Achieving an ideal physique requires a detailed fitness plan, and playing tennis at a high level demands an even more comprehensive physical training strategy. In this high-intensity sport, sustained performance during crucial moments is powered by continuous energy supply.
Through the course of play commercial tennis players must exhibit a number of key abilities. Quick stops and starts like lateral movements are frequent, which requires a lot of explosive power and agility. Hitting the ball is predominantly performed anaerobically to provide energy for fast power bursts. The general game, however, is met in aerobic metabolism as it lasts for long periods and requires a good endurance with an energy supply. This is why physical training for tennis includes aspects of all types such as strength, endurance, speed and power, agility and flexibility.
Tennis Physical Training Methods and Practice Steps
- Warmup: This consists of light jogging, dynamic stretches, and other mild activities that increase heart rate, elevate body temperature, and prepare the body for more intense workouts.
- Cardiovascular Endurance Exercise: Activity can start with cardiovascular activities jogging, biking, or swimming for a few minutes and working up in per duration & intensity.
- Explosive Power and Speed Training — Sprints, Jumping Exercise for Explosive power along with speed training exercises through quick direction changes drills, leg kicks drills repeat.
- Strength Training: Strength training usually involves deadlifts,barbell rows and bench Press exercises to build muscle mass and strength.
- Core Stability Training: Core stability training helps strengthen muscles of the abdomen, lower back, pelvis, and hips.
- Flexibility Training: such as Stretching and yoga, improves the flexibility of joints.
- Increase in Training Volume Over Time: The intensity and duration of exercise should be gradually increased.
- Cool Down and Recovery: Finally, end the workout with a cool-down workout or stretching routine to reduce muscle soreness and prepare you for your next session.
Warm-up is also key to preventing sports injuries. It should be tailored to the specific demands of tennis, the areas prone to injury, and potential causes of injury. Warm-ups include various dynamic stretching exercises, such as heel walks and hip flexor stretches, which help prepare the body, increase muscle temperature, and improve joint flexibility, reducing the risk of injury.
Warm-Up Exercise: Reverse Lunge With Twist
How To:
As you lunge back, bring your knee close to the ground, then rotate your chest to 90 degrees towards the front leg. Return to center and repeat on the other side.
The Reverse Lunge With Twist primarily targets the leg muscles (quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings), core muscles (abs, obliques), and glutes, while the twisting motion enhances core stability and lower back strength. It's a comprehensive full-body exercise.
Designing tennis-specific movement exercises requires a thorough consideration of the characteristics of forehand and backhand stroke techniques, with a focus on analyzing muscle contraction patterns and power generation structures. This ensures that the exercises are safe, simple, and effective, while aligning with principles of human anatomy and biomechanics. The use of simple equipment is essential during practice. Each exercise should be performed 10-15 times, divided into 2-3 sets, with rest periods of 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets. This approach helps to enhance muscle strength and endurance while improving the overall effectiveness of the training.
Tennis Fitness Training Tips:
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
How To:
1.Attach the rope to the mount.
2.Grip rope with both hands. Stand tall facing away from mount position.
3.Start with arms overhead, elbows bent with rope behind head.
4.Push rope forwards over your head. Squeeze at extended position.
5.Then slowly lower back to start position.
The Overhead Cable Triceps Extension primarily targets the triceps, especially the long head. This exercise effectively strengthens the back of the upper arm by extending the arms overhead, enhancing both strength and muscle endurance.
High Cable Single Arm Bicep Curl
How To:
1.Anchor the pulley to the highest level with one handle attached.
2.Stagger your stance with your right hand holding the handle.
3.Extend your arms in front of you and keep your upper arm stationary throughout.
4.Inhale at the start of the movement, exhale as you curl your forearm toward your biceps.
5.Hold a count of two at the top.
6.Keep your core nice and tight and your torso stationary.
The High Cable Single Arm Bicep Curl primarily targets the biceps, especially the short head. This exercise effectively strengthens the front of the upper arm and improves muscle definition by isolating the biceps with a single-arm cable pull.
Standing Dual Handle Cable Row
How To:
1.Set machine handles at mid torso height.
2.Grab a handle in each hand.
3.Grab the handles with palms facing each other.
4.Stand facing machine with a staggered stance.
5.With arms fully extended out in front.
6.Start by retracting shoulder blades.
7.Then pull handles backwards towards belly button.
8.Hold this position for 1 second, squeeze shoulder blades.
9.Then extend back to start position.
Standing Single Cable Hip Flexion
How To:
1.Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2.Keep right leg straight.
3.Flex your left hip to bring your left leg forward.
4.keeping your knee slightly bent.
5.Lift your left leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground.
The Standing Single Cable Hip Flexion primarily targets the hip flexors, especially the iliopsoas. This exercise effectively strengthens and increases the flexibility of the hip area while also improving core stability and balance.
Incorporating Proper Nutrition and Diet Plan
Any complete tennis training program should also take into account your nutritional needs. Having a proper diet plan can help you lose weight or gain muscle, depending on your goals.
Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for physical training, and you must have the right amount of carbohydrates before your workout.
They are a better food source than simple sugars because they metabolize quite well and are not stored as fat. Whole-grain bread, cereals, and pasta (and brown rice) are your first choices. To replenish depleted carbohydrates, eat them during or after training.
Proteins in foods such as eggs, white meat, and red meat help repair minor tears at the level of muscle tissue. Post-workout is the best time to eat these foods!
Dietary fiber is also important, it helps keep your digestive system healthy and allows for perfect metabolic regulation. Although they are rarely talked about, it is important to remember that vitamins and minerals play an equally important role in determining the strength of your nervous system (the whole reason you can run fast or control your speed), cardiovascular function (even well-nourished people will feel dizzy when sprinting if they are iron deficient...), bone health ("I need calcium for strong bones"), and hormone levels.
During and after training, electrolytes should be replenished. Don't drink too many electrolyte drinks during a workout, but a sip or two during recovery is best, and more after the workout.
In the past, even the pros didn't have a tennis training plan. Fast forward to today, and every serious tennis player is doing some fitness training. Whatever success means to you, a fitness plan personalized to your lifestyle will help you achieve those goals faster.
Keep Reading:
Ultimate 10-Minute Ab Workout, by a Certified Speediance TrainerChest and Triceps Workout for Serious Gains by Speediance Experts
The Complete List Of Compound Exercises
