In this article I am going to outline a workout plan that consists of three training sessions and will allow you to be in the best shape possible for tennis. This workout plan will provide you with a framework that you can use to constantly be improving your physical condition for tennis, but that will also have extremely beneficial health benefits.
No spam – just thoughtful training advice
Tennis players need to have strong and capable bodies in order to be able to play at the top of their game. The goal for tennis players is not to put on vast amounts of muscle mass like say a rugby player but to have a good level of muscle mass and muscle that has a high contractile ability (it’s strong). That is why in this training programme strength / resistance training makes up the large majority of the training.
Tennis players need to have balance, stability and mobility, so adding in some exercises into the workout routine that will help gain these physical characteristics will be crucial. A great deal of mobility can be gained through appropriate strength training regimes, but we will add in a few specific exercises to improve the balance, mobility and stability of the hips.
Tennis requires players to be able to endure long matches that require high levels of cardiovascular fitness. That is why this workout plan will involve cardiovascular training as well and strength training. Using a mixture of both high intensity training and low intensity training will be the most effective for developing an advanced cardiovascular system.
In this workout plan I am making an assumption that the tennis player has a decent amount of time to train and can perform three sessions a week. Doing three training sessions a three tennis specific sessions would be an extremely effect way to both improve your tennis performance but also be extremely healthy. If you are training five or six times a week (including tennis and workout routine) you will need to make sure that you are keeping on top of your recovery. This comes down to the basic, getting great sleep and ensuring your nutrition is on point. If three sessions is to much for your schedule, prioritise session 1 and 2 and miss session 3.
Tennis players often like to focus on agility when not playing tennis. However sport practice will be the most effective way to develop agility and therefore will not be included in the training programme. Agility drills should be performed, but would be well positioned in a warm up for a tennis training session, rather than in a gym session.
Workout Plan
Below I provide three different sessions, showing you the session structure rather than the specific exercises selected for each movement pattern. Exercise selection will be highly individualised whereas session structure can be applied to people of all abilities.
Strength training will allow you become stronger and more musculature while high intensity interval training and low intensity steady state will allow you to improve your cardiovascular capabilities.
High intensity interval training (HIIT) should be approached with caution for those who have never done it, yes it requires intensity but start with controlled intensities that are manageable rather than all out sprints.
A) Squat
B1) Vertical Pull
B2) Horizontal Press
C) HIIT
A) Hinge
B1) Vertical Press
B2) Horizontal Pull
C1) Balance
C2) Core
Low Intensity Steady State
Bike / Running 30-60’ based on experience.
A) Back Squat
5 x 5 @Heavy weight
B1) Pull Up
4 x AMRAP - 1
B2) Press Up
4 x AMRAP - 1
C) HIIT
5 x 30:30 Assault Bike Sprints
A) Deadlift
B1) Half Kneeling Landmine Press
B2) Ring Row
C1) Ski Jumps
C2) Single Arm Farmers Carry
Low Intensity Steady State
Running
45 minutes at a conversational pace.
This is an example, these workouts would be for individuals who have experience in the gym and already have good technique on all the movement patterns. Remember, you need to find what works for you and your lifestyle. Hopefully this article gives you some valuable information on how a tennis player might design their strength and conditioning programme.
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This resource was written by Sean Klein. Sean Richard Klein has thousands of hours of coaching experience and a BSc in Sports Science with Management from Loughborough University. He owns a gym in Bayonne France, CrossFit Essor, which runs group classes and a Personal training studio.