Exercise Guides
Machine-Based Upper Body
Chest Press Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Chest (Pectorals)
- Secondary: Shoulders (Anterior Deltoids), Triceps
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat height: Handles align with mid-chest level
- Back position: Firmly against pad, natural arch maintained
- Foot placement: Flat on floor, stable base
- Grip: Palms facing forward, wrists straight
Movement Execution:
- Press phase: Push handles forward smoothly until arms extended (don't lock out completely)
- Control phase: Slowly return to start, feeling stretch in chest
- Breathing: Exhale on press, inhale on return
- Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down
What to Focus On:
- Shoulder blade stability - keep them pulled back and down
- Chest engagement - feel the stretch at bottom, squeeze at top
- Avoid letting shoulders roll forward or using momentum
- Range of motion - full stretch to full contraction
Starting Weight: 15-20kg Progression: Add 2.5-5kg when you can complete all sets with 2 reps in reserve Tennis Benefit: Serves power development, upper body pushing strength
Lat Pulldown Wide Grip
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Latissimus Dorsi (Back wings)
- Secondary: Rhomboids, Middle Trapezius, Rear Deltoids, Biceps
Setup & Form Focus:
- Thigh pad adjustment: Snug against legs to prevent lifting
- Grip width: 1.5x shoulder width, overhand grip
- Starting position: Slight lean back (15-20 degrees), chest up
- Shoulder position: Pulled down and back before pulling
Movement Execution:
- Pull phase: Draw bar to upper chest/collarbone area
- Key action: Lead with elbows, squeeze shoulder blades together
- Bottom position: Hold for 1 second, feel lat contraction
- Return phase: Controlled release, full arm extension
What to Focus On:
- Lat engagement - imagine pulling elbows to your back pockets
- Chest position - stay proud, don't collapse forward
- Avoid pulling behind neck - less effective and potentially dangerous
- Mind-muscle connection - feel the width of your back working
Starting Weight: 25-30kg Progression: Increase when you can pause for 2 seconds at bottom position Tennis Benefit: Overhead stability, serve power, improved posture for desk work
Shoulder Press Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Shoulders (All three deltoid heads)
- Secondary: Triceps, Upper Chest, Core
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat height: Handles at shoulder level when arms at 90 degrees
- Back position: Firmly against pad, core engaged
- Grip: Palms facing forward, neutral wrists
- Starting position: Handles at ear level, elbows at 90 degrees
Movement Execution:
- Press phase: Push handles up and slightly forward in arc motion
- Top position: Arms extended but not locked, hands over shoulders
- Lower phase: Control descent to ear level, feeling shoulder stretch
- Core engagement: Maintain throughout to protect lower back
What to Focus On:
- Shoulder stability - don't allow forward shoulder roll
- Core engagement - prevents lower back arch
- Full range of motion - ear level to overhead
- Controlled movement - no bouncing at bottom
Starting Weight: 10-15kg Progression: Add weight when you can complete all reps with shoulders staying back Tennis Benefit: Serve power, overhead shot stability, shoulder health
Seated Cable Row
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Middle Trapezius, Rhomboids, Latissimus Dorsi
- Secondary: Rear Deltoids, Biceps, Core
Setup & Form Focus:
- Foot placement: Feet on platform, knees slightly bent
- Starting position: Arms extended, feeling lat stretch
- Posture: Sit tall, shoulders back, chest up
- Grip: Handle with palms facing each other (neutral grip)
Movement Execution:
- Pull phase: Draw handle to lower ribs/upper abdomen
- Key action: Lead with elbows, squeeze shoulder blades together
- Hold: Pause for 1 second at chest, feel mid-back contraction
- Return: Extend arms slowly, maintain posture throughout
What to Focus On:
- Posture maintenance - don't collapse forward or backward
- Mid-back engagement - imagine trying to hold a pencil between shoulder blades
- Avoid using momentum or rounding shoulders forward
- Elbow path - keep them close to body, not flared wide
Starting Weight: 20-25kg Progression: Increase when you can hold the contraction for 2 seconds Tennis Benefit: Posture correction, pulling strength for groundstrokes, shoulder health
Cable Face Pulls
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Rear Deltoids, Rhomboids, Middle Trapezius
- Secondary: Rotator Cuff muscles, Upper Back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Cable height: Set at face/eye level
- Attachment: Rope attachment, grab each end
- Starting position: Arms extended, slight forward lean
- Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, stable base
Movement Execution:
- Pull phase: Pull rope directly toward face, elbows high
- Separation: As rope approaches face, separate rope ends
- End position: Hands beside ears, elbows higher than hands
- Return: Controlled extension, maintain tension throughout
What to Focus On:
- Elbow height - keep them at shoulder level or higher
- Face level pull - not to chest or above head
- Rope separation - imagine trying to touch rope ends to ears
- Rear delt focus - feel the burn in back of shoulders
Starting Weight: 8-12kg Progression: Add weight when you can hold end position for 2 seconds Tennis Benefit: Shoulder health, serve stability, injury prevention, posture
Machine-Based Lower Body (Ankle-Safe)
Leg Press Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Quadriceps (Front thighs)
- Secondary: Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves
Setup & Form Focus:
- Foot placement: Both feet on platform, 6 inches apart
- Foot position: Toes pointed slightly outward
- Seat position: Back fully against pad, handles gripped
- Safety: Ensure locks are released before starting
Movement Execution:
- Descent: Lower weight by bending knees toward chest
- Depth: Bring knees as close to chest as comfortable
- Drive phase: Press through heels, extend legs
- Top position: Legs extended but not locked out
What to Focus On:
- Ankle safety - both feet secure on platform always
- Knee tracking - knees follow toe direction
- Full range of motion - deepest comfortable position
- Heel drive - push through heels, not toes
Starting Weight: 10-20kg added to machine weight Progression: Add 5-10kg when you can control the full range of motion Tennis Benefit: Court movement power, lateral stability, jumping ability
Leg Curl Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Hamstrings (Back of thighs)
- Secondary: Calves, Glutes
Setup & Form Focus:
- Pad position: Just above heels, not on Achilles tendon
- Seat adjustment: Knee joint aligned with machine pivot
- Back position: Upright against pad, core engaged
- Ankle position: Relaxed, don't overthink foot position
Movement Execution:
- Curl phase: Bend knees, bringing heels toward buttocks
- Peak contraction: Hold for 1-2 seconds, squeeze hamstrings
- Return phase: Slowly extend legs, control the negative
- Range: Full extension to full flexion as comfortable
What to Focus On:
- Hamstring isolation - don't use momentum or upper body
- Controlled negative - 2-3 seconds to extend legs
- Full range of motion - stretch to contraction
- Upper body still - grip handles for stability only
Starting Weight: 10-15kg Progression: Add weight when you can pause at the top for 2 seconds Tennis Benefit: Deceleration control, injury prevention, posterior chain strength
Leg Extension Machine
🎯 View Exercise on JefitNote: You'll be doing this with both legs together for ankle safety
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Quadriceps (Front thighs)
- Secondary: None (isolation exercise)
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat position: Back flat against rest
- Pad placement: Just above ankles, both legs under padding
- Knee alignment: Knee joint aligned with machine pivot
- Grip: Hold side handles for stability
Movement Execution:
- Extension phase: Slowly elevate legs, squeeze quadriceps
- Top position: Hold for 1 second, full quad contraction
- Descent: Lower legs slowly, control the weight
- Range: From 90-degree bend to full extension
What to Focus On:
- Quadriceps squeeze - really focus on front thigh muscles
- Controlled movement - no explosive or jerky motions (ankle safety)
- Full range of motion - complete extension and flexion
- Upper body still - core engaged, no swaying
Starting Weight: 15-20kg Progression: Add weight when you can hold top position for 2 seconds Tennis Benefit: Knee stability, court movement strength, jumping power
Hip Abductor Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Hip Abductors (Outer hip), Glute Medius
- Secondary: Tensor Fasciae Latae, Core stabilizers
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat position: Back against pad, sitting upright
- Pad placement: Against outer thighs, just above knees
- Foot position: Feet flat on footrests
- Core engagement: Maintain throughout movement
Movement Execution:
- Abduction phase: Press knees apart against resistance
- Peak position: Hold for 1 second, feel outer hip burn
- Return phase: Control the pads back together
- Focus: Smooth, controlled movement throughout
What to Focus On:
- Outer hip engagement - feel the sides of your glutes working
- Torso stability - keep upright, don't lean or compensate
- Full range of motion - together to maximum comfortable spread
- Control the return - don't let weight slam back
Starting Weight: 15-25kg Progression: Add weight when you can hold the spread position for 2 seconds Tennis Benefit: Lateral movement stability, injury prevention, court agility
Seated Calf Raise Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Calves (Gastrocnemius, Soleus)
- Secondary: None (isolation exercise)
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat position: Sitting upright, thighs under leg pad
- Foot placement: Balls of feet on footpad, heels hanging off
- Ankle position: Start with heels dropped, feeling calf stretch
- Upper body: Relaxed, let the machine do the work
Movement Execution:
- Raise phase: Rise up on toes as high as possible
- Peak contraction: Hold for 1-2 seconds, feel calf squeeze
- Descent: Lower heels below footpad level for stretch
- Full range: Deep stretch to high contraction
What to Focus On:
- Full range of motion - stretch and contract fully
- Calf muscle engagement - really focus on back of lower legs
- Controlled movement - especially important for your ankle history
- Balance - equal pressure on both feet
Starting Weight: 15-20kg Progression: Add weight when you can hold the top position for 3 seconds Tennis Benefit: Ankle strength, court movement stability, injury prevention
Cable Exercises
Cable Wood Chops
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Obliques, Core muscles
- Secondary: Shoulders, Back, Hips
Setup & Form Focus:
- Cable height: Set at shoulder level
- Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, both feet planted firmly
- Starting position: Hold cable with both hands at shoulder height
- Core engagement: Brace core before movement begins
Movement Execution:
- Rotation phase: Pull cable diagonally across body toward opposite hip
- End position: Cable handle near opposite hip, core squeezed
- Return phase: Control cable back to starting position
- Foot placement: Keep both feet planted - no pivoting (ankle safety)
What to Focus On:
- Core rotation - movement comes from obliques, not arms
- Both feet planted - critical for your ankle safety
- Controlled movement - no jerky or ballistic motions
- Diagonal pattern - shoulder to opposite hip motion
Starting Weight: 10-15kg Progression: Add weight when you can control the full range smoothly Tennis Benefit: Rotational power for groundstrokes and serves
Cable Row Wide Grip
🎯 View Exercise on JefitNote: Use wide-grip bar attachment instead of narrow handle
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Latissimus Dorsi, Middle Trapezius
- Secondary: Rhomboids, Rear Deltoids, Biceps
Setup & Form Focus:
- Attachment: Wide-grip lat pulldown bar
- Grip width: 1.5x shoulder width, overhand grip
- Posture: Sit tall, chest up, shoulders back
- Starting position: Arms extended, feeling lat stretch
Movement Execution:
- Pull phase: Draw bar to upper chest/lower neck area
- Elbow path: Pull elbows wide and back, not down
- Peak contraction: Squeeze shoulder blades, hold briefly
- Return: Extend arms slowly, maintain posture
What to Focus On:
- Wide lat activation - feel the sides of your back working
- Different angle than Monday's narrow row
- Elbow path - wide pull targets different back muscles
- Posture maintenance - chest up throughout
Starting Weight: 20-25kg Tennis Benefit: Different pulling angle, complete back development
Lat Pulldown Close Grip
🎯 View Exercise on JefitNote: Use close-grip attachment (V-bar or close grip)
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Lower Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids
- Secondary: Middle Traps, Biceps
Setup & Form Focus:
- Attachment: V-bar or close-grip handle
- Grip: Palms facing each other, hands close together
- Position: Same setup as wide-grip pulldown
- Lean: Slight backward lean, chest up
Movement Execution:
- Pull phase: Draw handle to upper chest/sternum area
- Elbow path: Keep elbows close to body, pull straight down
- Focus: Feel lower lats and mid-back working
- Hold: Brief pause at chest, squeeze back muscles
What to Focus On:
- Lower lat emphasis - different than wide-grip version
- Elbows close - creates different muscle activation
- Deeper range - can typically pull handle closer to chest
- Back thickness - builds depth rather than width
Starting Weight: 25-30kg Tennis Benefit: Complete lat development, pulling strength variety
Rotary Torso Machine
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Obliques, Core rotators
- Secondary: Deep core muscles, Lower back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Seat adjustment: Chest against pad, handles at shoulder level
- Foot position: Both feet firmly planted on footrests
- Starting position: Torso rotated to one side, feeling stretch
- Core engagement: Brace before movement
Movement Execution:
- Rotation phase: Rotate torso across body using core muscles
- Range: Full comfortable rotation to opposite side
- Control: Smooth movement, no bouncing at end ranges
- Return: Control back to starting position
What to Focus On:
- Seated stability - excellent for your ankle safety
- Core-initiated movement - don't use momentum
- Full range of motion - stretch to full contraction
- Equal work both sides - complete all reps one direction first
Starting Weight: 15-20kg Progression: Add weight when you can control full range smoothly Tennis Benefit: Rotational core strength, injury prevention
Bodyweight & Functional Exercises
Push-ups
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Secondary: Core, Upper Back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Hand placement: Slightly wider than shoulders
- Body position: Straight line from head to heels
- Core engagement: Tight abs, no sagging hips
- Head position: Neutral, looking down
Movement Execution:
- Descent: Lower chest toward ground, elbows at 45 degrees
- Bottom position: Chest nearly touches ground
- Press phase: Push through palms to return to start
- Breathing: Inhale down, exhale up
Modification Progressions:
- Beginner: Push-ups from knees
- Intermediate: Standard push-ups
- Advanced: Feet elevated or single-arm variations (later)
What to Focus On:
- Straight body line - no sagging or piking
- Elbow angle - 45 degrees, not flared wide
- Full range of motion - chest to ground, full extension
- Core stability - maintain plank position throughout
Tennis Benefit: Functional pushing strength, core stability
Jump Squats
🎯 View Exercise on JefitNote: Bodyweight version for ankle safety
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
- Secondary: Calves, Core
Setup & Form Focus:
- Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out
- Starting position: Arms at sides or crossed over chest
- Core: Engaged throughout movement
- Ankle focus: Both feet landing together always
Movement Execution:
- Squat phase: Lower into squat until thighs parallel
- Jump phase: Explosive upward jump, arms can help
- Landing: Both feet touch down simultaneously
- Absorption: Land softly, immediately descend into next rep
What to Focus On:
- Both feet landing - critical for your ankle safety
- Soft landings - bend knees to absorb impact
- Explosive upward - generate power from legs
- No lateral movement - straight up and down only
Ankle Safety Priority:
- Never single-leg variations
- Stop if any ankle discomfort
- Land on both feet always
- Control the landing phase
Tennis Benefit: Explosive court movement power, jumping ability
Bodyweight Squats
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes
- Secondary: Hamstrings, Core, Calves
Setup & Form Focus:
- Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly outward
- Arms: Extended forward for balance or crossed over chest
- Posture: Chest up, shoulders back, core engaged
- Weight distribution: Even across both feet
Movement Execution:
- Descent: Push hips back, bend knees, lower down
- Depth: Until thighs parallel to ground (or comfortable depth)
- Drive: Push through heels to return to standing
- Top position: Stand tall, glutes squeezed
What to Focus On:
- Hip hinge - sit back like sitting in a chair
- Knee tracking - knees follow toe direction, don't cave inward
- Full range of motion - deep squat to full standing
- Heel contact - keep heels down, weight through whole foot
Progression Options:
- Beginner: Partial range of motion, chair-assisted
- Intermediate: Full bodyweight squats
- Advanced: Pause squats, single-leg (much later when ankle ready)
Tennis Benefit: Functional leg strength, court movement preparation
Core Exercises
Dead Bugs
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Deep Core (Transverse Abdominis)
- Secondary: Hip Flexors, Diaphragm, Pelvic Floor
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Lie on back, arms up toward ceiling
- Leg position: Knees bent 90 degrees, shins parallel to floor
- Lower back: Pressed firmly against floor
- Neutral spine: Maintain throughout movement
Movement Execution:
- Extension: Slowly extend opposite arm and leg
- Control: Move to comfortable end range
- Return: Bring arm and leg back to start position
- Alternate: Switch to other arm/leg combination
What to Focus On:
- Lower back contact - never let back arch off floor
- Opposite limbs - right arm with left leg, vice versa
- Slow and controlled - no rushing the movement
- Breathing - exhale as you extend, inhale as you return
Ankle Safety:
- Perfect exercise - no weight bearing on ankle
- Core stability without ankle stress
- Can be done anywhere
Tennis Benefit: Core stability without stressing lower back or ankle
Plank Hold
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Core (Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis)
- Secondary: Shoulders, Glutes, Back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Forearms and toes, body in straight line
- Forearm placement: Elbows under shoulders, forearms parallel
- Body alignment: Head to heels in straight line
- Core engagement: Tight abs, no sagging or piking
Movement Execution:
- Hold: Maintain position while breathing normally
- Duration: Start with 20-30 seconds, build to 60+ seconds
- Breathing: Steady, don't hold breath
- Focus: Maintain perfect form over duration
What to Focus On:
- Straight line - no sagging hips or raised buttocks
- Shoulder stability - don't let shoulders collapse
- Glute engagement - squeeze glutes to maintain alignment
- Normal breathing - don't hold breath during hold
Progression:
- Beginner: Plank from knees
- Intermediate: Standard forearm plank
- Advanced: Single-arm or leg variations (much later)
Tennis Benefit: Core endurance, shoulder stability for serves
Russian Twists
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Obliques, Rectus Abdominis
- Secondary: Hip Flexors, Lower Back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Seated, leaning back slightly, knees bent
- Foot position: Keep feet on ground (ankle safety modification)
- Posture: Straight spine, chest up
- Hand position: Clasped together in front of chest
Movement Execution:
- Rotation: Twist torso side to side
- Range: Touch ground beside hips with hands
- Control: Smooth side-to-side movement
- Core engagement: Feel obliques working throughout
Ankle Safety Modification:
- Feet down - keep feet on ground instead of elevated
- Stable base - no balance challenge for ankles
- Focus on rotation - core work without ankle stress
What to Focus On:
- Oblique engagement - feel sides of core working
- Controlled movement - don't use momentum
- Spinal rotation - movement comes from core, not arms
- Steady breathing - breathe throughout movement
Tennis Benefit: Rotational core strength for groundstrokes
Flexibility & Mobility Exercises
Doorway Chest Stretch
Target Muscles: Chest (Pectorals), Front Shoulders
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Stand in doorway, forearm against door frame
- Arm position: Forearm vertical, elbow at 90 degrees
- Stance: Step forward with same-side leg
- Body position: Lean forward to feel chest stretch
Movement Execution:
- Stretch: Step forward until comfortable stretch in chest
- Hold: 30-45 seconds per arm
- Breathing: Deep, relaxed breathing throughout
- Release: Step back slowly
What to Focus On:
- Gentle stretch - don't force the range of motion
- Both sides equal - stretch each arm for same duration
- Shoulder blade position - keep them back and down
- No bouncing - static hold only
Benefits: Counteracts desk posture, improves chest flexibility for tennis
Cross-body Shoulder Stretch
Target Muscles: Rear Deltoids, Upper Back
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Standing or seated, bring one arm across body
- Arm position: Straight arm across chest at shoulder height
- Other hand: Gently pull arm closer to chest
- Posture: Keep shoulders square, don't rotate
Movement Execution:
- Stretch: Pull arm across until comfortable stretch felt
- Hold: 30-45 seconds per arm
- Location: Feel stretch in back of shoulder
- Switch: Repeat on other arm
What to Focus On:
- Gentle pressure - don't force the stretch
- Shoulder level - keep arm at shoulder height
- No rotation - keep torso facing forward
- Breathe deeply - relax into the stretch
Benefits: Shoulder mobility, reduces tension from pressing movements
Light Walking Warmup
Target: General warmup, joint mobility
Execution:
- Duration: 2-5 minutes depending on session
- Pace: Comfortable walking speed
- Focus: Gradually increasing heart rate
- Breathing: Natural, not forced
What to Focus On:
- Gradual pace increase - start slow, build slightly
- Natural movement - let your body wake up
- Joint mobility - feel joints loosening up
- Mental preparation - get focused for workout
Benefits: Prepares body for exercise, joint lubrication
Hip Circles and Leg Swings
Target: Hip mobility, dynamic warmup
Hip Circles:
- Position: Hands on hips, feet shoulder-width apart
- Movement: Make circles with hips, 5-10 each direction
- Range: Comfortable circular motion
- Control: Smooth, controlled movement
Leg Swings:
- Front to back: Hold wall/support, swing leg forward and back
- Side to side: Swing leg across body and out to side
- Range: Comfortable range, don't force
- Control: 10-15 swings each leg, each direction
What to Focus On:
- Controlled movement - no ballistic swinging
- Both legs equal - same range and reps
- Support as needed - use wall for balance
- Ankle comfort - stop if any ankle discomfort
Benefits: Hip mobility, dynamic preparation for leg exercises
Ankle Mobility Warmup
Target: Ankle joint preparation, safety for your injury history
Ankle Circles:
- Position: Seated or standing, lift one foot
- Movement: Make circles with ankle, 10 each direction
- Range: Full comfortable range of motion
- Control: Smooth, deliberate movement
Ankle Pumps:
- Position: Seated, feet flat on floor
- Movement: Point toes up, then point down
- Range: Full dorsiflexion to plantarflexion
- Reps: 15-20 pumps each foot
What to Focus On:
- Pain-free movement - stop if any discomfort
- Full range - move through complete motion
- Both ankles - equal attention to each
- Gradual progression - don't rush into range
Benefits: Critical for your ankle injury history, prepares joints safely
Ankle Alphabet
Target: Ankle mobility, proprioception, injury prevention
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Seated or lying down, leg extended
- Movement: Trace alphabet letters with your toe
- Focus: Move only at ankle joint, keep leg still
- Range: Full range of motion in all directions
Movement Execution:
- Letters: Trace each letter of alphabet with toe
- Control: Deliberate, controlled movement
- Both feet: Complete alphabet with each foot
- Pace: Slow and steady, no rushing
What to Focus On:
- Ankle-only movement - don't move whole leg
- Full range of motion - complete each letter shape
- Pain-free - stop immediately if any discomfort
- Daily practice - especially important pre-tennis
Frequency: Daily, especially before tennis Benefits: Critical for your subtalar dislocation history, improves proprioception
Standing Calf Stretch
Target: Calf muscles (Gastrocnemius, Soleus), Achilles tendon
Setup & Form Focus:
- Position: Face wall, hands against wall for support
- Back leg: Step back 2-3 feet, keep heel down
- Front leg: Slight bend at knee
- Body position: Lean forward into wall
Movement Execution:
- Stretch: Lean forward until calf stretch felt
- Hold: 30-60 seconds per leg
- Keep: Back heel firmly on ground
- Adjust: Move further back for deeper stretch
Variations:
- Straight knee: Targets gastrocnemius (upper calf)
- Bent knee: Targets soleus (lower calf)
What to Focus On:
- Heel down - critical for proper stretch
- Gradual lean - don't force the stretch
- Both legs - equal time stretching each
- Comfortable intensity - stretch shouldn't be painful
Benefits: Critical for ankle mobility, Achilles flexibility, injury prevention
Single-Leg Balance
Target: Ankle stability, proprioception, functional balance
Progression Levels:
- Week 1-2: Use wall support, 15-30 seconds
- Week 3-4: No support, 30-45 seconds
- Week 5+: Add challenges (head turns, arm movements)
Setup & Form Focus:
- Starting: Stand on one foot, knee slightly bent
- Support: Use wall support initially
- Focus point: Pick spot on wall to look at
- Arms: Out to sides for balance
Movement Execution:
- Balance: Maintain single-leg stance for prescribed time
- Wobbling: Normal initially, will improve
- Switch: Alternate legs, equal time each
- Progression: Gradually reduce wall support
What to Focus On:
- Gradual progression - don't rush removing support
- Pain-free - stop immediately if ankle discomfort
- Equal work - both legs need equal attention
- Micro-adjustments - let ankle make small corrections
Critical for your ankle: Essential for tennis return preparation Benefits: Ankle stability, proprioception, injury prevention
Warm-up Sequences
Tennis-Specific Arm Swings
Target: Shoulder mobility, movement preparation
Forehand Simulation:
- Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Movement: Simulate forehand swing at 50% speed
- Focus: Full range of motion, gradual speed increase
- Reps: 10-15 swings
Backhand Simulation:
- Position: Same stance
- Movement: Simulate backhand swing at 50% speed
- Focus: Both one-handed and two-handed if you play both
- Reps: 10-15 swings
Service Motion:
- Position: Normal serve stance
- Movement: Slow service motion, no ball
- Focus: Full overhead range of motion
- Reps: 10-15 motions
What to Focus On:
- Gradually increase speed - start slow, build to match pace
- Full range of motion - complete swing paths
- Both sides - equal attention to forehand and backhand
- Shoulder preparation - feel shoulders loosening up
Benefits: Tennis-specific preparation, shoulder mobility, movement rehearsal
Shadow Tennis Movements
Target: Sport-specific movement patterns, coordination
Setup & Progression:
- Week 1-2: Both feet planted, no lateral movement
- Week 3-4: Add controlled steps
- Week 5+: More dynamic movement as ankle allows
Movements to Practice:
- Ready position: Athletic stance, racket ready
- Split step: Small hop to ready position
- Groundstroke preparation: Turn and prepare for shot
- Service motion: Complete service motion without ball
- Recovery: Return to ready position
What to Focus On:
- Movement quality - technique over speed initially
- Ankle safety - no explosive lateral movements early
- Both sides - equal practice forehand and backhand sides
- Gradual progression - add movement complexity slowly
Ankle Safety Priority:
- No sudden direction changes initially
- Both feet planted for first few weeks
- Progress based on ankle comfort
- Stop if any ankle discomfort
Benefits: Sport-specific preparation, movement pattern rehearsal, injury prevention
Recovery Stretches
Cat-Cow Stretch
Target: Spinal mobility, core activation
Setup:
- Position: Hands and knees on floor
- Alignment: Hands under shoulders, knees under hips
- Neutral spine: Start in neutral tabletop position
Movement Execution:
- Cat position: Round spine toward ceiling, tuck chin
- Cow position: Arch back, lift chest and tailbone
- Flow: Alternate between positions smoothly
- Breathing: Exhale in cat, inhale in cow
What to Focus On:
- Spinal articulation - move one vertebra at a time
- Slow movement - no rushing between positions
- Full range - complete flexion and extension
- Breathing coordination - sync breath with movement
Duration: 1-2 minutes, 10-15 cycles Benefits: Spinal mobility, morning stiffness relief, core activation
Child's Pose to Downward Dog
Target: Full body stretch, spinal decompression
Child's Pose:
- Position: Kneel, sit back on heels, reach arms forward
- Hold: 30 seconds, feel lower back and shoulders stretch
- Breathing: Deep, relaxed breathing
Transition:
- Movement: Tuck toes under, lift hips up and back
- Flow: Smooth transition between positions
Downward Dog:
- Position: Inverted V shape, hands and feet on ground
- Hold: 30 seconds, feel full body stretch
- Modification: Bend knees if hamstrings tight
What to Focus On:
- Smooth transitions - flow between positions
- Breath awareness - deep breathing throughout
- Comfortable range - don't force positions
- Full body stretch - feel stretch from hands to feet
Benefits: Full body stretch, spinal decompression, stress relief