Interview with Carlos Burgos (Dec. 2007)

[El Mercurio - Dec. 2007]

Carlos Burgos has a busy life : manager of the gymnasium Clinica Meds en Santiago, and physical trainer of Fernando González, Paul Capdeville, and Adrian Garcia.

The story begins 4 years ago during the Davis Cup. “There, I knew the boys and started the idea to work with Fernando (González) and later with Paul. As Adrian had a ranking similar to Paul, it was ok. It has been three years that I’m working with Fernando and two with Paul and Adrian”.

Why do you think that you have three of the 4 best chilean tennis players ?

I think that the confidence exists. Obviously, the results of Fernando help because the high work is validated by the results. But, moreover, the relations you have with the players, you become the witness of what they live during the tournaments, we are a kind of third ear”

Massu is missing to have all of them ?

Impossible !!

Why ?

Because I can’t. At this level, the players have people who are working exclusively with them. Fernando reacted well to share the physical training with Paul and Adrian, because when a player has a ranking closer, it can be a direct opponent, it changes the thing.

Massu is with the argentine Claudio Galzagorri

Yes, I think that El Vasco is a great physical trainer, a man with a lot of knowledge and experience. I think that Nicolas will be ok with him.

How influences the age of Fernando González (27) in the upcoming goals ?

With the sportsmen, a proportional relation occurs inversely between which he can give and the years that are lasting.The goals each year are more difficult and more over, you have to be focuse on what happens on tour, because it’s very dynamic

And, how is the tour. What are the main goals with Fernando in 2008 ?

What we want this year is to improve his aerobica power. He has to see the changes produced on tour. The indoors tournaments are slower, Wimbledon is slower and the idea is that Fernando can play more long points without being tired fast.  Several years it was  counter-productive to work simultaneouslywith a faster player and at the same time with with greater resistance, but now it sounds very coherent “.

During this period of preparation, in which part do you work the most ?

It’s what we called the training off season. The advantage is that you can incorporate great volumes of work, something you couldn’t do if you were in the tournaments. For that reason, we can make a work with races,  jumps etc.. Some, have already finished this period of training, Fernando has just started because he went to Shanghai.

What do you think they find in you?

You have two possibilities. The first one is from a point of view of a militar discipline, you do what we ask you to do. The other is the one with professional respect which inspires you and in addition the other persons. I think more to the last one. On the tour, you share other things with them, which transforms you as a support and I try to help them each time they need, I think that the things are working well.

Currículum and family

Carlos Burgos is Professor of Physical education of the Playa Ancha University. In addition, is a master of Biological sciences of the Medecine Faculty in the University of Chile, specialist of Exercice physiology, Manager of the Clinica Meds.

He has a wife Vanesa and two girls, Fernanda (10) and Isidora (7)

Burgos  revealed that “this year Fernando will try to travel alone, we are going to send a trainer who will be with him in the tournaments so that it will help him to recover well between the matches”

Positive news from Carlos Burgos :-)

Positive news today from Carlos Burgos, Fernando’s physical trainer, in latercera.com  today

“This injury, that I would call more a pain was found on time in an IRM. Fernando, at the moment, is good. He has a little inflammation and a little pain in the abdominal zone, but he can run and do a lot of things without any problems”

Burgos remembered that “this already happened last year after Australia when he arrived with a pain at his shoulder. But, it’s part of the competition, it’s not a mystery. The level played on the ATP Tour is so demanding that the players are always exposed on this kind of injuries.”

About Fernando’s return…

The physical trainer is optimistic, and assures that ” most possible that, after the conversations with the doctor who arrived on monday, he could play in Las Vegas, the 3rd of March.  I think that it would be the  most reasonable considering than it is a tournament that will serve as a preparation for the Masters Series  of Indian Wells and Miami, and is almost sure that he’ll be there “.

CARLOS BURGOS

More about Carlos Burgos, Fernando’s physical trainer…

[From meds.cl]

CARLOS BURGOS JARA

Has a licence in Physical Education (Sports). Master in Biological sciences, Medicine Faculty University of Chile. Professor of Post Degree University of educational Chile and of the chair of Physiology of the Exercise, University Finis Terrae and graduated in Sciences of physical activity (MEDS). Responsible of the  Gymnasium MEDS Isabel La catolica.

Physical trainer of Fernando González, tennis player number one of Chile, Olympic medallista, 2004 Athens and at the moment in the top 5

Interview with Carlos Burgos

Translation (by the webmaster)

“Fernando lost weight and his mobility is better”

“What did they do to him”

We have made a physiologic study in december 2004 by respecting the composition of his body because we wanted to know which weaknesses he had. So, they told us that he had a level of resistance very low. We saw, in different matches, a Gonzalez, who was not able to support this structure. For that reason, we asked him to lose weight, and this is has improved his aerobic condition.

“They asked him to have a strict diet”

It was. Several times, he has to be guided during the meals. Feña ate more than he needed to, and his nutritionist gave him a guideline of a good quality of food, during the period of competition.

“How many kilos did he lose ?”

Between 4 and 5. Today, he is at 80.5 kg. It depends on which surface he plays, in the grand slam, he needs to have a low weight, but in the Masters Series, which he has to play 3 sets, he can arrive at 82. On clay, with the rallies, he can’t be over 80.

“Is he disciplined?”

Yes, never had any problem

“What does he like to eat and that it’s forbidden”

The candies are his weaknesses

“How was the cooperation with Larry Stefanki”

Larry has been very respectful. Larry had an idea of Feña when he was coaching Henman, and he gave the feeling that he was a tall guy, thick, who fought a lot but who moved bad and when he started to work with him, he was pleasantly surprised, because he noted a physical evolution, and realised that he met a different man that he hoped.

“What does Larry hope in the future ?”

He knows that a player in a good physical condition will always be a guy able to fight and run much more, and he felt that he coordinates a lot with me, but it’s too ambiguous to bet on the future, because we doesn’t have the magical ball to know if you reach the goal or not. In every moment, we are going to try to improve his attributs.