Lunges to Improve Tennis Fitness
…and your overall fitness. Lunges are great exercise that will improve the strength of your entire lower body, balance, coordination, and your tennis fitness. You don’t need any equipment or gym to do your lunges, and to make it more entertaining, there is a variety of different versions of lunges. You will never get bored!
Split-step Lunges
Step a big step far back with your right leg, and sink low. Make sure that your left knee is above your left foot, with pressure toward the heel. Feel how your left glute is working. Keep your right foot pretty relaxed, pointing straight forward, heel lifted. Make sure not to twist it sideways, just because you feel like it will give you better balance. Keep your upper body erect and vertical, with your chest and chin up. Sink low, then push yourself up, feel the glutes working. Repeat 10-20 repetitions and then switch leg. You can have weight in your hands or on the shoulders.
Lunges Back
Just like in the previous version, you step back with your right leg, keep nice erect upper body, sink low, and then push yourself up to standing on your left leg. You can lift the right knee high up in the front, to add difficulty. Do all the repetitions on the same side and then switch legs, or alternate after each lunge.
Lunges Forward
Instead of stepping backward, you will step forward with your right leg, sink low (make sure your knee won’t pass the foot) and then connect with your glute and push yourself back to standing. To add difficulty, lift the right knee high up. Keep your posture erect at all times. Again, you can do all the repetitions on one side and then switch, or alternate between left and right.
Lunges Sideways
Just like stepping forward, you can step to the side, or 45 degrees to the left or right. Make sure to sink low by bending your leg, not your hip and losing your posture. Always stay nicely erect.
Walking Lunges
Step forward with your right leg like in the forward lunge and then instead of returning back to original position, you bring your back leg forward. To add difficulty, you can lift the left knee high up before you step forward. Lunge-walk forward for 20-30 repetitions.
Walking Lunges with Twist
Each time you step forward and sink low, twist your entire upper body to the side of the front leg. You can keep your arms in front of you for better stretch during the twist, or you can hold a medicine ball in front of you.
Walking Lunges with Kettlebell Over Head
You can use a dumbbell or any other weight. Kettlebells are just more intense because of the balance. Hold one kettlebell in one arm above your head. Keep your arm straight during the entire movement and keep doing 20-30 walking lunges forward while keeping the arm up. Pay attention how the muscles in your back are working to stabilize the weight over your head. On the way back, switch your arms. If you don’t have enough space for walking lunges, you can do front or backward lunges with the kettlebell over the head.
Jump Lunges
Get into a deep lunge position and instead of stepping back or forward to the start position, explode from both feet high up in the air, switch the legs in the air and land smoothly (like a big cat) down into a deep lunge again. This is intense and great for improving your explosiveness and tennis fitness.
