Quick Tennis Workout For The Weekend Warrior

So you want to improve your tennis play.  You've been hearing about the importance of the off-court tennis workout for on-court improvement.  You know what the inside of the gym looks like but you haven't been there in years.  

You pick up the latest book on tennis conditioning and low and behold, it reads like a high school text book on trigonometry.  No joke, the reality is that most books and videos are put together for the highly competitive junior/collegiate athlete/or professional player.  They outline wonderfully effective periodized programs that most certainly will get results...if only you didn't have a full time job and a family of 4 or 5 to be concerned about.

There is an alternative.  The reality is you can still greatly improve your on-court fitness and performance by doing 2 to 3 full body workouts per week that might last you 20-30 minutes tops.  Listen, to my mind this is something anyone who is serious about there game and their health can find time to do.

Here is an example:

A.  Warm-Up...2-3 minutes on the treadmill or bike.

B. Full Body Circuit: Do 2-3 x, rest 60 sec between circuits

1. 8-12 Dumbbell Squat with a Shoulder Press 

(Targets: Legs, Shoulders, Triceps)

2. 8-12 Dumbbell Chest Fly on Stability Ball  

(Targets: Chest, Core, Shoulders)

3. 8-12 One Leg Cable Row with an Anterior Reach 

(Targets: Legs, Back and Biceps)

4. 20-30 Russian Twist with Medicine Ball 

(Targets: Abdominals in Rotational Plane)

5. 20-30 Mountain Climbers 

(Targets: Core)

6. 15-20 Supermans

(Targets: Low Back)

C.. Cool Down Stretch...5-10 minutes

*Target the hamstrings, quads, low back, shoulders

There you have it...one of gazillions of fast but effective full body tennis training sessions in the gym.  I hope you get in there and give it a try.

Until next time, train with passion and play with purpose,

Adam Brewer

Andy Roddick's RUN to the Aussie Open Semis

So the Australian Open is almost over and to me on of the best stories of the tournament was Andy Roddick's run to the semis. The key word being RUN. I say this because noticeably improved was his movement around the court and that translated to better results for him.

Why the improvement?

Quite simply in my estimation it had to do with the fact that he lost 15 pounds in the "off-season". Under the watchful eyes of his new coach, Larry Stefanki, Roddick busted his butt with an intense training regimen, ultimately designed with tennis exercises to make him quicker around the court.

15 pounds and greatly improved endurance later, the guy reaches the Semis of the Aussie Open (only to run into arguably the greatest player ever- FEDERER) with 2009 looking brighter than ever for him. Admittedly, I have never been a huge Roddick fan but I really admire him for making this type of change.

Yeah, about a year or so ago he was on the cover of Men's Fitness with biceps bulging but his play on-court was suffering. While Nadal can get away with a more muscular physique, it is not the ideal for fluid shot making and graceful, effortless court coverage.

Moral of the story, if you want to move like a cat around the court and you find yourself carrying a number of extra lbs, whether it comes in the form of hulking muscles or unwanted fat, hire a trainer or connect with me to create a tennis training program that will lean you out and tone you up!

16 Diet Tips To Get You In Great Tennis Shape!

Proper nutrition is essential for playing better tennis, feeling stronger, getting leaner and living with more energy.

Listen you can have the perfect workout program filled with the best tennis exercises to help improve your play, but if you don't have the energy to hit the weights, it is all for naught.

Remember, you are what you eat. Yes, this statement has been made before and t should be said again and again until the significance of its import is fully accepted. If you want your engine to hum, then feed it with premium gas. The more you make eating well a natural, habitual part of your life, the easier the rest of your life becomes.

Listed below are a number of helpful tips to practice daily... I thought it would be good to remind you of some of these ideas as we are starting out the new year...this is always a great time to start fresh and eat right. So here you go:

1. Drink water throughout the day (Drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces)
2. Eat 4-5 small meals every day. Eat every 3 hrs to avoid hitting energy lows.
3. Balance macro-nutrients with 40-50% of your calories being complex carbohydrates, 25-30% lean protein, 25-30% essential fats.
4. Eat breakfast.
5. Have fruits and veggies whenever possible.
6. Stay away from sodas. Sodas are filled with sugar and caffeine which spikes blood sugar levels.
7. Eat low-fat sources of protein.
8. Avoid heavy sauces and creams.
9. Eat as many colorful foods as possible.
10. Avoid large quantities of cheese.
11. Use light salad dressings.
12. Choose organic if possible
13. Eat dinner early.
14. At dinner, sequence your meals with soups and salads first.
15. Take a Super Green Food supplement.
16. Don't skip meals.

Be Well and Eat Well,
Adam Brewer

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

Are You Making This Big Mistake?

What a day it has been...I've been getting myself ready to visit my family for the Holidays.  I try to give myself 2 weeks at the end of the year to rest, recover and recharge for the year to come.  Part of this is taking a break from most digital interface.  Personally, I think we can all stand to do this from time to time- get away from all the crazy technology that is at our fingertips.  I don't know about you, but for me it seems way to easy to sit down in front of the computer to work and before you know it, 2-3 hours are gone.  

Anyway, enough about my little break I will be taking and on to the good stuff...more tennis exercise tips for you.

There may be one HUGE mistake you might be making that could be possibly setting you up for serious injury...not spending at least 5 minutes doing dynamic warm-up before you hit even one tennis ball. I can't tell you how many adult players in particular I see go from their cars to to hitting balls on the courts without any real warm-up.  Alright, alright...I know you might be one of the those "special " people who have been lucky to have gotten away with it so far, but let me tell you, sooner or later it will catch up with you. 

By the way, starting short court or hitting gently at first DOES NOT count as a warm-up.  Yes this should be done, but after you have taken the muscles and joints through a series of simple dynamic exercises.   It doesn't have to be anything crazy either.

Many times, I think people don't go through a proper warm-up because they are afraid of being the only one and looking stupid.  Look...hopefully gone are those high school days when we felt like we needed to be in the "in" crowd.  Take your health into consideration please and don't worry what anyone else is going to think.  

Say you are going to be joining a clinic and you can't get on the court early because there is another group there until you start.  You don't need the court to do a dynamic warm-up.  Here is a simple routine:

1. 20 Jumping Jacks

2. 20 High Knee Marches

3. 20 Butt Kicks

4. 10 Body Weight Squats

5. 10 Lunges

6. 10 Arm Circles Backward

7. 10 Arm Circles Forward

8. 20 Side to Side Loose Arm Swings

Doing something as simple as this is better than nothing.  This will at least give your body a chance to safely begin to engage the muscles with the intensity that the sport requires and FYI...you won't look silly doing it!  

Be Well,

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