Functional training is important for any tennis player to elevate their tennis gameplay. A higher level of functional fitness can aid in learning complex tennis techniques, which may give you an edge over other tennis players.

Not only is functional training helpful in improving tennis gameplay, the fitness gained from functional training can also boost your physical health dimension, allowing you to carry out daily activities with more ease. Learn more about some simple yet highly effective functional training workouts that you can try in this article.

Two-legged squats

Two-legged squats are an essential functional training exercise that involves bending the knees, moving them forward over the toes, and lowering the hips. This is an excellent functional training workout for your legs, particularly your calf and hamstring muscles.

A good leg workout can help build stronger leg muscles and improve your tennis footwork, such as the ability to switch your weight to either leg quickly. Now that you understand how strengthening your leg muscles can help you improve your tennis footwork which is the foundation for all tennis stroke preparation, it might be time to incorporate two-legged squats into your functional training. Additionally, strong leg muscles can also help you with daily tasks such as climbing stairs and bending down to pick up heavy objects.

Planking

Planking is an important functional training exercise that requires you to hold a position similar to a push-up for as long as possible. It not only strengthens your core muscles, but it also simultaneously strengthens other major muscle groups in your body, such as your lower back, hips, and abs. As the body’s core is important in stabilising your body while planning tennis, you should consider incorporating planking into your functional training regime.

Burpees and Lunges

Burpees and lunges are two popular exercises that can be incorporated into your functional training regime to improve cardiovascular endurance and strengthen the lower body. A burpee involves starting in a standing position, then dropping down into a plank position, performing a push-up, and then jumping back up to the starting position. Lunges involve stepping forward with one leg and lowering the body down until the thigh is parallel to the ground, then pushing back up to the starting position.

Both exercises can be modified to increase or decrease intensity, making them suitable for training explosive movements and building stamina which are crucial in tennis. They can be performed with or without added weight to increase the challenge.

That concludes the 3 functional workouts and their benefits in tennis training. We hope that reading about these functional training exercises has enlightened you about their effectiveness and that you will consider incorporating some of these exercises into your tennis training regimen.

However, if you are feeling overwhelmed by this information, do not fret. Elevate Athletic is here to guide you every step of the way as a trusted workout partner. As a premier sports and wellness training centre that focuses on helping you achieve both high levels of physical health and mental wellness, you can be confident that we can help you curate a suitable yet effective workout regime. To learn how you can have a more structured and holistic tennis training, book your first training session with us here: https://www.elevateathletic.com.sg/contact#booking