Group Fitness Training for Tennis Squads
Circuit training can be a very productive way of training a large group of athletes. A circuit consists of multiple exercise stations with athletes separated into groups. Athletes will have a turn at each station with a designated time at each station as well as rest intervals.
During the off-season you will be able to devote more time to fitness training. However, during the competitive season more time is generally devoted to match play and skills training while trying to maintain fitness levels. As a result circuit training is a productive way of “hitting” all of the key fitness components required by tennis players.
As a coach of a tennis team you will find yourself up against several obstacles when conducting a fitness session.
For example:
Time restrictions
Resistance from certain players who dislike fitness training
Lack of sufficient equipment
Having to instruct, direct and explain the fitness exercises to a large group
Maintaining detailed records and results
Lack of proper training facility
Here are some key points to consider when conducting a fitness session with a large group of players:
Plan ahead with drills
Have equipment ready and set-up prior to commencement of training session
Divide large groups into sub-groups based on age and athletic ability
Pre-determine sets and repetitions for each station
Foresee any problems that may arise
Plan for inclement weather conditions
Conduct a proper warm-up
Ensure athletes have correct footwear and clothing
Book assistant coach’s time in advance to assist with the fitness session
When designing your fitness circuit be sure to focus on the following five key fitness elements for tennis:
Speed
Agility
Strength
Power
Footwork
*Flexibility will be covered during the warm-up and warm-down.
*See below for endurance session
Sample circuit:
3 line speed drill (speed)
Figure 8 Agility drill (agility)
Medicine ball hops (power)
Push-ups (strength)
Jump Rope (footwork)
Speed and Agility (only) circuit
Fan Drill
5 Ball pick-up
Colour cone drill
Catch me if you can
Suicide sprints
*refer to GSC fitness ebooks for full exercise descriptions
Training Variables
The variables depend on each program, equipment available, number of athletes and the weather.
Stations: 5
Time per station: 5 minutes
Rest in between stations: 1 minute
Total training time: 25 minutes
Total rest time: 5 minutes
Warm-up: 10 minutes
Pre-training Instructions: 5 minutes
Total session time: 45 minutes
Athletes will also have rest periods during each station while fellow athletes are performing the exercises.
Requirements:
Whistle
Stop watch
Equipment (cones, medicine balls etc)
Jump ropes
Pen and notepad
You can also design circuits that focus on just one training component such as speed. You can select five speed training drills from our speed drills ebook and include these drills into a circuit format.
You can also have a circuit that just focuses on strength and power.
Example:
Push-ups
Medicine ball throws
Sit-ups
Plyo-box
Lunges
Use the GSC fitness eBooks to select the most appropriate exercises for your level of athletes.
What about endurance?
If you are looking to train your athletes as a group covering speed – endurance then you can select one of the following interval training sessions for your players to perform.
Interval Training Session # 1:
This first program works in a pyramid format of starting with shorter distances, slowly increasing the distance and then working your way back down.
Distance Rest
100 meters 30 seconds
200 meters 45 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
400 meters 120 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
200 meters 45 seconds
100 meters 30 seconds
Total Distance: 1900 meters
Interval Training Session # 2:
This program starts with the longest distance first and then working your way back down as you fatigue.
Distance Rest
400 meters 60 seconds
400 meters 60 seconds
400 meters 60 seconds
400 meters 60 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
300 meters 60 seconds
200 meters 45 seconds
200 meters 45 seconds
Total Distance: 2900 meters
Group training is often required for coaches of teams when working on fitness. Be sure to design a program that is suitable for your athletes.
David Horne