Last week, Fitshop discussed table tennis, pickleball and teqball, and this week, we’re delving into tennis training ahead of this year’s Wimbledon tournament. With over 3 million people and 16,800 clubs across Great Britain, there is a buzz in the air ahead of Wimbledon 2024. In today’s blog, we offer training tips to read while you enjoy your strawberries and cream. Tennis puns aside, these training methods can help improve your game but are also great for non-tennis players who want to change their habits. So whether you’re an ace on the court or just looking for some inspiration, Fitshop has got you covered.
In this blog, I want to approach tennis-specific training as if I were planning an exercise session. It’s impossible to discuss all the ins and outs of a sports training program in one blog post, but I hope you find the advice below useful in your training, whether you’re looking for a grand slam or just want to consolidate your training. !
It’s ready
The importance of a solid warm-up in tennis training cannot be overstated, especially with high-impact sports like tennis. Your warm-up should include dynamic stretching, focusing on the hips and shoulder joints.
High knees are a great warm-up exercise to get the blood pumping while also stretching the glutes and hip flexors. They work best when paired with hip openers and closers, which focus more on the hip flexors.
Stepping up on a big plyometric box is another great way to warm up while also improving flexibility and strength. We can improve this exercise over time by adding kettlebells to really push the limits!
Exercising movements based on court activities, such as quick feet, side steps, and reverse lunges, are good for warming up and can serve as a foundation for the development of the later stages of the workout as we move into the functional training after the warm-up. .
Practical Training
After a solid warm-up, it’s time to start progressing the training and maneuvering into challenging and progressive training. If we take the side step exercise we did during the warm-up, add a medicine ball with handles and mimic the front and back hand movements as you walk. When working with a training partner, passing a larger slam ball to each other as you move adds a hand-eye coordination component as you build strength.
There are some smart practical tools available to gymnasts and sports professionals that can help improve your game. The TRX Rip Trainer was developed for this reason. Its asymmetric resistance is ideal for racket sports, simulating the feel of a tennis racket and the power required when hitting the ball while training. The Rip Trainer is also a great tool for sports like golf, martial arts, and general HIIT training for those who want variety in their training.
Sprint Tracks is another amazing tool for gyms to have on their multi-sport journey. Tennis tends to require bursts of speed, and bowling runs on the track help develop speed and power. Combine this with a partner doing a medicine or slam ball pass at the end of each sprint, which increases the intensity and challenge of this exercise and is a great finisher before moving on to strength training.
Strength Training
Strength training is important in any exercise, and in this blog, we will focus on shoulder and leg development.
When training legs with tennis or explosives, the Smith machine is the perfect tool to focus on strength under the safety of the Smith frame. Guide bars, spotter arms and a hooked bar are perfect for training hard and pushing your limits when training alone.
In a previous blog, we covered the benefits of tempo training when considering explosive power; combining a heavy Smith squat with this style of training is a great way. Adding a break at the bottom of the squat and jumping back into the standing position works the quads, glutes and calves. Pairing explosive squats with a split leg curl makes for a great superset that hits all the major muscles in the lower limbs.
When it comes to the shoulders, the shoulder press is undoubtedly one of the best ways to exercise. However, you should consider choosing a machine that allows you to train isolaterally (one side at a time), such as the Taurus Elite Iso Shoulder Press machine. By focusing on one side at a time, you can train each side of your body equally, remove any weak areas and avoid side dominance, which is very common in tennis players and can sometimes lead to conditions such as scoliosis.
On our blog on pre- and post-training, we have a great set of dumbbell shoulders that can be a great end to your shoulder training session.
Proprioception and the Core
Building core strength towards the end of your workout is a great way to end your workout. Balance trainers are an important tool for all types of training, but we can put a tennis spin on this by having a partner place a tennis ball in the center of the platform while holding a plank; you are forced to use your core and shoulder muscles to maintain your balance while keeping the ball centered. As you approach fatigue, the more you need to engage your shoulder muscles, the greater the challenge. Building shoulder strength like this not only helps build strength but also avoids injuries and strains while playing.
Be sure to leave us a like and comment if you enjoyed today’s blog, and let us know if you’ve used any of the techniques featured here! Join us next time on the Fit Blog for a deep dive into designing gyms for professional football clubs!