A gym is an excellent location for a tennis workout because of the options you have for improving the fitness required to excel at the sport. Starting with strength-training and aerobic conditioning, you should move to muscular endurance work and cardio exercises that train recovery. Use the many types of equipment in a gym to create sport-specific workouts for improved tennis performance.
Tennis Conditioning
Tennis is an anaerobic sport, using muscle fibers that produce quick movements. This means your training should consists of short, high-intensity bursts of movement that mirror the demands of a tennis match. If you are training in a gym in the off-season, you can build muscle using slower movements and work on your aerobic conditioning.
Off-Season
If you are training in the off-season, before you are playing competitive matches, work on your aerobic conditioning and muscle strength. Build muscles using free weights or weight machines. Lift heavy weights, close to the maximum you can lift. Perform three to five repetitions, then take a break of several minutes to recover. Perform three sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Good exercises for tennis players include squats, deadlifts, biceps curls, arm raises, triceps extensions and kickbacks, and core exercises. Perform a variety of core exercises such as crunches that require you to move forward and back and side to side. Perform Russians twists holding a weight at arms' length, moving slowly to one side, holding for two seconds, then moving back. Use a treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine or exercise machine to work on your aerobic conditioning. If the gym has a running track or swimming poll, take advantage of these options.
Preseason
As you get closer to your competitive season, or within six weeks or so, move from muscle building and aerobic training to endurance and recovery work. Use gym equipment to create circuit and interval training workouts. For circuit training, use 30 percent to 50 percent of the maximum weight you can lift to perform 10 to 12 reps of an exercise. Take a one-minute break, then start a new set of exercises, alternating between upper to lower body each time. For example, do a set of biceps curls, take a break, then do a set of lunges. Move from weight machines to dumbbells for a circuit training routine. Continue for 30 minutes or more to improve endurance. Move from aerobic exercise, performed at 70 to 80 percent of your heart rate for 30 minutes or longer, to sprint training. After you warm up, work at 80 percent to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate for 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on your conditioning. Take a break of one of two minutes, then repeat. This will train your ability to recover between points.
In-Season
During the season, train as specific to tennis as you can. Decrease the weight you use for circuit training and perform your reps quicker. Add body-weight exercises and calisthenics. Create a circuit training routine the consists of four, 30-second exercises that alternate areas of your body. For example, create one circuit of biceps curls, burpeess, squats and crunches. Decrease the resistance settings and inclines on treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines and exercise bikes and focus on moving your muscles quickly and at a high intensity.
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