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Fittest Man In Squash Joel Makin Aims For Glory In One Of The World’s Most Physically Demanding Sports
Welsh No.1 Joel Makin is a Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist and is currently ranked at No.9 in the PSA Men’s World rankings. Born in Pembrokeshire and now living in Birmingham, Joel is one of the fittest squash players on the planet.
With a style of play based around pushing his opponents to their physical limits, the 29-year-old, who doesn’t use a traditional coach, is entering into his prime and has lifted five PSA titles to date, including the prestigious Manchester Open.
Joel has emerged as the fittest man competing on the global PSA Men’s World Tour squash circuit today and has detailed the incredible fitness regime which has left him primed for glory in 2024.
The Welsh No.1 has risen into the world’s top 10 off the back of a style of play that sees him push the limits of physical endurance. Based on an average match time of 60 minutes, Joel spends around 80% of the match exceeding his ‘red zone’ target heart rate of 175 BPM and burns approximately 1000 calories during that time.
Joel’s ability to outlast his fellow PSA World Tour athletes comes from the gruelling fitness regime he puts himself through between events. A typical fitness session for the 29-year-old involves 10 sets of 1km intervals run at 20kph (12.5mph), combined with 4-5 reps of lunges carrying weights up to 180kg, together with pressure sessions on court.
Joel’s Strength & Conditioning Coach Mark Burns, based at the University of Birmingham, said:
“In terms of fitness, squash is so multifactorial, with so many qualities needed at once. People don’t really understand that squash players are sitting at max heart rate for like 45 minutes plus. You don’t really see this in any other sport. “
“When it comes to the single leg squat, Joel is seriously strong, probably the strongest athlete we’ve ever had by miles in here. Our big lift of the day is three single leg squats on the bench with an 80kg barbell across the shoulders.
“That’s essentially three bodyweight lifts off one leg. Balance is the hardest part of this exercise though. Most people struggle with an empty barbell and have to hold the weight to their chest to allow them to counterbalance. Joel’s doing this with 80kg across the shoulders and this is tremendously rare for someone to be able to do. He has the ability for all his musculature to switch on and allow his legs to do the work.”
According to a study conducted by Nutracheck, squash burns more calories per hour than any other racket sport, with the average person burning 797 calories, compared to 507 in tennis, 493 in padel and 435 in badminton.
Away from the gym, Joel is meticulous when it comes to his mental preparation and is fascinated by concepts such as ‘sabotage training’, ensuring that he is always ready for any situation when he steps on court to do battle.
Joel’s strive for physical excellence doesn’t end there, as he frequently steps into the boxing ring outside of squash events since taking up the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has given him a different mindset and he believes that more squash players would benefit from this unconventional crossover.
An Average daily training session for Joel Makin would include:
- 9am: One-hour solo practice, sharpening and refining shots.
- 10:30: Strength and conditioning session
- Three position clamshell
- Straight leg hip adduction
- Hip internal rotation with bands
- Supine hip flexion with band
- Pogos
- Bodyweight countermovement jump
- High hurdles
- Continuous squat jumps
- Single leg bench squat
- Bird Dog row
- Cable Rear Dealt Flys
- 14:00 – Squash training
- One match best of five with a top 50 player
- Three games to 11, each immediately followed by ghosting into twelve corners of the court
- 16:00 – Boxing training
- END –
Notes to Editors
- Joel is available for one-to-one interviews for editorial features – either in-person, over the phone or via video call – and also photo shoots.
- The PSA can also offer exclusive access to film playing, training and behind-the-scenes content with one of the world’s top sports athletes.
- Free-to-use hi-res imagery of Joel Makin is available here.
- Free-to-use video assets featuring Joel Makin are available here.
- A study by Forbes determining squash as the world’s healthiest sport is available here.
- A study by Nutrachek comparing calories burned across racket sports is available here.
About Joel Makin
Welsh No.1 Joel Makin is a Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist and is currently ranked at No.9 in the PSA Men’s World Rankings. Born in Pembrokeshire and now living in Birmingham, Joel is arguably the fittest man in squash. With a style of play based around pushing his opponents to their physical limits, the 29-year-old – who doesn’t use a traditional coach, is entering his prime and has lifted five PSA titles to date, including the prestigious Manchester Open.
Please contact Sean Reuthe for player interview requests or to attend one of the PSA events in 2024.
Upcoming Events
- February 21-28: Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family (Chicago, United States)
- March 12-17: Optasia Championships (London, England)
- March 27 – April 1: London Classic (London, England)
- April 19 – 26: El Gouna International Squash Open (El Gouna, Egypt)
- May 9-17: PSA World Championships (Egypt)
- May 22-26: Manchester Open (Manchester, England)
- June 2-9: British Open (Birmingham, England)
- June 18-23: PSA World Tour Finals
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Sean Reuthe | PR & Media Manager
Professional Squash Association
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