Tennis
A tennis fitness program always has to protect the shoulder above absolutely everything else, worked by thousands of rotational strikes every single tournament, often well before power ever becomes the priority.
In-Season Tennis very carefully maintains overall strength and shoulder health on a repeatable 3-week cycle at just two sessions a week, calibrated to never add any extra load onto an already very packed tournament calendar. Tennis Mid-Season Prep fully rebuilds overall fitness during a complete 4-week break, with much more volume placed on the legs, lateral footwork and trunk rotation.
Always pick based squarely on your real tournament calendar: maintenance during the season, rebuilding during the breaks, never the other way round if you genuinely want to stay injury-free.
Not sure yet?
Try the method first with the Starter Week: three full-body sessions written like our Tennis programs, free, no credit card.
Which tennis fitness program should you choose?
It all starts with your tournament calendar. In full season, In-Season Tennis maintains strength and shoulder health with two sessions a week, on a repeatable 3-week cycle that fits between tournaments. During a 4-week break, Tennis Mid-Season Prep rebuilds fitness at three sessions a week, with more volume on the legs, lateral footwork and trunk rotation.
How do you protect the shoulder in tennis?
A player's shoulder absorbs thousands of rotational strikes every tournament: serves, forehands, smashes. Protecting it doesn't mean hitting less; it means strengthening what brakes and stabilises the stroke, the rotator cuff first of all. That is the thread running through both programs: the shoulder is maintained all year round, in small regular doses, not only the day it starts to hurt. A few well-placed minutes per session are enough, as long as you never skip them.
Elbow and footwork: the player's other weak points
Tennis elbow and ankle sprains often follow the same script: a chain that tires and a foot plant that gives way late in a match. A stronger shoulder and trunk unload the elbow, which absorbs less vibration on every strike; solid legs keep your footwork clean when the third set is on the line. The strength, rotation and lateral footwork in these programs target exactly that chain, from the ground up to the hand. None of this replaces technique work with your coach: a cleaner stroke and a stronger body protect the same joints from two different angles.
How many sessions a week between tournaments?
Two sessions are enough in season: gym load adds to practice and matches, and a heavy body on Sunday shows from the first rallies. During a break, three sessions become possible, because recovery no longer has to fit around competition. In-Season Tennis simply repeats cycle after cycle, for as long as your season lasts. Both programs are built for an equipped gym, with a med ball for the rotation work. The target level runs from intermediate to advanced: both assume you already train in a gym regularly.
The PDF format: what you download
Each program is a ready-to-follow PDF: exercises, sets, rest times, week-by-week progression and alternatives depending on the equipment available. Downloaded once, it stays yours for good. Do you also play padel? Our padel fitness programs train even shorter footwork. The other disciplines live in sports physical preparation.