Tennis, as a sport, carries many benefits for players, including better cardiovascular health and weight loss, amongst others. These benefits, of course, only trigger when one’s tennis performance is consistent. Beyond regular tennis sessions, supplementing one’s fitness with complementary workouts can help bring out a better performance. So what sort of complementary gym workouts benefit tennis players the most?
A Resistance Band Workout
Elastic band workouts aren’t anything new, but they’re cost-effective and can be done anywhere — making them ideal for home workouts. Band core rotations can help improve groundstrokes, as they add more strength to forehands and backhands. They also help to stimulate more stability for the spine. Another resistance band workout is a lateral band walk, which can help athletes to train their legs to change direction quickly when needed. Spanish player Rafael Nadal also uses resistance band workouts to train his shoulders and rotator cuffs.
Neck And Arm Exercises
Professional tennis player Novak Djokovic said he was dealing with neck and shoulder pain in his French Open quarterfinal bout. So it seems that tennis players need to find workouts that can help strengthen their neck and shoulders and avoid injuries to the head and neck. Regular stretches like side-to-side neck tilt and chin tucks can help give neck muscles a much-needed workout. Taking a prone Y pose on a stability ball can also reduce tension in the neck and limit the risk of injury. Learning more about exercises that specifically target the levator scapulae, such as gently pulling the head downward, can provide relief for tennis players.
Weight Training Workout
Lifting moderately heavy weights can help train a tennis player’s muscle fibers so they can hit a ball harder. A report published in Verywell Fit said that doing barbell squats, Romanian deadlifts, and dumbbell triceps extensions for about 6-8 weeks with 8-10 reps can help build muscles. They recommend taking a two minute rest in between reps to avoid fatiguing muscles. It is also important to gradually increase the weights being used to help the muscles adapt to stress and gain heft.
Climber machines are great for training legs, it’s important to keep your knees and surrounding muscles strong when playing tennis in order to prevent injury. An elliptical trainer is also a convenient option for an at home workout since you can pick up an elliptical for under 500 to use from the comfort of home.
Partnering tennis sessions with well-chosen gym workouts can help improve athletic performance overall. Thankfully, there are several professional athletes that are more than willing to share what workouts serve them well. Tennis fans have a lot of information to go with when picking which complementary gym workout can benefit them and their tennis game the most.
