Tennis strength training works best when it supports the game you actually play: repeated accelerations, braking, changes of direction and strokes produced from the ground up. A gym program should build usable strength without leaving you too fatigued to practice or compete. This guide gives players and coaches a practical starting framework, updated from the principles in my tennis conditioning textbook and checked against current research.
What should tennis players train in the gym?
Start with the capacities that limit your movement and stroke production. Lower-body strength helps you push into a first step and control a stop. Single-leg work reflects the asymmetry of many court positions. Upper-body pulling and pressing build general capacity around the shoulder girdle. Trunk training helps transfer force and control position, but it should not be mistaken for a stand-alone way to increase serve speed.
A 2025 systematic review of 16 randomized trials found that resistance and mixed strength-and-conditioning programs improved serve speed on average. Core-only training did not show the same serve-speed benefit. A broader 2025 review of 23 tennis studies found improvements in serve velocity, agility, sprint performance, strength and power from neuromuscular training, but no clear improvement in serve accuracy. These are group averages, not guarantees for an individual player.
A two-day tennis strength training framework
For a recreational or developing adult player who already practices tennis, two well-spaced full-body gym sessions are a reasonable starting point. The ACSM’s 2026 resistance-training guidance emphasizes consistency and training major muscle groups at least twice weekly for healthy adults, while noting that athletes need plans adapted to their sport and goals. Your training age, match schedule and recovery capacity determine the final workload.
Day A: Strength and control
- Squat pattern: a squat or suitable variation that you can perform with controlled depth.
- Hip hinge: a deadlift variation or hip-dominant exercise.
- Single-leg pattern: step-up or split squat, with comparable work on both sides.
- Upper-body pull and press: a row plus a push-up or press variation.
- Trunk control: an anti-rotation or carry exercise.
Begin with a workload that leaves sound technique and repeatable effort. Build movement quality first, then increase resistance gradually. A coach can adjust sets and repetitions to your experience and the tennis load that week.
Day B: Power, lateral movement and strength
- Low-volume power: a medicine-ball throw or appropriately scaled jump, performed while you are fresh.
- Lateral movement: short shuffles and controlled changes of direction with adequate rest.
- Single-leg strength: a lunge or rear-foot-supported split squat.
- Upper-body pull and press: choose angles or implements that suit your shoulder tolerance.
- Calf and trunk work: build capacity for repeated push-offs and stable stroke positions.
Power sets should end when speed or control fades. A demanding gym session immediately before an important match is usually poor scheduling. If you are new to jumps, start with landing mechanics and lower-intensity versions under qualified supervision.
How to progress without losing court performance
- Record a baseline: relevant strength exercises, a short acceleration or change-of-direction test, and how you feel during tennis sessions.
- Add one demand at a time, such as load, repetitions or movement complexity, rather than raising everything in the same week.
- Protect tennis quality: reduce gym volume around tournaments, long practice blocks or heavy match weeks.
- Retest after a consistent training block. Improvement in the gym matters most when it accompanies better movement and usable performance on court.
The research does not identify one universal ‘best’ two-day workout. In the serve-speed review, successful resistance programs varied substantially in duration, frequency and exercise selection. The most useful plan is one you can execute, recover from and adjust as the season changes.
Common mistakes
- Chasing only rotational exercises while neglecting basic lower-body and upper-body strength.
- Treating faster serves as the only outcome; accuracy and technical practice need their own attention.
- Copying a professional athlete’s volume without accounting for your experience or court schedule.
- Interpreting a book published in the 2010s as if every recommendation were current in 2026.
For the minutes immediately before you step onto court, use this 10–15 minute tennis warm-up routine. It covers a different job from the strength sessions above: preparing to move and hit today.
Go deeper
This article updates ideas introduced in Advanced Concepts of Strength & Conditioning for Tennis by Philipp Halfmann, M.S. The book provides a much wider treatment of assessment, kinesiology, flexibility, resistance training, speed, agility and sports nutrition. For broader exercise-science material, see Advanced Concepts of Strength & Conditioning.
Training note: This is educational information for healthy adult players. A qualified coach or clinician can adapt exercise choices to injury history, age and current capacity.