Tennis Strength Training Program

Please consult your physician before starting this or any exercise program. This program can be performed 2-3 times per week out of season with a day of rest in between sessions. In- season sessions should be performed 1-2 times a week. Beginners should start with one set of 8-12 repetitions per exercise. Intermediate and advanced exercisers, with a strength training history, can start with 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions per exercise. Read the entire exercise descriptions and tips. Perform a dynamic warm-up for 5 minutes before starting this program. A dynamic warm-up is available from our site. Follow each workout session with a 5 minute cool down consisting of light cardiovascular work and light stretching. Perform the exercises in the order they are listed below.

Equipment Needs: A 4 or 6lb. medicine ball, one medium size cone, a pair of light dumbbells 2-6lbs., an exercise mat, a 55 or 65cm stability ball.

1. Medicine Ball Chops: Torso has to handle the forces of acceleration and deceleration. Start will ball overhead, feet spread wide with toes pointing forward. Perform an act of chopping in front of body, arms stay straight keeping the ball away from body. Sink into a squat at the bottom of chop. Then swing the ball back to overhead position, along the same line while standing up. Repeat. See photos below. Tip: Perform the squat with good form, hips going back as if to sit in a chair. Keep knees over the feet, no knock-knees. Start with a light ball (4lbs).

Start Position End Position

2. Medicine Ball Angle Chops: Start with ball over left shoulder. Feet spread wider than hips with toes pointing forward. Chop the ball down across the body while going into a mini squat. Pivot on the ball of the left foot while chopping, right foot stays pointed forward. Bring ball back up to starting position along the same line of chop. Repeat. See photos below. Tip: Keep arms relatively straight and pivot on the ball of the foot opposite of the side of chop.

Your Notes:

Start Position End Position

3. Medicine Ball Torso Twists: Start with feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent and hold a light medicine ball at your waist, staying neutral in the core. Hold elbows in to body and bent at 90 degrees. Start action by twisting the torso to one side while keeping the ball in front of your body. Continuously twist the torso side to side while doing a pivot on the opposite foot. See photo below. Tip: Initiate the action from the core, it is not just swinging the ball with the arms side to side. Add difficulty by pushing the ball farther from the core.

Torso Twists

4. Squat Variations: (Single leg squats & cone touch, dumbbell squat presses, squats with a rotational press). Single leg squats & cone touch. Squat on one foot, keep the knee over and behind the foot while bending over to touch a cone with the opposite hand. When squatting, take the hip back and stick the buttocks out as if to sit back in a chair. It is important to squat first and reach second. No wobbly knees. Return to an upright starting position each time. Tip: Position cone about a foot away from your front foot. Work one leg at a time. See photo below.

Your Notes:

Your Notes:

Dumbbell squat presses. Start in a standing position while holding a pair of light dumbbells at shoulder height with feet under hips and knees slightly bent. Start squat by taking hips back as if to sit in a chair. Sink down into the squat while holding knees over feet, don’t take hips below the knees. Rise up out of squat and press the dumbbells overhead and then return to start position at shoulder height. See photos below right. Tip: Don’t over arch the back while pressing overhead, hold a neutral position in the core.

Single leg squat

Squats with a rotational press. Perform a squat while holding a pair of light dumbbells at shoulderheight. See pic at right. Take hips back as if to sit in a chair and hold the knees over the feet that arepositioned under the hips. Then rise out of squat and turn the torso to one side and perform an overhead press. Do a pivot on the ball of the opposite foot. Twist torso back to starting position and then repeat the exercise with a twist and pressto the other side. Tip: Make the rise out of the squat along with a twist and press a continuous movement. See Photo below. If an athlete can’t Dumbbell Squat Overhead Presssteady the dumbbells and lacks strength and control use a light body bar instead of dumbbells.

Rotational Press 5. Body Weight Modified Push-ups: Start in a push-up position, on your knees, on a mat with hands spread wider than the shoulders. Avoid an excessive low back arch, stay neutral in the core. Slowly lower chest down close to the mat, (shoulders should not go below elbows) then push body back up to starting position by extending the arms. Don’t let the hips touch in the

Notes on the squat variations:

action. Once you have mastered this exercise with good form, try a traditional push-up off of your toes. Tip: Keep the body straight, don’t pop the hips up and down and don’t over arch your low back. See photo below.

Modified push-up on knees

6. Lunge Variations: (Stationary lunges with arm (bicep) curl, traveling lunges with torso twist, side lunges with a reach and press overhead). Stationary lunges with an arm curl. Start in a standing position with feet hip width, while holding a pair of light dumbbells in each hand down at the sides. Take a comfortable right lunge step forward, hit with the heel first and then rock to the ball of the foot. Hold knee over the foot. Don’t over or under lunge, there should be a 90 degree angle at the knee joints. Keep torso upright and don’t bang the trailing knee against the floor. Perform a bicep curl when you lunge with palms facing inward. Push off the right heel and back to return to the starting position. Alternate legs. See photo below left. Tip: Very important to hold the knee over the foot and lunge at the right length with the torso upright.

Forward lunge Lunge & twist Side lunges with a reach

Traveling lunges with a torso twist. You can use light dumbbells held at chest or a light medicine ball. Perform a lunge as described above with great form but add in a torso twist as you lunge. Twist to the same side as forward leg. Keep the weight at chest height. In order to travel across the room with this exercise just rise out of the lunge by extending the right leg and by bringing the left foot forward to meet the right foot and stand up. Alternate the legs as you travel across the room. See pic above center. Tip: Always hold the knee over the foot on the lunge with torso upright... it is more difficult to do this when twisting.

Notes:

Side lunges with a reach and press overhead. Start in an upright standing position with feet hip width and holding a pair of light dumbbells or a light medicine ball at chest height. Lunge out to the side with foot pointing forward and trailing leg extended. The right hip must go back so the knee doesn’t protrude in front of the foot. Sit down in the lunge but don’t take the hip below the knee. Reach the weight out in front as if to put it on your shoe laces. Push off the inner part of the foot to return to upright position and then press the weight overhead. Repeat with a left side lunge with a reach and overhead press. See pic above right. Tip: Keep toe pointed forward and push the hip back during the side lunge. Reach out at the same time you lunge. Also, don’t over arch the back when pressing overhead.

7. T-Stabilizations: Start in a push-up position on a bench with hands close together and feet as wide as shoulders. Hips must be down so the body is straight. Take one hand off the bench and rotate the body open, arm extended with palm facing forward. Form a T with your body. Roll from toes to the sides of the feet at the same time. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds then rotate the torso back to starting position and repeat with the other hand. See pic at right. Tip: Keep body straight, don’t pop hips up and down. Make sure bench does not move. To increase the difficulty bring feet closer together.

T-Stabilization

8. Stability ball Crunches With A Twist: Start by sitting straight up on top of a stability ball for your size, knees bent and feet a bit wider than hips. To get in a table top position out on the ball inch your feet forward, slowly, while laying back on the ball. Hold onto the ball if you feel uncomfortable or unstable. Shoulder blades are touching, core is engaged and the body is laying flat out. Position finger tips behind the ears and rest head back into hands. To perform a crunch,

Notes on your lunge variations:

Your Notes:

squeeze the abs and curl your upper body up off the ball about 30 degrees and then twist the torso as if to take the elbow to the opposite knee. Descend slowly, touch shoulders and repeat the action with a twist to the other side. See pics below. Tip: Don’t bounce hips up and down or pull on the head and neck much. Don’t over arch the back and drop head down the backside while on the ball.

Starting table top position End position after twist

9. Stability Ball Back Extensions: Start by kneeling on a mat behind a 55 or 65 cm stability ball. Roll out over top of it until the hips are under the ball. Spread feet wide behind for a good base of support. Keep knees bent slightly. Cross hands at chest or behind head. Slowly drop down your upper body in front of the ball, (draping over it). Then squeeze the muscles in your back and glutes and reverse the direction and curl up off the ball until your body is straight. Repeat. See photo at right. Tip: Don’t bounce up and down on the ball. Just curl the upper

body up from the draped position, don’t over arch.

Back Extension pic above

10.Scarecrows: For rotator cuff work. Start by standing with the back of your body up against a wall, feet away about 5-6 inches. Hold the elbows directly out from the shoulders and lightly pressed back against the wall. Right hand up and back against the wall and left hand down with palm against the wall. Exercise starts when you simultaneously rotate the right palm

Your Notes:

Your Notes:

down and the top of left hand up to touch the wall. Repeat these opposite rotations slowly all while staying up against the wall. Tip: Must keep elbows high, that can be a challenge and keep a 90 degree angle at both elbow joints. See pic above. Increase the difficulty by holding a pair of 2lb. dumbbells.

11. Dumbbell Wrist Curls: Sit on a bench, chair or stability ball with feet hip width and knees bent at 90 degrees. Hold a pair of light dumbbells and rest the back of your forearms on your thighs positioned so the wrists are not in contact. To start the exercise extend the wrists down over knees and then reverse the motion and proceed to curl the weight up while flexing the wrist. Get full flexion and extension. Go slow through the range of motion. See pic at right. Tip: Don’t let the dumbbells roll out of your hand into your fingers, keep the dumbbell tucked securely in the palm. The stability ball will increase the balance demands and work the legs, hips and core a little as well.

Seated wrist curls

12. Stability Ball Triple Threat: (hip bridge, hip tuck and hip lift): This is a series of 3 exercises that work the back side of the body, low back, glutes and hamstrings. Many female athletes are weak in these 3 areas. Beginners take a break in between each exercise. Intermediate and advanced exercisers, perform these right in a row with no rest in between. See photos and descriptions below.Hip bridge: Start with feet and ankles directly on top of a 55 or 65 cm stability ball. Lift hips up and down continuously without touching the floor each time. Keep head and neck relaxedand down on the mat. Keep the ball still. Tip: Lift the hips as high as you can without pressure or pain to the spine. Press hands down on the mat for control. See photos below.

Your Notes:

Your Notes:

Hip tuck: While holding the hips up off the mat, with body in a bridged position, squeeze the hamstrings and pull the ball in toward the buttocks. Let the ball out and repeat the motion. Keep hips up the entire time. Keep head and neck relaxed and down on the mat. Tip: Move the stability ball in and out in a smooth rhythmic motion.

Hip lift: Similar to the hip bridge, but position the feet down the front of the stability ball about a quarter for starting position, (just above center). Perform hip lifts again, as in the hip bridge, without touching the hips down on the floor each time. Tip: Knees should remain slightly bent throughout the repetitions.

Notes on the Triple Threat:

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If you have questions on how to perform the exercises in this program, please feel free to e-mail us, margaret@femaleathletesfirst.com.

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