Want to get that rockin’ tennis bod but don’t belong to a fancy club? Fear not! We have the perfect tennis workout to get your heart pumping, increase your agility and strengthen those muscles. Let’s get started!
Warm up!
[photo: Fitness Magazine, Divine Glowing Health]
Plyometrics are a great way to stretch and get your heart rate up all at once. Warming up is key, whether you’re just working out or playing a game of tennis. You risk serious heart and muscle injuries if you just jump right into an intense workout (especially cardio). For all of these moves, set a distance you’re comfortable with whether it be to the end of the gym and back, around a track, or in your home. High Knees are a pretty standard move; bring your knees up to your chest as fast as you can while moving forward. This engages your core, thighs and butt while stretching your hamstrings. Butt Kicks are another simple one; while slowly running forward kick your butt with your heels. This is great for stretching your quads and engaging your calves. Karaoke is a little more complicated. Start by turning sideways, then you’re going to shuffle but cross one foot in front of the other, and face the opposite way on the way back to engage both legs. This is great for warming up your hips, outer and inner thighs–it may sound silly but they do more than you think! If you’re still confused, watch a video here.
Cardio & Agilities!
Tennis is a sport all about endurance as well as agility and speed. Suicides are an aptly named exercise that will make your heart pump right out of your chest! Set a full distance–for example, a football field. Start at the end zone and sprint all the way to the other end zone. Jog back to where you began. Turn around and spring to the 50 yard line, then jog back. Get it? You can make these as grueling as you want based on your endurance. For example, you can make each interval on 5 yards apart or 25 for an easier time. On to agilities, which are much easier and SAFER if you begin the workout with plyometrics, because they require you to quickly change direction. Ladders are great for any experience bracket. Either get a ladder (your local gym might have a specific exercise ladder) or use sticks, or draw lines in the dirt–as long as it resembles a ladder. As fast as you can, run through the ladder while making sure to get both your feet in each square. You can change it up by doing ladder karaoke, going in and out of every square or changing what direction you’re running. Sprint/Backpedal is another great exercise to help you increase the speed with which you can change direction. Simply sprint for a distance, then backpedal as quick as you can.
Arms!
[photo: Vitogo, Big Mountain Riding, FitQuip]
Although tennis really uses every single muscle in the body, we’re going to focus on arms. Medicine Ball Slams are really fun and relieve a lot of tension, so do them when you’ve got some steam to blow! Take a non-bouncy medicine ball and slam it to the ground. For a bonus leg workout, squat to pick up the ball. If this is too hard on your back, simply throw the ball up and catch it instead. Forearm Curls are a tennis necessity because they strengthen the wrist. Sit on a workout bench and place your elbow on your thigh. Curl a dumbbell with your wrist, turn it over after 10 reps and curl the opposite way. Tricep Bench Dips are a super effective workout that uses body weight instead of dumbbells. Sit on a workout bench as if it were an actual bench. Put your arms down on the bench, extend your legs fully and keep them straight as you dip your butt to the floor. Keep your elbows in so you can focus on working your arms. Raise yourself back up and repeat.
What’s your favorite tennis inspired workout move?
Featured Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images