Goals of a Workout Plan for Tennis

Strength

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.

Balance, Stability, Mobility

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.

Cardiovascular Capabilities

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.

Other Considerations

Training Frequency

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.

Not Overly Specific

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.

Session 1 - Hybrid (Strength+ HIIT)

A) Squat

B1) Vertical Pull

B2) Horizontal Press

C) HIIT

Session 2 - Strength + Stability

A) Hinge

B1) Vertical Press

B2) Horizontal Pull

C1) Balance

C2) Core

Session 3 - Endurance

Low Intensity Steady State

Bike / Running 30-60’ based on experience.

Workout Plan with Exercise Selection

Session 1 - Hyrbrid (Strength+ HIIT)

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

Session 2 - Strength + Stability

A) Deadlift

B1) Half Kneeling Landmine Press

B2) Ring Row

C1) Ski Jumps

C2) Single Arm Farmers Carry

Session 3 - Endurance

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.

Videos of Exercises Used in Workout Plan Example