #2 in the country and became a doubles All-American (2011).  I also helped my team win the Big Ten Championship all 4 years and reach a high team ranking of #7 in the country.

What impact did the PPT approach to strength & conditioning have as you walked into the collegiate environment?

Although the conditioning program in college was quite different to what I was used to, I was able to transition pretty smoothly into the new environment.  Training with PPT kept me injury-free as I jumped into very rigorous cardio-packed workouts at Northwestern.  I was able to push through the exercises while some others had to sit out due to injuries obtained from the intense training.

Would you recommend PPT to other young athletes?  Why?

I would definitely recommend PPT to other young athletes because Don and Scott know what they are doing.  They don’t just put every athlete they work with through one training regimen; they tailor the program specifically to each individual athlete based on their sport and what they need to work on to get better.  And not only that… They are AWESOME people and they make the workout FUN!

Click HERE to view Nida’s complete bio.