Resistance training is essential to maintaining strong endurance throughout a tennis match. From battling through fatigue and keeping a consistent amount of power in your hits and sprints, it’s the key part of having an athletic edge, game after game.
During a tennis match, players use their resistance capacity running to and hitting the ball countless times, but also, and most importantly, to recover from fatigue between one point and the next.
Resistance Training
In the past, resistance training has always taken the form of long and tiring cardiovascular exercise sessions. But for several years now, resistance training has found its way onto the tennis court through special exercises involving almost all the major muscle groups.
To successfully incorporate resistance training, a tennis player must run around the tennis court two or three times between the end of one exercise and the beginning of another. This tactic is done by training an athlete’s heart rate to accommodate continual activity.
The number of beats per minute varies greatly according to age and the level of your training. For example, between 150 and 160 beats per minute are considered effective for a 30-year-old subject with an average level of training.
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Exercises You can Try
Here are some on-court exercises for developing resistance that are essential for any player wanting to get through even the most grueling of matches:
- Side step with a weighted ball.
Start at the back of the court and side-step quickly, flexing and stretching your arms while holding a weighted ball. After 2 or 3 reps, drop the ball and run around the court.
- Forward bends with twists and a weighted ball
Hold the weighted ball in your hand and move towards the net, taking long strides and fully bending your knees. While bending, turn your chest towards the front knee and hold the ball to the side. After 2-3 reps, run around the tennis court as usual.
- Continuous sprints picking the ball up off the ground
Place 10-12 tennis balls in a semi-circle around one side of the court, beginning at one tramline and ending on the opposite side’s tramline. Next, place a basket on the ground in the center of the court. Sprint from the center of the court towards the tramlines, running to collect the first tennis balls that are placed on the ground. After collecting them, sprint to put them in the basket on the ground in the center of the court. Repeat this for at least 1 minute to make your heart rate rise significantly.
Add to your resistance training and swap in strength training exercises that will help bring your tennis game to the next level. Also keep your cool while you get the most out of all your training workouts with breathable training gear that works as hard as you do.
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