Introduction
Tennis, as a sport, requires a number of multi-directional patterns and sudden movements on the court. As a result, developing specific muscle groups that are integral for playing tennis is important. A tennis strength training program is a tailored approach to fitness that aims at refining tennis-related skills like explosive sprints or quick lateral movements.
Now let’s know about strength training for tennis players in detail.
Tennis Strength Training and Conditioning for Tennis Players
Strength training for tennis includes a number of exercises that target not just the upper and lower body but also the rotator cuff muscles and the core. Many times, this training also incorporates multi-joint movements like lunges and squats that target multiple muscle groups in the body at the same time. The reason behind targeting multiple muscle groups is to imitate the dynamic nature of tennis under which a number of muscle groups are targeted at the same time.
As a result, this tennis weight training has a number of benefits for the player. Specific exercises can help in improving speed, power and stability in the individuals while maintaining their flexibility. Not only this, but tennis weight training program also helps in promoting their functional strength and reducing risk of any injuries.
Tennis Strength and Conditioning Program to Focus on Upper, Lower Body & Core
Strength training helps in increasing the strength of the upper body like arms, chest muscles and shoulders. Focusing on the upper body for tennis players is important because it helps them perform groundstrokes and robust serves. Different exercises that can help focus on the upper body include shoulder presses, pull-ups, push-ups etc.
Now coming on to the lower body strength. Enhancing strength in the lower body is important for tennis players to help them perform quick directional changes and sprints. Exercises you can include in your tennis conditioning program for enhancing the lower body’s strength include lateral lunges, box jumps, calf raises, etc.
Next, you should increase the strength of your core because it is the foundation for all your tennis movements. Increasing core strength also helps in performing robust strokes and maintaining stability in your body. Different exercises to increase core strength and muscular endurance include leg raises, planks and Russian twists.
In the end, preventing any risks of injury is also very crucial in tennis. You can include rotator cuff exercises in your tennis-specific training if you want to prevent any injuries. There is a greater risk of injury in tennis because of the repetitive nature of the tennis strokes.
So make sure you perform different internal as well as external rotational exercises along with a resistance band to strengthen your shoulder muscles.
Best Strength Training Exercises for Tennis Players | Tennis Program Workout
There are numerous exercises that tennis players can include in their strength training exercise regimen. Down below are some of these exercises that can help to give you a full-body workout. These exercises focus on all your core muscle groups that are used while playing tennis.
However, in case you require a particular area in your body to improve then you can perform more exercises specifically for that area. The best thing about power training and strength exercises for tennis players is that you can perform them even without any equipment just with your body weight.
However, using additional equipment is better to get maximum results from your strength training sessions per week. You can also join a tennis club where you may get access to a wide array of equipment required for strength exercises and plyometrics.
Now, let’s have a look at the different functional exercises you can include in your tennis strength training regimen.
Ball Squeeze for Maximum Tennis Strength
As the name itself suggests, ball squeeze includes grabbing a ball in one hand and squeezing and releasing it 20 times. Then the same activity is performed with another hand. This exercise is a wrist exercise for a tennis game that will help to build strength and endurance in your forearm. It helps in performing forehand and backhand shots.
Squats for Improving Tennis Performance
Squats are a great exercise to include in your strength training for tennis. This exercise helps to target different muscles of your lower body like glutes, hamstrings, and quads. As a result, your lower body gains strength to perform robust sprints, change directions and even perform all tricky shots.
Push-Ups for Tennis Training Program
Push-ups are a key component for developing upper body strength. They will help in preparing your chest, triceps & shoulders to play different moves of tennis like groundstrokes, serves and volleys.
Lateral Lunges for Strength Endurance
Lateral lunges are a type of exercise to improve the strength in your legs and the core. this exercise imitates the movement that you will have to frequently make on the Tennis Court and hence prepares you for it.
Conclusion
Thus, these are the different types of exercises you can include in your tennis strength and conditioning program. Apart from this, there are several other exercises like planks, chest Press or jumping exercises. You can also try out rope skipping if you do not have any professional equipment for tennis strength training.
Make sure whichever exercises you include in your workout routine help in targeting different muscle groups at the same time. Also, these exercises should imitate the movements and quick multi-directional patterns you make while playing tennis.
Good luck!
