When to wieght train?

[D-money]

So I did a quick search and didn't find info on exactly what I'm looking for. I am not at all looking for what I should be doing as far additional training, but my question is when to train. I play 3 to 4 days a week for a few hours at a time and I tried weight training on my off days but it felt like my body needed more time to recover and my playing suffered. My on court training is fine for building speed and endurance but I'm mostly concerned about doing rotator cuff exercises and some upper body weight training to alleviate issues of imbalance and some instability I'm having. I work a regular 9 to 5 schedule and play in the evenings and on weekends and I play hard but without some additional work I will continue to have these issues.
I generally play Tuesday , Thursday , Saturday and Sunday, I alternate Fridays if I have a league match on Sunday to give myself a rest day before. obviously my schedule isn't set in stone and there are random matches or practices in there too, but those are generally the days I play.

My question is if that was your playing/match schedule when would you do your exercises like weight training and sprints etc?

[r2473]

i'd start with throwers 10 a few times a week and see if that gives you what you want.

http://ckm.osu.edu/sitetool/sites/sp...cises_2010.pdf

i'd do them a few times a week on days you play. it will loosen up your shoulders and shouldn't make you tired / won't affect your play

if you can spare $15, this book might give you a nice blueprint

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

generally speaking, it just sounds like you are just doing too much. back off some.

if you insist on "weight training", i'd do it AFTER your tennis match. ya, maybe a bit crazy, but that will maximize your recovery. just keep the weights light enough so you don't get hurt, as you will be weak from playing. normally, doing weights after cardio is backward, but you want performance in your tennis, not your weights. and you want to recover, so don't use your off days for weights.

[vkartikv]

Pullups supersetted with military presses will help immensely with upper body strength, especially for serves. Do not do any kind of weight training AFTER cardio activities like tennis - you'd have depleted the carbs necessary to power your session. Try lifting twice a week in the morning and make sure you eat enough before your tennis matches.

[LeeD]

When you're NOT playing tennis 3 days a week.
During the rainy season.

[SlapShot]

Originally Posted by LeeD

When you're NOT playing tennis 3 days a week.
During the rainy season.

Oddly enough, I agree with this. I generally do a lot of my primary strength training during the time that tennis is cut back in order to not feel like I'm overworking anything. During the summers, it's maybe a once a week maintenence lift rather than overall strength training.

[LeeD]

U know what's really dumb? Something I've tried to do this past year....
Train with g/f (former Cat111 rider) twice a week, usually just under 40 miles. Ride 4 days a week around 24 miles.
Try to play tennis at least 2 days a week.
Windsurf at least 6 days a week. Winds over 18.
The legs never work.

[D-money]

Originally Posted by SlapShot

Oddly enough, I agree with this. I generally do a lot of my primary strength training during the time that tennis is cut back in order to not feel like I'm overworking anything. During the summers, it's maybe a once a week maintenence lift rather than overall strength training.

Thanks I agree with both of you I lift for strength in the brief rainy "season" in northern California if you can call it that, but I want to keep up on my exercises as I start to get very right side dominant to the point it affects my posture, sleeping habits, and eventually leads me to needing to rest from tennis completely.

[floridatennisdude]

If you are playing T, Th, Sat, Sun... I would weight train Monday and Wednesday. Wednesday would be my heavy day and I'd do a full body circuit of around 10-12 different excercises. Monday would be a light day of band work and light dumb bells and a few body weight lower body excercises.

This is so I would exhaust my body on Wednesday when I have time to recover before the back to back weekend days. Monday would be a recovery workout from the weekend.

[Vlad_C]

Originally Posted by LeeD

When you're NOT playing tennis 3 days a week.
During the rainy season.

Exactly.
Where I live, we have 3-4 months of good weather (max), and I always try to take advantage of that as much as possible, playing/practicing 5 days/week.
Trying to mix that with any weight training would simply be too tiring.

[sixftlion]

Originally Posted by D-money

Thanks I agree with both of you I lift for strength in the brief rainy "season" in northern California if you can call it that, but I want to keep up on my exercises as I start to get very right side dominant to the point it affects my posture, sleeping habits, and eventually leads me to needing to rest from tennis completely.

I play tennis 6 days a week (47 years old -- the body doesn't recover the same fast, so I have to be smart with all the training, eating and recovery) I fit in my fitness training after my tennis practices. If I am too pooped from the court, I do more "injury prevention" workout - planks, side planks, scorpions, monster walks, etc. If I only play 1 hour and feel fresh, I do plyometrics or kettlebells or just more intense (leg intense) workouts. I may do only 30-45 minutes, followed by 20 minutes stretching. If I do it 4 times per week, I am pretty covered. Sometimes (2-3 times per week) I work my shoulders and rotator cuff with the rubber bands while walking my dog early in the morning.

I found that weight training before tennis doesn't do good to my stroke production, so I have to do it after tennis. We all are different, so find what works for you the best. Then when I am done I eat super big and healthy meal, which helps the recovery. Also, I sleep 8 hours per night, which helps the recovery.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by r2473

i'd start with throwers 10 a few times a week and see if that gives you what you want.

http://ckm.osu.edu/sitetool/sites/sp...cises_2010.pdf

i'd do them a few times a week on days you play. it will loosen up your shoulders and shouldn't make you tired / won't affect your play

if you can spare $15, this book might give you a nice blueprint

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

generally speaking, it just sounds like you are just doing too much. back off some.

if you insist on "weight training", i'd do it AFTER your tennis match. ya, maybe a bit crazy, but that will maximize your recovery. just keep the weights light enough so you don't get hurt, as you will be weak from playing. normally, doing weights after cardio is backward, but you want performance in your tennis, not your weights. and you want to recover, so don't use your off days for weights.

I disagree, I would do strength training before tennis low volume 5 movements 3 sets each 5-6 reps 3-5mins rest between sets. I would pick cleans, stepups, bench press, bentover rows, deadlifts. The key is finding out the time to lift before u play. I would always lift before my hockey games and tennis matches and junperope after the weights. For hockey I would cycle 30 miles at lunchtime then lift in the afternoon for a night game.

After 3hrs of tennis the last thing I would do is strength train. First I would be going thur the motions, not safe to lift when pooped from tennis, can't lift heavy for strength.

[3fees]

Weight training-ask any lifter is a program that targets specific muscle groups--start with light weights and then stepwise move up to larger and larger weights- your target should be tennis specific muscles,,any movement in tennis that is used deserves added weight to tone it up.



Twice a week is too little



Emperor Penguins Live in the South Polar Region in Colonies, Napoleon's armies gave them this name-Emperor when they visited this area.

[tlm]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

I disagree, I would do strength training before tennis low volume 5 movements 3 sets each 5-6 reps 3-5mins rest between sets. I would pick cleans, stepups, bench press, bentover rows, deadlifts. The key is finding out the time to lift before u play. I would always lift before my hockey games and tennis matches and junperope after the weights. For hockey I would cycle 30 miles at lunchtime then lift in the afternoon for a night game.

After 3hrs of tennis the last thing I would do is strength train. First I would be going thur the motions, not safe to lift when pooped from tennis, can't lift heavy for strength.

Exactly when I have to lift on the same day that I am playing tennis I always lift first, tennis takes way to much out of you.

[MyrWXguy]

No matter what anyone tells you THEY do, it really is about finding what works best for you.

Personally I lift and run in the mornings 4-5 days a week and then play 2-3 hours of tennis 3-5 days a week in the late afternoon or evenings. My schedule does allow for a few hours of sleep before tennis most days. I feel like I recover very well for tennis and am ready for my workout the next day. This has increased my stamina on the court and speed. I work through my soreness and it makes me work harder in practice to get through the grueling matches that would really drain me.

No matter what you start with, initially it's going to take it's toll and tire you out. Give a schedule about 2 weeks to adjust and see if it works. If it doesn't then try something new. one or two times won't give you a good sampling of the true results.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by MyrWXguy

No matter what anyone tells you THEY do, it really is about finding what works best for you.

Personally I lift and run in the mornings 4-5 days a week and then play 2-3 hours of tennis 3-5 days a week in the late afternoon or evenings. My schedule does allow for a few hours of sleep before tennis most days. I feel like I recover very well for tennis and am ready for my workout the next day. This has increased my stamina on the court and speed. I work through my soreness and it makes me work harder in practice to get through the grueling matches that would really drain me.

No matter what you start with, initially it's going to take it's toll and tire you out. Give a schedule about 2 weeks to adjust and see if it works. If it doesn't then try something new. one or two times won't give you a good sampling of the true results.

Welcome to the forums!!

Great advice!!!

[mikeler]

I'd advise against bench pressing and military presses with heavy weight. Combined with tennis, those 2 exercises with too much weight were aggravating my shoulder. Once I started the Thrower's Ten regiment, the pain went away.

[r2473]

^^ But chicks dig a heavy bench press?

Some little hottie damn near fainted this morning in the gym watching me bench.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by r2473

^^ But chicks dig a heavy bench press?

Some little hottie damn near fainted this morning in the gym watching me bench.

They only get turned on when you grunt really loud.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by mikeler

They only get turned on when you grunt really loud.

I've been dropping / slamming my weights as hard as I can when I'm finished lifting my massive weight, so everyone in the gym knows what a stud I am.

Monday I'll start grunting like a WTA star too.

[maverick66]

Originally Posted by r2473

I've been dropping / slamming my weights as hard as I can when I'm finished lifting my massive weight, so everyone in the gym knows what a stud I am.

Monday I'll start grunting like a WTA star too.

So your gonna set off the lunk alarm and turn on pervy men at the same time?