Roger Federer is inarguably one of the greatest tennis players ever, winning 20 grand slam
titles within two decades. He has been acclaimed as one of the most consistent players to
have played the sport. His fitness level has played a huge role in how he has remained
consistent. Though he has suffered from back pain at various points throughout his career, he has enjoyed a career devoid of significant injuries. Apart from a good diet, Roger Federer’s workout routine is another factor which has contributed to his impressive fitness level. His creative style of play, which comprises different movements, requires a lot of strength, agility, and coordination. Pierre Paganini, Roger Federer’s fitness coach has developed a workout routine which the star has stuck with for a long time. Federer’s workout routine involves a multi-layered regimen, which consists of a mix of different types of workouts.
According to Pierre, this is how a usual workout session goes:
Warm-Up
To get the blood flowing, Federer starts the workout session with a cardio warm-up. Jump
rope is one of the most common warm-up exercises, and this is what he begins with. He
starts with a slow speed, which then later doubles. Stretches, sideline sprints, and butt kicks are also part of his warm-up routine. Federer also jogs sometimes to tax his leg muscles.
Core Exercises
Since a strong core provides a large percentage of a tennis player’s power, Federer spends
some time with core strengthening exercises. His most preferred routine involves the
medicine ball shuffle and lateral lunges. For the medicine ball shuffle, Federer stands
opposite a partner on the court, quite close to the singles line and few meters from the net.
He then passes the medicine ball to and fro the net to the partner while moving across the court using the shuffle steps. The medicine ball is kept at chest level while he tries to prevent himself from crossing his feet while shuffling. This exercise helps strengthen the core and the upper body. As for lateral lunges, the tennis star stands with his feet being shoulder-width apart while he lunges his left leg out at a 45-degree angle. The upper leg is lowered while he twists the left side of his torso forward. This position is sustained for a while after which he repeats with the right leg. Federer does this ten times on each side during each workout session.
Coordination Drills
Cone Drill: During this routine, three cones are placed in a triangle with about 4 feet of
distance between them. Federer then moves around each cone while practicing forehand and backhand strokes as he moves in a zigzag manner.
Racket Drill: Pierre divides this routine into two parts. During the first part, someone is
tasked with throwing three tennis balls at Federer while he tries to hit the balls one at a time before they bounce twice. This helps to improve his reaction time. For the second part, he has to catch each ball, hit it over the net, while he increases the speed of each strike with each ball.
Resistance Training
This routine helps to build agility and it involves increasing weight and adding resistance to
movement. To do this, Federer uses speed resistance bands, which he places between his legs to cause resistance during the movement. This helps to strengthen the muscles and also helps to increase his endurance during a tennis match. At times, the band is attached to the net and then placed around his waist while he tries to hit balls thrown at him.
Balance
Federer does the volley on the trampoline routine to improve his balance. During this routine, he stands on a mini trampoline on one leg while he tries to hit volleys. This extreme training is responsible for his incredible balance during tennis matches.
Explosive Exercises
This high-intensity routine helps to build explosive power. It involves a great-intensity
anaerobic exercise in 15-second intervals while he rests for 15 seconds in between 7 to 12
sets.
That summarizes his high-intensity workout routine, which has been the key to his incredible composure on the tennis court. Not many people can keep up with this routine, but the tennis star has managed to do this over the years.
