Fit for Tennis – Fit for Life!© Improving Your Muscular Endurance

By LaRue E. Cook, BS, MHA, JD

Because tennis is a sport that requires repetitive motion (for example, hitting forehands and backhands over and over) with minimal rest periods, tennis players must have good muscular endurance to play at their peak throughout a full match. Lack of good muscular endurance can cause you to “hit the wall” and not be able to play your best tennis at the most important time in the match – the end!

So, to improve your "staying power," on the court, you should train to improve your muscular endurance. How do you do that? Here are three (3) tips that will help you develop the muscular endurance necessary for your tennis game.

Tip #1: Lift lighter weights, but increase the number of repetitions.

Tip #2: Increase the number of sets of the exercise that you’re performing.

Tip #3: Reduce the amount of rest you take between exercises or sets.

By following these simple tips, you can help improve your muscular endurance and your on-court performance.

As with all exercise programs, always check with your physician before performing any of these exercises or beginning an exercise program to make sure that they’re appropriate for you. The reader performs any of the exercises highlighted in this article at his or her own risk.

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LaRue E. Cook is a certified personal trainer, fitness programming consultant, and writer, with over 14 years training experience. He works with individual tennis players, tennis teams, and tennis clubs on improving players’ strength and conditioning for tennis through his Tennis Fitness Program. He also conducts seminars and teleconferences on the subjects of tennis fitness, exercise and health related to weight and body fat loss, and general fitness. LaRue can be reached at: www.tennisfitness.net, or lecfitness@yahoo.com

Copyright 2004-2006 by LaRue E. Cook All Rights Reserved