Off court training

[djarvik]

Just curious if you guys invest the time in any off-court training to improve your game and if you do, what exactly are you doing? Is it helping you? ...in what way?

[Vieira151]

I do none. I'm lazy as ****. It doesn't help my game at all.

[Tamthewasp]

I do none. I'm lazy as ****. It doesn't help my game at all.

Playing in2 a Scottish stereotype Viera.

[Vieira151]

[djarvik]

You lazy bastards!

So no one is doing anything?

[Moralspain]

I do, but unfortunately my trainings are not on the right track to be better physically at tennis, i'm focus on aerobic trainings now and tennis is mainly anaerobic.
I can swim 3000 meters to inmediately after ride my bike for 2 hours and after that run 20 km, all that with high intensity,( it's an example), but when i have to play a 10 shot rally( high intensity, obviously) i end completely exhausted, not kidding.
I train everyday, combining swimming, running, cycling, and gym, i rest friday.

Not a lazy bastard , just not doing the right training for tennis

[djarvik]

aha!

Great stuff Xavi, I wish I had time to train like that

I work out at home. Mostly for Tennis. Quite the opposite of you, I can play for hours and hours, but if you make me run or bike - I am dont in 20 minutes. But swimming - another story, same hours as tennis. I used to swim a lot, this was actually the first sport I picked up and was swimming competitively (junior) for over 6 years. Then got bored. Now regret. The usual crap. Still love water though!

[Vieira151]

I actually haven't been able to do much on the courts recently. Mainly because I cant afford another membership up in uni town. And I don't go home much for play. Not as consistent as I was 2 years ago, but I can still hit some good shots. My serve seems to have improved though.

[Puttu puttuu]

Same as Xavi... Ran the Paris Marathon nearly a month ago and got back into a few tennis session last week. Very different type of fitness. Can run hours at a 12 km/h pace but can't keep up that high intensity for more than 40 minutes.

Best training for tennis would be hill sprints or 800/400 m interval training around a track.

[L Sanchez MD]

aha!

Great stuff Xavi, I wish I had time to train like that

I work out at home. Mostly for Tennis. Quite the opposite of you, I can play for hours and hours, but if you make me run or bike - I am dont in 20 minutes. But swimming - another story, same hours as tennis. I used to swim a lot, this was actually the first sport I picked up and was swimming competitively (junior) for over 6 years. Then got bored. Now regret. The usual crap. Still love water though!

What stuff do you do at home for tennis fitness?

[djarvik]

Jump-rope is the best. I also do a lot of balancing and core exercises.

My best 2 tools are the jump rope and the balance trainer thingy (no idea on the proper name).



I also do pushups - as everyone in every sport should and ab wheel roll outs:



Great tool as well. When done correctly works your core like nothing else.

When I do exercise, I basically "kill" myself by allowing none - to very little rest between sets. I would basically take a 30 sec breather if I need to, but otherwise, a switch to a different exercise IS my rest. The whole workout is about 40 minutes. 3 times a week. I play tennis 3 times a week (if weather permits) as well.

One thing I lack now is running and pure cardio, I would love to sneak in 2-3 times a week a 20-30 running routine. Just no time at the moment.

[Rob ITST]

When I do exercise, I basically "kill" myself by allowing none - to very little rest between sets. I would basically take a 30 sec breather if I need to, but otherwise, a switch to a different exercise IS my rest. The whole workout is about 40 minutes. 3 times a week. I play tennis 3 times a week (if weather permits) as well.

One thing I lack now is running and pure cardio, I would love to sneak in 2-3 times a week a 20-30 running routine. Just no time at the moment.

I do pretty much the same thing. I like the way you put it - the next exercise is the rest.

I mostly do weight training - some days I do all upper body, some days all legs, some days both. If I'm doing all upper or legs, I ride the stationary bike between sets. If I'm doing both, I alternate between upper and lower body. Sometimes I don't do the bike, but I'll alternate between pulling and pushing. I vary between high weight/low reps and low weight/high reps. I try to turn weight training into a cardio workout.

I like to do full leg days where I try to kill them:
Bike for 5 minutes at high speed > stretch > lunges > stretch > bike > stretch > squats > stretch > etc. My all time favorite exercise is what I've heard called the "one legged squat" - front leg on the ground, back leg on the bench, weights in each hand. It's very tough because you have to really balance yourself while you do it. I read an article by an NBA trainer who said if he had only one exercise to give to his players, that would be it.

I'd also like to do more running - mostly to do sprints and running up/down hills. I just hate plain running (unless I'm chasing a ball), so I rarely do it.

I'm also guilty of not doing the core exercises. Although, I don't really need it - my core has always been strong. And, I only use free weights - never machines. I'm a big believer that free weights strengthen the small muscles that you don't work with machines. I believe it's one of the reasons I never get injured (I pulled a back muscle one time chasing down a drop shot when I wasn't warmed up, but that's the only injury I've ever had), and I believe it helps strengthen the core (since my core is being used on almost every exercise).

[Vieira151]

My serve seems to have improved though.

Actually, I'd like some information on this. Any reason why my serve has improved over the past two years, when I have played about a quarter of the tennis I did in the year prior?

[djarvik]

As you go through puberty......

[Vieira151]

I'm 20 now.