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Tennis Fitness Training For The Competitive Senior Players

March 25, 2022

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12 min read

By Craig Detweiler (Ki Fellow) and the Ki Team

The health benefits of playing competitive tennis multiple days per week are numerous. From improved cardiovascular performance and increased bone density to improvements in cognition and reductions in stress – tennis offers a multitude of health advantages. To learn more about the general health benefits of tennis read this article ( Health Benefits of Tennis – Kovacs Academy ). Additionally, tennis is truly a lifetime sport, with competitive age groups into the 90’s.

Also well researched are the negative physical changes that occur in aging adults. Reductions in muscle mass and bone strength, decreased flexibility and mobility, and reduced neuromotor control (balance) are well documented in aging sedentary adults. The good news is tennis can mitigate some of these changes.

However, tennis alone is not enough. Rather than playing tennis to get fit, you should get fit to play tennis. A well thought out physical training plan can go a long way to keeping you on the court and maintaining competitiveness into your later years. It can not only help you play better tennis, but if done correctly can keep you healthier and assist in reducing the likelihood of injury.

Assess

When developing a training plan the first place to start is with a realistic assessment of your deficiencies 9as well as your strengths). Ideally a a qualified coach or iTPA certified trainer (Certified Tennis Performance Specialist – CTPS) can perform an assessment. But if a qualified assessor isn’t available, you probably still have a pretty good sense of where your major deficiencies lie. Has your first step slowed? Do you have trouble changing directions? Do certain areas of you body tire quickly? Do you feel tight? Do you wonder how you are going to survive a third set? Do you have recurring pain in a certain area? In many cases, it’s the training you dread the most that is most needed.

Structuring a Program

When thinking about how to organize a physical training plan, it’s helpful to detail the iTPA suggested structure of physical training. An effective plan will include each of these areas in the following sequence with some areas receiving more or less emphasis depending on your strengths and deficiencies. This structured training can be performed on the court, at home, or in the gym – all with minimal equipment.

General Warm Up: Always begin by performing 5 minutes of easy, steady state exercise to raise heart rate and core temperature. This can be done with a light jog, simple calisthenics, or on equipment such as a stationary cycle or rower.

Dynamic Flexibility: Dynamic flexibility is the available functional range of motion during active movement. Dynamic flexibility is developed through a dynamic stretching program and is a key strategy for senior players to maintain mobility. It is also an excellent way to improve balance which is crucial both on and off the court. Dynamic stretching is often used as an active warm up, but for seniors it can be extended into a complete total-body workout. ( Warm Up to Win – Kovacs Academy )

Speed, Agility and Power: Speed, agility and power can all be improved by progressing dynamic stretching exercises from less challenging to more challenging movements. Various skips, runs, and quick feet exercises are excellent ways for seniors to develop speed, agility, and power. It’s important to ensure you are properly warmed up with less challenging movements before moving into these higher velocity movements. These exercises should be performed before fatigued to ensure maximal neuromuscular signals from the brain to the muscle. Low level plyometrics with a focus on landing and deceleration can be valuable. ( Fixing Your Brakes: The Importance of Deceleration In Tennis Movement – Kovacs Academy ). The use of a medicine ball is an excellent way for seniors to train power. ( Medicine Ball Circuit For The Groundstrokes – Kovacs Academy )

Tennis Specific Strength Training: Strength training is crucial to counter the loss of muscle mass as we age. Strength is one of the prerequisites to generating power. It is also instrumental in staving off injury.

Playing tennis for many years creates adaptations in the body that can lead to movement dysfunction or pain. Tennis specific strength training can help mitigate some of these asymmetries that develop over time. Tennis has a very anterior dominant focus, meaning the front of the body (quadriceps and hip flexors) are used extensively. The posterior chain doesn’t get as much work, so it is important to stress movements that target the glutes and hamstrings. ( Bridge Progressions – Glute and Hamstring – Kovacs Academy ) Included in this posterior work should be exercises that target the upper back and posterior shoulder muscles. ( Shoulder Health Question from a Reader of Complete Conditioning for Tennis #ASKDRKOVACS – Kovacs Academy ) ( Improving Shoulder Health for the Tennis Athlete – Kovacs Academy ) It is also important to focus on the core since this is the link in the kinetic chain between the lower and upper body. Tennis requires that you flex, extend, laterally flex, and laterally extend. These movements need to be trained; however, if you have had any previous degenerative issues of the spine it is important to use caution. ( Core Training For Tennis. An Article I Wrote With One Of The Originals – Pat Etcheberry – Kovacs Academy ) ( Bulletproof Core – Kovacs Academy ).

Tennis Endurance: Endurance training should mimic the work-to-rest cycle of a tennis match. The average point in a tennis match lasts less than 10 seconds and is followed by a 20 to 25 second rest. However, many points may last 20-30 seconds as well. Performing 1:2 to 1:5 work-to-rest intervals over a period of 20-30 minutes is more specific to tennis than a long, steady state bout of aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Senior players can utilize activities and equipment such as cycling, fan bikes, slide boards, or pool training to reduce impact to the body yet build tennis specific endurance. If you like to attend one of the many exercise classes or boot camps available, understand that they are generally geared to maximal caloric burn and are not tennis specific. Occasionally working these classes into your schedule may be beneficial but is probably not the best strategy to train for tennis. ( Tennis Specific Endurance. It Can Be As Simple Or As Complicated As You Want To Make It – Kovacs Academy )

Static Flexibility: Static stretching restores and can improve muscle length which is important for injury prevention. Static and dynamic stretching should be a part of every senior’s arsenal of tools to maintain flexibility and mobility. Dynamic stretching should be done prior to physical activity. Static stretching can be done immediately after playing or after performing physical training. It is also helpful to perform static stretching in the evening while winding down from the day. Extra time should be spent on areas identified as tight or restricted. ( Post Match Stretching – Introduction – Kovacs Academy )

Recovery Techniques: Proper recovery is vital to ensure the body positively adapts to the demands of training. Adaptations to training don’t occur while training but during recovery. If recovery is insufficient then the body doesn’t get stronger and the risk of injury increases. Excessive fatigue and injury are signs that you aren’t giving your body enough time to recover to the demands you are placing on it. Numerous recovery modalities are available such as self-myofascial release using a foam roller, massage, percussion guns, various hydrotherapies, electrical muscle simulation, and compression therapy. Equally important is proper nutrition, sleep, and rest days. At least one rest day should always be scheduled into your weekly routine. ( Recovery For Tennis: What Does The Science Say – Kovacs Academy ) ( Foam Rolling For Your Lower Body: A simple technique to help provide immediate relief – Kovacs Academy ) ( Recovery After Tennis: Taking Care Of Your Body – Kovacs Academy )

Guidelines

The iTPA physical training structure should give you an idea of the various components to include in a training program. Here are some general guidelines when setting up your program.

Target your deficiencies. Everything can’t be done at a maximal level due to time constraints or the ability to recover. Be smart about your training and don’t just focus on the exercises you like to the exclusion of what you need.

Follow the iTPA training structure in the sequence listed above. If you are practicing tennis that day, practice after the speed, agility, and power exercises and before any strength or endurance training. Dynamic and static stretching, and various recovery modalities can be performed every day. A great workout including strength can be done in an hour or less.

Tennis is a game of movement “emergencies” that require you to reach end ranges of motion. It’s important to not only be able to stretch into these end ranges of motion but be strong and stable throughout these ranges. Dynamic stretching is an excellent way to develop this functional range of motion and should be a major part of every senior’s training plan to combat loss of mobility and improve balance. A general rule of thumb is that the percentage of time you should focus on mobility and flexibility equates to your age. For example, if you are 60 years old, 60% of your training time should be focused on mobility and flexibility work and the other 40% focused on other areas.

Strength training should be done a minimum of two times per week but preferably three (or more if designed correctly). If performing 2 or 3 days a week, the training should be done on nonconsecutive days (at least 48 hours between sessions). An excellent workout can be performed at home with a minimal amount of equipment such as bands, medicine and stability balls, dumbbells, or suspension trainers. ( Why You Should Use Elastic Resistance To Help Train for Tennis #ASKDRKOVACS – Kovacs Academy ) A general recommendation is to perform 2-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions with 20-25 seconds of rest between sets. ( When to Increase Resistance? – Kovacs Academy ) A circuit moving from one strength exercise to the next with little rest between exercises can also be performed, particularly if time constrained or if focusing on muscular endurance.

Tennis endurance training should follow strength training or be alternated with non-strength days. If you are spending a lot of time on the court and endurance isn’t assessed as a deficiency, endurance training may be an area that receives less focus than other areas.

Maintaining power should be a priority as you age. Strength is the ability to generate force. Power is the ability to generate force over a short period of time. Utilizing higher velocity dynamic stretching exercise coupled with strength training is a great way for seniors to maintain power as they age.

Organize your training around the times of the year you would like to be at your peak physically. For example, if you are participating in league play and want to be at your peak during the playoff rounds, set a time period 8 to 12 weeks in advance. In general, blocks of time (3-4 weeks) should be planned that focus on specific physical attributes. These blocks should move from a general fitness and muscular endurance focus to a tennis specific strength and power focus as you get closer to your goal. The manipulation of training volume and intensity is key to reaching your competition goals in peak form. A great article detailing how to periodize your training can be found here ( The Role of Scheduling and Periodization in Competitive Tennis Players (An Article For The Scientific Community) – Kovacs Academy)

As you age you find you can’t recover as quickly from injury. The top priority for an aging competitive player should be to keep playing tennis rather than spending time off the court recovering from one injury to the next. Playing with pain can take away much of the joy of hitting a tennis ball. An excellent video about playing pain free can be found here ( Pain Free Tennis – Part 1 – Kovacs Academy ).

The Kovacs Academy offers hours of information to help you to create a well thought out training strategy that keeps you on the court for years to come. Listed below are some excellent additional resources. Remember, just because you’re not on Tennis Channel doesn’t mean you can’t structure your training like the pros!

Additional Resources

Courses:

These are excellent courses that take a deep dive into specific areas of the body.