Hitting the gym...
- Thread starter Molopo
- Start date
topher.juan
Rookie
The health & fitness area of this forum has no information on how to develop muscles for tennis, nothing about training whatsoever -- it's about time someone posted this question!
some6uy008
Semi-Pro
I don't really think you need to worry about "bulking up too much" it is a lot harder than you think to gain muscles.
Also, as Topher.Juan suggested, use the search function.
Also, as Topher.Juan suggested, use the search function.
certifiedjatt
Banned
i think you're going to find a lot of speculation on this forum.
i know this'll sound vague, but try to be balanced.
i do workout, but not "for" tennis. i make sure to do squats, lunges, legs presses, and the regular routine (bench presses, shoulder presses, tricep/bicep workouts, crunches and back workouts). the key when it comes to exercising the core is to do both abdominal and back.
i think you do need to workout for tennis, but only because it's important to keep your body fit and strong.
in terms of duplicating what goes on a tennis court to increase my stamina, i jump rope and do sprints the way a game may be played. for example, i'll jump rope slow for 40 seconds (like a slow rally) then speed up for 5 seconds (catching up to a drop shot) then go slow for another 10 seconds.
jumping jacks hammer your calf muscles (the side ones, don't know what they're called), so they also work for stamina/conditioning.
the same with sprints. i try to make it as random as possible each time. it works for me; but i'm no doctor!
i know this'll sound vague, but try to be balanced.
i do workout, but not "for" tennis. i make sure to do squats, lunges, legs presses, and the regular routine (bench presses, shoulder presses, tricep/bicep workouts, crunches and back workouts). the key when it comes to exercising the core is to do both abdominal and back.
i think you do need to workout for tennis, but only because it's important to keep your body fit and strong.
in terms of duplicating what goes on a tennis court to increase my stamina, i jump rope and do sprints the way a game may be played. for example, i'll jump rope slow for 40 seconds (like a slow rally) then speed up for 5 seconds (catching up to a drop shot) then go slow for another 10 seconds.
jumping jacks hammer your calf muscles (the side ones, don't know what they're called), so they also work for stamina/conditioning.
the same with sprints. i try to make it as random as possible each time. it works for me; but i'm no doctor!
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Rickson
G.O.A.T.
I must have posted this a hundred times, but here we go again. Gaining muscle is not easy. Losing muscle is very easy. Gaining bodyfat is very easy. Losing bodyfat is difficult. What does that all mean? You're not gonna "bulk up" that easily if you're talking about pure muscle gain.
OliverSimon
Hall of Fame
3 times a week at the gym will help
WildVolley
Legend
Don't let Rickson fool you. About a month ago my physique was similar to Roger Federer's. Then, after a few workouts at the gym, people now confuse me for a bodybuilder and I have 19" guns. I can barely touch my head with my hand because my muscles are so huge.
I didn't even change my diet. Just touching a weight will cause huge muscles to start popping out all over your body.:twisted:
chess9
Hall of Fame
Yup. One of my earliest training partners used to say: "It's easier to keep a pound off than take a pound off." The corrolary is that it's easier to gain a pound of fat than to gain a pound of muscle.
One of the truly funny things is that the tennis guys my age all ask me if I'm on the testosterone batch, when all I do is lift 2-4 days a week. It's really very simple. Eat right, lift, sleep, and don't abuse your body with drugs or alcohol and stress.
Oh, and I'm very small compared to the guys I train with at the gym. I do their warm up weights as my max lifts, then spot or just shoot the breeze with them while they lift. Some of them are on growth hormone and test and some are clean, but they are very big and lift 4-6 days a week. Tennis players don't need to go there. You want to be more like Murray, Nadal, Safin, Verdasco, Haas, etc.-Robert
The Watchman
Rookie
Try this site from the USTA: http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/content/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=249181&itype=7418
The types of exercises are very similar to those discussed in Roetert and Ellenbecker's Book: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageKINETIC-BCCDVD.html
You'll only need a medicine ball, some cones and some tubing.
These exercises are designed to improve your tennis fitness, not improve general wellbeing (or give you a 'beach body').
Good luck!
Depending on your overall health and fitness level; gym membership may not be needed for tennis conditioning. Get a thera band and hang it around a doornob to do rotator cuff work both ways. Pull up bars are cheap and great for working core and upper body if done correctly.
"all the way down"...she said
"all the way down"...she said
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
id say if you dont have a coach and/or plenty of time to devote to learning them, leave these out.
phucng_10
Professional
Some people have the motivation and determination to stick with a workout for weeks. Some people don't have that.
Hey Rickson, gaining muscle is sooooo easy for us "naturally" skinny guys. Watch out for those dangerous platitiudes. Many a 150 has gone up to 190 ripped, just by doing push ups. There a re a thousand ways to do them, on your wrists, diamonds, plasmas favorite, the full body army plyo push up where you jump like a freak in the air and pull your arms up. I'm talkin 400 every other day, building rock hard bulldog strength you can't buy at the gym.
Also for guys who dont mind the rage, shrinkage and backne there are super easy ways to bulk up. Scummmy "friends" even reccomended I do a cycle years ago when I was bulking up, no way, f that! f with my hormones???? you couldn't pay me.
Anyways you're the smartest one here by far; but man, I have an grandmanster Ecto-Dragon body, merely farting belching and scratching my ass builds noticeable muscle on a long frame like mine...
love,
plasma
the stereotype and collar bone destroyer
Also for guys who dont mind the rage, shrinkage and backne there are super easy ways to bulk up. Scummmy "friends" even reccomended I do a cycle years ago when I was bulking up, no way, f that! f with my hormones???? you couldn't pay me.
Anyways you're the smartest one here by far; but man, I have an grandmanster Ecto-Dragon body, merely farting belching and scratching my ass builds noticeable muscle on a long frame like mine...
love,
plasma
the stereotype and collar bone destroyer
cncretecwbo
Semi-Pro
thats more of what people call a "mesomorph." ectomorphs are people who have a hard time putting on either muscle or fat.
