Super Effective Quick Tennis Workout

I hope you are having an amazing day wherever you are...here in LA it is sunny and in the 70s- another beauty!

Check out the tennis training video below. It is one of many super short tennis workouts I plan to post showcasing highly effective 12 minute total body tennis fitness circuits you can do when you are short on time. The moves you will see are compound exercises...they target multiple muscles and joints simultaneously...providing more bang for your buck when time is of the essence. In this one, you'll hit your legs, chest, shoulders, back, abs, and core.

Consider doing these quick workouts 3 times a week, with a day in between sessions.

Enjoy!

Tennis Training...Condition The Body & The Mind

A comprehensive approach to tennis training/tennis fitness, includes both conditioning your body through tennis exercises as well as conditioning your mind with proper sports psychology techniques. Dr. Patrick Cohn is doing some great work in the field of mental toughness for tennis. Check out his latest video below and then make sure to log onto his site to pick up your

FREE Report "6 'Unforced' Mental Game Errors Tennis Players Make" at SportsPsychologyTennis.com





Until next time...train on purpose and play with passion!

Adam Brewer

Tennis Training For Weekend Warrior: Dynamic Warm-Up 1

Check out this short video on a simple 3-minute off-court Dynamic Warm-Up you can do that will go along way to improving your on-court performance and save you from injury. ENJOY!

12 Minute Interval Blast

I've got an awesome brief, but incredibly sweet and challenging interval session for you. An interval is pairing a period of hight intensity work with a period of recovery. In this tennis fitness interval workout you will be doing 8 intervals.


Again, the idea here is to turn up the intensity, go full bore, kind of like you are grinding it out during an incredibly long point on clay courts, and then to recover...let you heart rate come back down before you play another point so to speak. We are using a 1 to 2 work/rest ratio to mimic the typical work/rest ratio scene in matches.

This session can be done running (outside or treadmill), on a stationary bike, jumping rope, or on any modality you choose. The trick is that you will be alternating between one minute of brisk walking (referred to as 50%) and 30 second periods of sprinting ( referred to as 100% or highest intensity you can give without hurting yourself). Remember the period where you are really stepping on the gas only lasts you 30 seconds...you can do it!

You'll see in the prescription that the first 2 periods used for the sprint are less than 100% so as to let you wake up the muscles of the hip flexor an quadriceps before you go for it.

If you choose equipment such as a treadmill, or bike, the key is to get you legs going as fast as possible (frequency or high number of footstrikes/revolutions) rather than applying more resistance through raising the incline...go flat out fast!

Here's what it looks like:

2 min = 50% Warm-Up

30 sec = 80%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 90%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

30 sec = 100%
1 min = 50%

Finito!

Let me know how it goes...Adam Brewer

2 Things You Need To Do To Improve Your Tennis Speed

So here we are in 2009 with the entire year ahead of us to commit to a new and improved version of your tennis-self. The start of the year presents an opportunity to re-invent your plan of attack relating to your tennis fitness program.

As you have heard me say over and over again, the simplest way to improve how you do on-court is to improve what you do off-court. If it is your tennis speed you are looking to improve, then you've got to get out and get yourself to things: a jump rope and and speed ladder. Now, I know times are tight for almost everyone right now but purchasing these two items is only going to set you back about $50 or $60 bucks combined. If you're smart you'll get unbelievable value for this purchase because you'll be using them at least 2x/week...


By the way, when it comes to Speed, Agility and Quickness training (and I am lumping jumping rope and ladder work into this category), studies show that working on these areas twice a week is ideal. Additional days a week showed no marked improvement in any of the areas. Having said this, it is the quality applied to the limited quantity that reaps rewards.

If you haven't used either of these pieces of fitness equimpment, here are some basics:

* do this work before you play or do other forms of training
* start with basic moves and progress
* work for short periods of time (6-30 seconds) at high intensity and add short rest between bouts

Here is a sample routine:

Ladder
1. One foot in each rung forward (2x)
2. Two feet in each rung forward (2x)
3. Two feet in each rung sideways-right (2x)
4. Two feet in each rung sideways- left (2x)
5. Grapevine sideways down ladder- (2x)
6. Crossover step in each rung (2x)
* Jog back to beginning to do second round

Jump Rope
1. Jump with 2 feet together (50 revolutions)
2. Jump on left foot twice, right foot twice and repeat (50 Total Revolutions)
3. Jump on left foot (25 revs)
4. Jump on right foot (25 revs)
5. Boxer jump (right then left repeat (50 revolutions0
6. Split jump (right in front, switch, left in front, repeat (50 revs)

Do this simple routine 2 times a week for at least one month and you will be shocked at the improvement in your court speed. This is just the beginning...keep using these two tools over the first 3 months of the year and soon your nickname is going to be Speedy Gonzales!

Now get out there and get moving with your tennis training.

Adam Brewer

6 Tips To Break Tennis Fitness Plateaus

As one works to improve their overall tennis fitness level, typically you will run into what are referred to as plateaus in your progress. That is, there will be weeks, even months for some, where no improvement seems to be taking place, whether it be in weight loss, fat loss or strength gains or even on-court improvement. These plateaus are normal experience but most certainly there are ways to reduce the length of time they last.

The key to busting through plateaus can be summed up in one word...VARIETY. If you participate in some of my Santa Monica fitness workouts, then you already know a lot about this, as I do all I can to have no 2 workouts the same...however if you can't join us, it is essential for you to put this into your plan of action.

When it comes to tennis strength training, one of your goals is to keep your muscles guessing…often referred to by some in the fitness industry as muscle confusion. If you constantly do the same thing over and over, your muscles will adapt and at some point without some form of new stimulus introduced, your progress will level off in terms of new muscles fibers being fired.

What follows are 6 simple ways to add variety to your home fitness routines or gym workouts:

*Make sure to choose the appropriate weight for the given repetition ranges...that is, where you feel the muscle beginning to burn a bit during the last rep. Choosing weight that are too light is a common error for many that will also lead to plateaus. It is that burn that is going to help you build lean muscle to help you burn fat.

1. Use circuits: typically you will put a series of 4-8 exercises together where there will be no rest between. The rest comes at the end. Traditionally you will order them so that you target major muscles first and minor muscles further down the line. Usually done if you are just starting out or just need to get in and get out. Use 8-12 reps of each exercise

example: Total Body
1. Squat
2. Shoulder Press
3. Bent Over Row
4. Chest Press
5. Mountain Climbers
6. Biceps
7. Triceps

2. Use supersets: this is where you will two exercises back to back before you rest. The most effective supersets typically use non-competing muscles as a pairing...i.e. Chest/Back or Legs/Shoulders instead of Shoulders/Chest or Back/Biceps. Use the repetition range of 8-12 reps, choosing a weight that allows you to work to fatigue.

example:Legs and Chest
1a. Forward Lunge
1b. Spiderman Push-up

3. Use compound sets: Take one muscle group and do 2 exercises back to back for the area...you are "compounding" the effort put out by that muscle as well as the effect. Usually two major moves. Do 8-12 reps of each.

example: Legs
1a. Goblet Squat
1b. Dumbbell Step Ups

4. Use giant sets: Take one muscles group and do three exercises back to back to back. Typically a major move is done first, maybe second and then a more targeted exercise is used to finish it off. Use 8-12 reps of each exercise for best results.

example: Shoulders
1a. Military Press
1b. Lateral Raise
1c. Front Raise

5. Use complexes: here you will take a particular area of the body, and do 2 exercises for it...the first being a traditional resistance exercise to be followed by a plyometric or power oriented move for the same area. These can be challenging, so do them early in your workout. Use 6-12 reps of exercise 1, and 4-6 reps of exercise 2.

example: Chest
1. Dumbbell Chest Press
2. Clapping Push-Ups

6. Use timed sets: typically done with lighter weights...you would work for 60 seconds as an example and get as many reps in as possible. The goal is to burn out the muscle and rev up your heart rate,Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat.

example: Back
1. 60 seconds of Bent Over Row

These ideas should get you started...good luck and let me know how it goes.

Adam Brewer