The Rio Olympics may be over, but the US Open is here to fill our void! See your favorite favorite tennis players, like the reigning champ Serena, go head to head on the court!
Curious to know how these athletes can stay on the court for up to 6 hours without passing out? Remember, tennis players are athletes and they have to dedicate time to train and improve their strength , stamina, agility and coordination.
See below for 4 workouts tennis players use to train their amazing bodies and make their grand slams look so easy:
- Jump Rope:
- What it improves: Agility to run up and down the court while also improving jumping skills to block shots.
- How to: Hold the jump rope in front of you with your hands together and your elbows close to your body. Practice a toe catch. Place the rope behind you and turn the jump rope over your head. Catch the jump rope under your toes and lift up your heels and let it out from underneath your feet. Once you get the movement down, repeat your jump rope exercise for at least 5 minutes – repeating 1 minute jumping, 30 second rest.
- Weighted Jump Squat:
- What it improves: Strength and plyometrics to serve and block shots.
- How to: Holding a weight in each hand (3-12 lbs), stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively. When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as softly as possible. This requires much more control and recruits more muscle fibers. Do 3 sets of 15 reps
- Bicep Curls with Resistance Band:
- What it improves: Ability to hold a tennis racket for up to 6 hours while doing moves like forehand and backhands swings.
- How to: Grasp the two ends of a resistance band. Place the center of the band under your feet as an anchor. Let your arms hang by your sides. There should be a bit of slack in the band. Keep your back straight by standing tall. Bending at your elbows, slowly raise your hands to your shoulders, pulling the resistance band taut. Slowly lower your arms. Do 3 sets of 15 reps
- Weighted Lunge and Twist:
- What it improves: Side spins and top spin shots.
- How to: Stand with feet about shoulder width apart. Hold a weight in front of you with elbows bent about 90 degrees. You may want to begin this exercise with no weight and build up your strength over time. Step forward with your left foot into a lunge position. Be sure to keep your knee over your left foot; don’t twist at the knee. From your torso, twist your upper body to the left. Then, reach across your left side with your arms out-stretched. Step back to a standing position to complete one rep. Do 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg.
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