Try this tennis player leg workout to build lower-body strength at home
If you’re getting bored of being stuck in the house with the same five Christmas films on repeat – it might be time to get moving.
Shake of the festive funk and work up a sweat with a simple but effective workout you can do without even leaving your living room. You might just need to clear a bit of space.
This workout is a firm favourite for professional tennis players – and it focuses on the legs and lower body.
There are five exercises with six different stages of difficulty, and it aims to strengthen and tone your leg muscles. It’s great for tennis pros to keep them court-ready throughout the winter – but even if tennis isn’t your thing, this workout will help improve your speed, strength and stability.
The workout has been created by the LTA’s Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach, Chris Mcleod:
Walking lunge (20 reps in total)
Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head.
Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips.
Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground.
Your posture should remain upright and aim to keep your knee cap facing forwards. Continue this going from left to right let until you have completed the prescribed amount of repetitions.
High step up (12 reps left and 12 reps right)
Find a solid box, chair or bench that comes up to the bottom of your knee.
Start facing the box holding a weight (5-20 kg) – if you’ve made it to the gym you can use a dumbbell or weights plate, or use a pair of heavy tins if you’re at home.
Place one leg onto the box and step up onto the box.
Return in a controlled manor back to the start position. This is one repetition.
Lateral lunge (12 reps left and 12 reps right)
Start by standing your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart.
Take a large step to the side and land with your foot facing forwards.
Ensuring you keep your torso as upright as possible, lower until the knee of your leading leg is bent at around 90°, keeping your trailing leg straight.
Return to the start position and repeat for the prescribed repetitions.
Speed squats (30 reps)
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
Keeping your torso as upright as you can, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as far as you can. Quickly push yourself back up to the starting position.
You are aiming to complete each repetition as fast as you can.
Squat jumps (12 reps)
Start at the bottom of a squat position. Hold for two seconds and jump as high as you can.
When landing aim to maintain your hip, knee and back position as you have done in previous exercises
Difficulty levels
Stage 1: Begin by doing one circuit with 30 seconds rest between exercises.
Stage 2: Aim to do one circuit with no rest between exercises.
Stage 3: Aim to do 2 circuits with 3-4 mins rest between circuits.
Stage 4: Aim to do 3 circuits with 3-4 mins rest between circuits.
Stage 5: Aim to do 3 circuits with no rest between exercises or circuits.
Stage 6+: Repeat steps 3-5 with additional weight or resistance.
Remember, these circuits should be supported by core and upper-body sessions
To keep up-to-date on how all the GB players get on in the Australian Open and the rest of the 2020 season, you can follow @LTA on Instagram.
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