Muscular Strength – This is the amount of force, muscles are able to wield against a resistance. The three types of muscular strength are; static, explosive and dynamic. Tennis mainly requires explosive and dynamic to serve, hit and run constantly and powerfully (serve).
Cardiovascular Endurance –The organs in your body need to speed up the flow of blood within your body, so that blood is diverted to your working muscles more quickly. This is essential so that the player can keep a constant pace and speed after balls all the way through the match. This can only be done really by cycling and/or running for a prolonged amount of time, therefore it is hard to perform in a circuit. Although I will try to incorporate it into my routine.
My Actual Circuit
Equipment Needed
10 Cones
3 Hoops
10 Tennis Balls.
1 Racket
Tennis court + Net
Wall
The order in which activities are to be done:
Warm up - Stretching - The Circuit Training - Warm Down
Warm up and Stretching – The warm up is necessary, as the exercises the body will exert are taxing. The warm up will decrease the risk of injury, as all muscles will become flexible, so that they can undergo a larger range of force exertion. The warm up will also increase the blood flow and heart rate around the body, resulting the participant being ready to perform without risk.
The participant should start by jogging around the tennis court twice, then active, static and passive stretching on the muscles essential for playing tennis. For example, arm, hip and leg movement.
The muscles that need to be stretched are:
Biceps
Triceps
Quadriceps
Deltoids
Hamstrings
Gluteals
Stations/Activities
Station One
The first station is a variable of a shuttle run; the participant will stand on the center point in the court, where the service boxes meet. Cones will be placed at corners and suitable areas within the court, the participant will run to each of the cones, coming back to the center each time. Rotate round the cones in a clockwise movement. This will improve the competitor’s speed, agility and muscular endurance of both the hamstring and the quadricep muscle groups.
Station Two
This is a serving exercise. Place one cone in the receiver service box, with five of the balls see if you can hit this cone (or come close to it as possible). With the other five balls serve as fast as you can, each bouncing in the service box. Alternatively put as much top/side spin as you can on the serve getting the ball in the service box.
Station Three
This exercise concentrates on a player’s chipping/slicing ability and accuracy; the hoops should be placed at the other end of the court (over the net). Hold a ball in one hand, the racket in the other line and hit it so it bounces in the first hoop. Then hit a ball so it bounces in the second hoop. Then hit it so it bounces in the third hoop. Then try to hit the ball so it bounces from one hoop to another. Repeat this procedure three times this can be done to improve both the forehand and backhand areas.
Station Four
This station is a press-up exercise. Achieve as many press-ups as you can in one minute. These will improve muscular endurance in the bicep and tricep muscles; this comes in use when improving the service, both power and spin application. Serving is explosive strength because it is done in one explosive movement.
Station Five
Station five is a rest period (maximum of 2 minutes) The participant can either stay standing (not sitting down) or stretch some of the muscles they have just used (small warm down).
Station Six
Place seven cones 1m apart then dribble (bounce up/down consecutively with the ball touching the racket each time) a ball in and out of them, catch the ball and sprint back to the start, repeat this activity consecutively for 1 minute. This will improve racket skills, speed and agility. Record how many complete runs are done within the time allocation.
Station Seven
The penultimate station involves sprinting a short distance (e.g. 10m) then jogging (10m) up and down the court for 3 minutes. After this has been performed the pulse of the participant is taken for 15 seconds and multiplied by four. This will increase both cardiovascular endurance and speed.
Station Eight.
The exercise on this station is volleying consecutively against a wall. Do as many as you can in one minute. This will improve ball control, and muscular endurance.
The table below displays example results for one week of this circuit.
My actual results
Evaluation
I found that my training programme was successful, it improved the areas which I have mentioned earlier; muscular endurance etc. However finding enough time, transportation and equipment were factors, which hindered the investigation.
I will now explain how the circuit was used to improve these areas of fitness/health. Station 1, shuttle runs around the court, this station worked very successfully, by the end of the training period I found that my speed improved evidence for this is that fact that I did more runs in one minute, than at the start of the programme. It also improved my all-round agility and the endurance of my muscles, the hamstrings and quadriceps. Station 2, serving this station tested the power and accuracy abilities of my serve. This was one of the easier stations, as serving is one of my strong points before the six week training program, as I had recently worked on my serve elsewhere with my coach. Station 3, hitting balls into hoops, I found this exercise fairly easy as my past experience in tennis proved that my accuracy and chipping ability was already fairly high, although I did improve steadily. Station 4, press-up exercise, this station proved very exhausting, although after each time I underwent this exercise I could feel my bicep and tricep muscles becoming stronger.
At station 5 I relied heavily on a rest for the first two/three weeks, this was due to my body being fatigued, later in the programme I found I was less reliant on this rest and therefore cut it down to roughly one minute (where it was previously two).
Station 6, dribbling, this again was a fairly easy exercise based on speed and racket to ball control. Station 7, sprints, this I found was the most difficult station as it was very tiring and I had already done other activities beforehand, starting slightly fatigued made it even harder. However this did improve my general pulse rate, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance and development of the quadriceps and hamstrings, considerably during the programme. Station 8, volleys, by the end of the programme I was able to keep the ball under control at a lower height than what I started with. This resulted in more contacts, quicker therefore my score improved.
The circuit was very demanding but was effective as it tested all the areas of importance. I found that my heart and breathing rate rose dramatically, resulting in each week of the programme being very tiring. If I was to do the programme again I would put in a recovery period between each station .I would also make the exercise time slightly less at the start of the programme so I could adjust to doing the exercises gradually. I would also make the programme last 12 weeks instead of six so that improvements were more obvious. Detecting them after just six weeks was quite difficult. The main point I found and would like to point out Is the fact that I am an experienced tennis player so some of the more technical side of my programme were less effective because I could already achieve them to above a satisfactory level (and so modest as well) so my programme may be more beneficial to a beginner.
I do however feel that my endurances improved giving me a gain in more sports than tennis. Saying that this was because I overloaded my body in this six-week period and I am likely to lose this progression through the reversibility factor, which I doubt I will keep it up. My week went well altogether now and I feel I would like to improve other areas of my body.
