Tennis Week: Laura Robson’s workout plan

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Just in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re all about tennis this week! After learning the basics of the game with our Getting Started guide and looking to practice on the courts of some of the world’s most beautiful locations thanks to our tennis holidays in the sun article, we wanted to find even more ways to improve our game.

Endless hitting on the court isn’t always the best way to achieve this, sometimes it’s the hard work that we put in off the court that can take us to the next level.

The UK’s leading health club operator Virgin Active is here to help, they have teamed up with British number one and Virgin Active ambassador, Laura Robson, to devise a gym floor tennis workout aimed to help us do just this.

Key aspects of the workout replicate movements needed for a whole range of tennis shots, provide a great whole body workout and works more muscle groups compared with isolated machine based exercises.

Why don’t you have a go…

Side lunge into opposite side step over with single arm driver (picture below)

- Standing with legs shoulder-width apart, lunge out to right side while simultaneously swinging right arm over head
- Step across your left leg planting right foot firmly on the floor while simultaneously swinging left arm over your head
- Repeat movement for 30 seconds then switch legs

Multi-directional single leg hop (picture below)

- Balance on right foot
- Hop to 12 o’clock and back to centre
- Hop to 3 o’clock and back to centre
- Hop to 9 o’clock and back to centre
- Hop to 6 o’clock and back to centre
- Repeat movement for 30 seconds then switch legs

ViPR – Mogul step low to high swings (picture below)

- Hold the ViPR in neutral grip
- Skip to right side, as your right foot lands turn right hip and swing ViPR from low to high across your body
- Repeat technique on left side, alternate for 20 reps on each side

ViPR – Travelling ice skaters (picture below)

- Hold the ViPR in neutral grip
- Hop from one foot to the next, travelling forwards from 2 o’clock to 10 o’clock
- Travel backwards hopping from 4 o’clock to 7 o’clock
- Hopping from each point, drive far end of the ViPR down and across body
- Repeat for 30 seconds

Power Plate – Single leg jump with 2 footed landing (picture below)

- Set Power Plate to 1 minute, low amplitude, 30-40Hz
- Place right foot onto middle of plate
- Drive force through right leg to lift body as high into the air as possible
- Land on Power Plate with both legs, bending legs to absorb impact
- Repeat with same leg for 30 seconds then switch to left leg

Medicine ball two handed serving action with front lunge (picture below)

- Select a fairly heavy medicine ball
- Place right foot in front of left as if to serve a tennis ball
- To start, hold medicine ball low then bring it up behind your head, leaning backwards slightly
- Throw medicine ball forward and down, while at same time stepping through with back leg
- Keep smooth movement by going straight into a repeat rep by stepping backwards and moving medicine ball from inside hip back over your head
- Repeat on same side for 12-15 reps then switch to other side

2 and 10 o’clock lunges with medicine ball single arm balance and hold (picture below)

- Hold underside of medicine ball with right arm
- Lunge out to 2 o’clock while reaching out and forward with the medicine ball, balancing the ball with one hand
- Hold position for count of 2 seconds then return to standing position
- Lunge out to 10 o’clock while reaching out and forward with medicine ball, balancing the ball with one hand
- Hold position for count of 2 seconds then return to standing position
- Repeat 2 and 10 o’clock lunges changing height at which you reach out with the ball (low, medium and high)
- After 12-15 reps change hands

2 and 10 o’clock cross body lunge and reverse dumbbell fly (picture below)

- Hold a light-medium weight dumbell with left hand
- Lunge out to 2 o’clock with right foot, bringing both arms with dumbell behind you – inside arm moving downwards and outside arm moving upwards (like a backhand slice)
- Return to standing
- Lunge out to 10 o’clock bringing both arms with dumbell behind you
- Repeat for 12-15 reps then switch legs

All the workout equipment is available to use at Virgin Active gyms.

And throughout Wimbledon this summer, Virgin Active are opening up their tennis facilities to all non-members for free, to encourage more of you to take up tennis. We think with these workouts, you’re good to go!

Fancy getting involved? Find your nearest Virgin Active club here: www.virginactive.co.uk

Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

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