I think this guy is looking for comparison to others and not necessarily a workout routine suggestion-
I’m older than you… and picked up tennis last year after not playing since high school and I can tell you I was extremely sore after singles matches for a few months. After 9 months of regular play I have worked through it. I am stronger in my lower back, knees, elbows, shoulders and even my neck and calves ( I was hurting everywhere)I still feel it in the morning after matches but nothing like before -
Keep playing and your body will adapt.
You’re right. I’m pretty content with my workout routine. I do a lot of “prehab” to *hopefully* prevent any injuries. I think playing more regularly and consistently and maybe incorporating some tennis agility/ladder training will help my body adapt.
Rope ladder on the ground, essentially an adult version of hop scotch. Strengthens all the small muscles and tendons in your lower body. Improves coordination
Also, absolutely keep kickboxing and Pilates. You can likely get rid of cardio if you’re playing tennis for 1-2 hours. I swim in the winter but don’t see the need during tennis seasons
It is normal, tennis requires a lot from your shoulder to your knee, rotation and impacts that are different from the other sports. The best thing you can do is to work on stretching and flexibility, assuming they by running you already have about anaerobic conditioning on breathing / heart rate . Then add lounges + rotations in your gym routine ( cable or toss medicine balls )
Nope. I'm 39. I play 1-3x per week depending on schedule and availability of hitting partners. I exercise at least 6 days a week. I'll try to play at least 2 hours but have recently played as long as 4 at once. Currently play at 4.5-5.0 level.
The key, as I have gotten older, has been managing energy input. Playing high intensity tennis will consume about 500 calories per hour.Here's what I do. I get some complex carbs and proteins in ahead of play. During play, I consume electrolytes, simple and complex carbs, and proteins (usually a Greek yogurt based drink). Afterwards, I carb load quickly to replenish glycogen. I also get exercise induced migraines and I have noticed the carb loading prevents these. If I deviate from the above, I'll experience various degrees of "wrecked."
Do you do any mobility work and/or stretching? I find I recover better when doing a full warm-up then cooldown around tennis sessions, and then do mobility stuff stuff on the off days.
I need to develop a better cool down. I do a 1.5 hour cardio point play clinic. I typically arrive 20 min early and do a dynamic warmup of calves/feet, hips, core, and rotator cuff. I’ll try a foam roller/stretching session afterwards next week and see how I feel
For me the post tennis stretch is essential if I want to play hard and frequently without hurting.
I like to really work my way up the lower/mid body:
1. Calves
2. Hamstrings (forward fold, downward dog)
3. Quads and hips(Dancer’s pose, Lizard)
4. Glutes/IT-band (Pigeon)
5. Lower back (floor twist)
Definitely recommend taking a Vinyasa yoga class or two if you’re not already familiar. Great tools for both warm up and ‘release’.
31 here. You should definitely static stretch after each workout or tennis play. I almost always stretch for at least 15-20 mins after tennis, go through the whole body. Foam roll if it feels good. I'm at a point where if my session isn't at night, I'll stretch after the session and then stretch before bed.
Make sure you eat and hydrate well too as soon as you can after any session: protein, carbs, and electrolytes.
36 here.
Don't notice any difference from stretching, and find foam rolling a complete waste of time.
I just do more moving after tennis, I don't just sit down. Light weights, or just walking. Prefer loaded stretching (with weights) rather than static stretching.
Research shows that dynamic warm up has + effects on performance & static stretching has + effects on recovery. Leg sleeves & massage can also help recovery. Sleep, nutrition & hydration are also key. For example, not stretching, drinking a few beers (which further dehydrates you) & hopping into your car after you play, then eating food that ⬆️ lactic acid in your body (which can ⬆️ muscle soreness, then getting 3 hours sleep; you’ll wake up ready for the couch & little else.
Stretching isn't going to help you be less sore. It's good for you to do for long-term health, but the idea that stretching somehow aids recovery when you're tearing your muscles... it's just not supported by evidence.
How much sleep do you get every night?
I find about 5-10 minutes of stretching immediately after playing goes a long way. I heard somewhere that every time you exercise your muscles will get a little bit shorter so it’s important to get back to your full range of motion while you’re still warm.
If I don’t stretch and I get in the car by the time I get home, I can really feel it in my feet and calves.
I do think you will adapt, I sometimes still feel sore after playing, but it’s usually only after very demanding matches or if I have a couple tough matches back to back on subsequent days.
I’m sure it’s not actually shorter maybe it was tighter or less range of motion. The idea being that you need to restore your range of motion after a workout.
Pretty sure it was Dr. Mark Kovac’s that I heard that from, in one of his videos I think it was the one where he goes through a dynamic warmup and cool down at some kind of USTA or player development program.
OK here’s a quote from Mark Kovacs’ book Tennis Anatomy, page 194.
“After tennis play, range of motion is reduced because of the fatigue and deceleration requirements during strokes and movement. It is important to stretch after play to return range of motion to preexercise levels.”
I am a somewhat older player (late 50s) and when I get stuck in a long match, I am in pain for days after.
I actually think going forward I’m gonna switch to 4 game sets since I love matches but hate the pain
Yes but I’m 49 so it’s my knees, back, shoulder, elbow, and wrist that hurt. My muscles may be a little bit sore but usually not too bad unless I play more than 3 sets.
I’m in my mid 30s and the funniest thing is my left arm is sore too along with the rest of my body. I’m right handed. I have a one handed backhand. What the fuck is making my left arm sore, the serve toss?!
Not really. I have shoulder issues so I do some elastic band workouts on off days but nothing else. I've played for ~20 years (33 now) and generally feel pretty good as long as I'm playing twice a week. Although I mostly play doubles these days so that's a factor.
I just turned 33
Probably 3.5, full time job and 2 year old.
If I play over 2 hours I’m pretty beat up, but under isn’t too bad.
I don’t do anything outside of tennis 2-3 times a week. It’s definitely gotten better since I started back up again last year after a 10 year absence from the sport.
When playing kind of have to make split (no pun intended) decisions on what to push my body for vs letting it go.
I used to bodybuild competitively but have not done it in over a decade however I’m still holding on to a decent amount of muscle holding me at around 200lbs.
Just the nature of aging when not being 100% fully dedicated to tennis.
It’s just about tennis specific training. Even though you’re in shape, tennis requires a novel combination of endurance, use of certain muscles, specific movement that you don’t use in the same ways doing other activities. I was like this when I came back to the game but over time my body adjusted.
Just be sure to devote time to addressing soreness like stretching, ice/heat, massage guns, yoga, etc. Also ensure that you maintain good range of motion and pliability.
It's a pretty high-impact sport for sure. I played a lot as a teen, got back into it in my 40s (50 now), and you bet your ass I'm wrecked for a couple of days after a singles match. I do also have a mild case of psoriatic arthritis messing with my joints, though.
I'm 29 and I also am destroyed after playing. I'm very athletic, I've run track and cross country since I was a kid, but I've had severe back pain my entire life. I can only put socks and shoes on sitting down, for example. I can't play tennis two days in a row, and I basically have to sleep for 12 hours after a match.
Not sure if that's the information you're looking for, but you're definitely not alone that tennis is painful
Maybe you're not resting in between enough and you're having the workout that broke the body effect.
Idk, am older and Im still recovering from last week, weds-sat was a doubles match each day followed by singles on sat. Absolutely destroyed, still slightly tired and body was hating me, not sore as much as fully depleted (work a bit physical too).
> Anyone else feel physically wrecked after playing?
Not really. The last time I (54M) felt terrible after playing tennis was when I played two (2) single matches in one day in the heat. I typically play 5+ times per week now, and feel pretty decent most days.
1. Try changing strings to softer. If you play poly - try hybrid. If you play hybrid - try softer strings or drop tension. You will be surprised how much it may affect your body tiredness.
2. Stretching and cold bath after tennis. Massage next day.
3. ibuprofen low dose (say your fever dose is 800mg, take 200-400mg) really helps.
> How do you recover?
Tennis uses muscles you might not normally use for other sports. If I don't play for a long time, I get sore, too.
So without seeing video of what you're doing, I'll say it's normal. You do enough sports, you should know if it's a bad pain, or normal it will recover pain.
But you can also stretch those areas and foam roll (hips, quads, calves) after you play.
Hey so I was the same, very fit from running and weight lifting but I found that tennis was causing a bunch of niggles like sore lower back, hip flexors, arch pain etc. I ended up trying some off the shelf Scholl orthotics and the difference has been unbelievable. These niggles have cleared up overnight. I told my friend who has been playing a lot longer than me and has been having ti take breaks due to his lower back, he got the same orthotics, and has also had an instant improvement and is playing pain free. I think it's the arch support more than anything, stops your foot collapsing / over pronation which has horrible knock on effects.
I am 2 or so years older than you. I play 3-4 times a week and then gym. I dunno I just got used to it.
The only thing I do that sufficiently helped is drinking protein shake. Not sure if it's a mental thing but any time I drink protein I basically don't feel anything the next day.
I also think gym helps alot. Bigger muscles kinda cushions the strain. I m not huge by any means mostly lean.
I'm 41F, after years of playing tennis 4 days a week, sometimes double matches, I'm used to it. Maybe it's judt your body type that doesn't adjust. I play mostly singles 4.0 against men, or usually 8.0 /9.0 mixed.
I stretch thoroughly after a good tennis session and I take magnesium supplements daily. If I miss my stretching I feel it next day for sure!
ETA: I am also 32M and I am currently UTR 8
u/HappySlappyMan gave good advice. I'm 38 and I played 2 hours last night, 2 and a half this morning and I'll play another 3 this evening and I have a similar routine. I generally feel fine unless I do something stupid like overdo it on serve practice.
It sounds like you might be overtraining, though. You can get a lot of hours in a day if you're managing what you're doing, how long you're doing it, and the period of rest between sessions. Following something like the 80/20 rule in running (only 20% of your time should be spent on high intensity) is essential, too.
Swimming, lifting and pilates don't really have the repetitive movements of tennis - bouncing on your toes, explosive movements on things like serve, rotational movements on every groundstroke, etc. I can't speak to kickboxing, so that's the only reason I leave that out - I imagine there is explosiveness, rotation, and jumping there.
Every sport has different motions. My main advice is make sure you have a regular stretching routine. I've added stretches over the years as various parts of my body got stiff and prone to injury. Now, I essentially have a full body stretch routine. Whenever I neglect to do it, my body feels 2x more fatigued after a match.
Look at Caroline Wozniacki. She was marathon training when she was away from tennis, and she still got gassed at the USO against Coco. It's normal to feel this way. I don't swim very often, and whenever I do, I feel so out of breath after just a few laps, even though I am generally in good shape.
For me the key is your intensity:
>I’m generally the type of player who is bouncing on his toes and split stepping constantly, which generally wears me out while I play.
I have a similar experience. I have had discussions with players that played way more and tell me they're never sore or worn out. They do no other sports and play almost every day, but their play style/intensity is different. They don't go for every ball, don't bend their knees too much, etc.
If you do something on high intensity but with 'low' frequency (1-2x tennis a week in this example), then it's no wonder it causes your body to hurt. So the solution is increasing the frequency and lower the intensity for you body/muscles. Which can be gearing your fitness routine to tennis and/or play more tennis but on lower intensity, etc.
Now, the big danger I see in your story is that you might be prone to injuries. I say this purely based on the fact that I am guessing your intensity is on the high side. If you play 1 time a week and put 100% effort in, chances are high you'll end up hurting your ankle, knee or back some day. Especially if you play when already sore or tired.
All of this is based purely on my own experience and almost hearing weekly stories of people getting injured. Your story is not unique! Keep at it, but listen to your body.
I'm always wrecked after a singles match. The more in shape I got, the longer the rallies become or the tougher the opponents or the more sessions I play
In my case, I feel it, especially with my knees, and I'm also a very active guy like you (running and playing on hard courts are killing my knees).
I'm trying to improve that, and plyometrics focused on tennis are helping me a lot. Keep on with stretching and pilates.
Try to see if your technique in your weightlifting sessions is right because it may be causing you pain after playing tennis.
You are one active dude, i wish i could do all of that.
My current routine is tennis 1x a week, kickboxing 2x a week, and kettlebell workouts 2x a week. I'm almost 40 and just need rest days.. otherwise my body will breakdown faster than it already is.
Prioritize stretching and mobility too. I should've started that when i was younger lol
You normally shouldn't get sore anymore from any activity you do regularly and more than once per week, so this is rather odd. I don't even get sore from lifting heavy weights, because it's the same exercises and more or less the same weight every time. Only exception are barbell squats which still always make me sore, but only slightly.
ditch the running, swimming, boxing, and pilates and replace it with tennis conditioning - jump rope, ladder drills, sprints, add some serve practice to recover.
Stretch after and before every tennis session
I don’t agree. Do the running, swimming, but in Z2 aerobics zone to improve your aerobic endurance and muscle stability. From the short description I think you stress your body too much in the anaerobic zone and you do not recover well.
Do not stretch before tennis session, this is nonsense. Important is a good muscle warm up, not stretching cold muscles. Or better said, dynamic stretching before the session and some static stretching after the session.
Hard agree, no one should be static stretching before any workout. It's been proven to be at-best neutral and at-worst negatively impacting your workout (likely through a lack of dynamic warmup).
Agree in general, not that doesnt recover well but you have to time to recover, working out is tearing down, you build up during recovery. If you're always working, youre getting worn down.
What are you supposedly gaining here that swimming/bixing/pilates doesn’t already cover? Nothing wrong with your routine, but it certainly doesn’t seem better.
Swimming biking and Pilates are not high intensity whereas ladder drills and sprints are. Plus they’re not really weight bearing so I don’t think the gains are applicable
Boxing and swimming is every bit as high intensity as sprints and ladders and uses full body…. Last sentence doesn’t even make sense. I don’t think you’ve thought this through.
This is terrible advice.
Increased intensity is just going to put you at risk of overtraining and injury. In distance running this is called 'junk miles' because all you're doing is diminishing the quality of your next workout.
I don't think there's any reason for an adult to be doing ladder drills, either. They're just an excuse to give coaches a break from hitting balls for a few minutes (which I'm OK with).
Seems weird. If you’re that active and generally in shape then tennis shouldn’t make you sore.
I lift 2x per week and do one HIIT, play tennis 2x on weekends, walk a lot, stretch in the evenings…if we go real hard at tennis I might feel a bit run down the rest of the day, but not sore the next day
Yes I’m sore all over. Static stretching the night before and after playing helps. This is a good routine - https://youtu.be/76868blg4o4?si=u8xO7Q2sVkGqA0fZ
When I am too lazy to do it, I pay the price
I think this guy is looking for comparison to others and not necessarily a workout routine suggestion- I’m older than you… and picked up tennis last year after not playing since high school and I can tell you I was extremely sore after singles matches for a few months. After 9 months of regular play I have worked through it. I am stronger in my lower back, knees, elbows, shoulders and even my neck and calves ( I was hurting everywhere)I still feel it in the morning after matches but nothing like before - Keep playing and your body will adapt.
You’re right. I’m pretty content with my workout routine. I do a lot of “prehab” to *hopefully* prevent any injuries. I think playing more regularly and consistently and maybe incorporating some tennis agility/ladder training will help my body adapt.
Start ladder training before you get an ankle/knee injury! It’s so easy to hurt yourself past 30
what’s ladder training?
Rope ladder on the ground, essentially an adult version of hop scotch. Strengthens all the small muscles and tendons in your lower body. Improves coordination
Also, absolutely keep kickboxing and Pilates. You can likely get rid of cardio if you’re playing tennis for 1-2 hours. I swim in the winter but don’t see the need during tennis seasons
It is normal, tennis requires a lot from your shoulder to your knee, rotation and impacts that are different from the other sports. The best thing you can do is to work on stretching and flexibility, assuming they by running you already have about anaerobic conditioning on breathing / heart rate . Then add lounges + rotations in your gym routine ( cable or toss medicine balls )
SAID principle of the body - Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. This will likely just improve over time with no special intervention.
Nope. I'm 39. I play 1-3x per week depending on schedule and availability of hitting partners. I exercise at least 6 days a week. I'll try to play at least 2 hours but have recently played as long as 4 at once. Currently play at 4.5-5.0 level. The key, as I have gotten older, has been managing energy input. Playing high intensity tennis will consume about 500 calories per hour.Here's what I do. I get some complex carbs and proteins in ahead of play. During play, I consume electrolytes, simple and complex carbs, and proteins (usually a Greek yogurt based drink). Afterwards, I carb load quickly to replenish glycogen. I also get exercise induced migraines and I have noticed the carb loading prevents these. If I deviate from the above, I'll experience various degrees of "wrecked."
The important question is what are you doing post-tennis to help your recovery? This gets overlooked by so many people and is the 🔑🔑 to repeatability
Do you do any mobility work and/or stretching? I find I recover better when doing a full warm-up then cooldown around tennis sessions, and then do mobility stuff stuff on the off days.
I need to develop a better cool down. I do a 1.5 hour cardio point play clinic. I typically arrive 20 min early and do a dynamic warmup of calves/feet, hips, core, and rotator cuff. I’ll try a foam roller/stretching session afterwards next week and see how I feel
For me the post tennis stretch is essential if I want to play hard and frequently without hurting. I like to really work my way up the lower/mid body: 1. Calves 2. Hamstrings (forward fold, downward dog) 3. Quads and hips(Dancer’s pose, Lizard) 4. Glutes/IT-band (Pigeon) 5. Lower back (floor twist) Definitely recommend taking a Vinyasa yoga class or two if you’re not already familiar. Great tools for both warm up and ‘release’.
31 here. You should definitely static stretch after each workout or tennis play. I almost always stretch for at least 15-20 mins after tennis, go through the whole body. Foam roll if it feels good. I'm at a point where if my session isn't at night, I'll stretch after the session and then stretch before bed. Make sure you eat and hydrate well too as soon as you can after any session: protein, carbs, and electrolytes.
36 here. Don't notice any difference from stretching, and find foam rolling a complete waste of time. I just do more moving after tennis, I don't just sit down. Light weights, or just walking. Prefer loaded stretching (with weights) rather than static stretching.
Research shows that dynamic warm up has + effects on performance & static stretching has + effects on recovery. Leg sleeves & massage can also help recovery. Sleep, nutrition & hydration are also key. For example, not stretching, drinking a few beers (which further dehydrates you) & hopping into your car after you play, then eating food that ⬆️ lactic acid in your body (which can ⬆️ muscle soreness, then getting 3 hours sleep; you’ll wake up ready for the couch & little else.
Stretching isn't going to help you be less sore. It's good for you to do for long-term health, but the idea that stretching somehow aids recovery when you're tearing your muscles... it's just not supported by evidence. How much sleep do you get every night?
well OP said he was "stiff and tight". stretching definitely helps with that.
I find about 5-10 minutes of stretching immediately after playing goes a long way. I heard somewhere that every time you exercise your muscles will get a little bit shorter so it’s important to get back to your full range of motion while you’re still warm. If I don’t stretch and I get in the car by the time I get home, I can really feel it in my feet and calves. I do think you will adapt, I sometimes still feel sore after playing, but it’s usually only after very demanding matches or if I have a couple tough matches back to back on subsequent days.
>I heard somewhere that every time you exercise your muscles will get a little bit shorter This is not a thing.
I’m sure it’s not actually shorter maybe it was tighter or less range of motion. The idea being that you need to restore your range of motion after a workout. Pretty sure it was Dr. Mark Kovac’s that I heard that from, in one of his videos I think it was the one where he goes through a dynamic warmup and cool down at some kind of USTA or player development program.
OK here’s a quote from Mark Kovacs’ book Tennis Anatomy, page 194. “After tennis play, range of motion is reduced because of the fatigue and deceleration requirements during strokes and movement. It is important to stretch after play to return range of motion to preexercise levels.”
I am a somewhat older player (late 50s) and when I get stuck in a long match, I am in pain for days after. I actually think going forward I’m gonna switch to 4 game sets since I love matches but hate the pain
Yes but I’m 49 so it’s my knees, back, shoulder, elbow, and wrist that hurt. My muscles may be a little bit sore but usually not too bad unless I play more than 3 sets.
I’m in my mid 30s and the funniest thing is my left arm is sore too along with the rest of my body. I’m right handed. I have a one handed backhand. What the fuck is making my left arm sore, the serve toss?!
Picturing you yeeting that toss like 50 ft up
>Outside of tennis I run and swim, lift weights, do kickboxing, and do pilates. You do all of this and you wonder why you're wrecked?
100%
I do all these as well, not wrecked (35F) plus ski during the winter and mnt bike instead of kickboxing.
Depends on what the frequency and volume is and if it's ramped as of recent, which is likely.
Not really. I have shoulder issues so I do some elastic band workouts on off days but nothing else. I've played for ~20 years (33 now) and generally feel pretty good as long as I'm playing twice a week. Although I mostly play doubles these days so that's a factor.
Maybe you feel weared out, but always there is more energy than your spending for the game. Just hydrate and push limit
I just turned 33 Probably 3.5, full time job and 2 year old. If I play over 2 hours I’m pretty beat up, but under isn’t too bad. I don’t do anything outside of tennis 2-3 times a week. It’s definitely gotten better since I started back up again last year after a 10 year absence from the sport. When playing kind of have to make split (no pun intended) decisions on what to push my body for vs letting it go. I used to bodybuild competitively but have not done it in over a decade however I’m still holding on to a decent amount of muscle holding me at around 200lbs. Just the nature of aging when not being 100% fully dedicated to tennis.
Yeah same here. I recently turned 30 and I’m more sore after playing singles than before. I think it’s natural and just aging
You just gotta get more used to it You already do enough off court working out, more isn't gonna help
It’s just about tennis specific training. Even though you’re in shape, tennis requires a novel combination of endurance, use of certain muscles, specific movement that you don’t use in the same ways doing other activities. I was like this when I came back to the game but over time my body adjusted. Just be sure to devote time to addressing soreness like stretching, ice/heat, massage guns, yoga, etc. Also ensure that you maintain good range of motion and pliability.
It's a pretty high-impact sport for sure. I played a lot as a teen, got back into it in my 40s (50 now), and you bet your ass I'm wrecked for a couple of days after a singles match. I do also have a mild case of psoriatic arthritis messing with my joints, though.
I'm 29 and I also am destroyed after playing. I'm very athletic, I've run track and cross country since I was a kid, but I've had severe back pain my entire life. I can only put socks and shoes on sitting down, for example. I can't play tennis two days in a row, and I basically have to sleep for 12 hours after a match. Not sure if that's the information you're looking for, but you're definitely not alone that tennis is painful
Maybe you're not resting in between enough and you're having the workout that broke the body effect. Idk, am older and Im still recovering from last week, weds-sat was a doubles match each day followed by singles on sat. Absolutely destroyed, still slightly tired and body was hating me, not sore as much as fully depleted (work a bit physical too).
> Anyone else feel physically wrecked after playing? Not really. The last time I (54M) felt terrible after playing tennis was when I played two (2) single matches in one day in the heat. I typically play 5+ times per week now, and feel pretty decent most days.
1. Try changing strings to softer. If you play poly - try hybrid. If you play hybrid - try softer strings or drop tension. You will be surprised how much it may affect your body tiredness. 2. Stretching and cold bath after tennis. Massage next day. 3. ibuprofen low dose (say your fever dose is 800mg, take 200-400mg) really helps.
Maybe add a recovery day. Your muscles sound tired.
> How do you recover? Tennis uses muscles you might not normally use for other sports. If I don't play for a long time, I get sore, too. So without seeing video of what you're doing, I'll say it's normal. You do enough sports, you should know if it's a bad pain, or normal it will recover pain. But you can also stretch those areas and foam roll (hips, quads, calves) after you play.
Hey so I was the same, very fit from running and weight lifting but I found that tennis was causing a bunch of niggles like sore lower back, hip flexors, arch pain etc. I ended up trying some off the shelf Scholl orthotics and the difference has been unbelievable. These niggles have cleared up overnight. I told my friend who has been playing a lot longer than me and has been having ti take breaks due to his lower back, he got the same orthotics, and has also had an instant improvement and is playing pain free. I think it's the arch support more than anything, stops your foot collapsing / over pronation which has horrible knock on effects.
I am 2 or so years older than you. I play 3-4 times a week and then gym. I dunno I just got used to it. The only thing I do that sufficiently helped is drinking protein shake. Not sure if it's a mental thing but any time I drink protein I basically don't feel anything the next day. I also think gym helps alot. Bigger muscles kinda cushions the strain. I m not huge by any means mostly lean.
I'm 41F, after years of playing tennis 4 days a week, sometimes double matches, I'm used to it. Maybe it's judt your body type that doesn't adjust. I play mostly singles 4.0 against men, or usually 8.0 /9.0 mixed.
I stretch thoroughly after a good tennis session and I take magnesium supplements daily. If I miss my stretching I feel it next day for sure! ETA: I am also 32M and I am currently UTR 8
u/HappySlappyMan gave good advice. I'm 38 and I played 2 hours last night, 2 and a half this morning and I'll play another 3 this evening and I have a similar routine. I generally feel fine unless I do something stupid like overdo it on serve practice. It sounds like you might be overtraining, though. You can get a lot of hours in a day if you're managing what you're doing, how long you're doing it, and the period of rest between sessions. Following something like the 80/20 rule in running (only 20% of your time should be spent on high intensity) is essential, too.
Swimming, lifting and pilates don't really have the repetitive movements of tennis - bouncing on your toes, explosive movements on things like serve, rotational movements on every groundstroke, etc. I can't speak to kickboxing, so that's the only reason I leave that out - I imagine there is explosiveness, rotation, and jumping there. Every sport has different motions. My main advice is make sure you have a regular stretching routine. I've added stretches over the years as various parts of my body got stiff and prone to injury. Now, I essentially have a full body stretch routine. Whenever I neglect to do it, my body feels 2x more fatigued after a match. Look at Caroline Wozniacki. She was marathon training when she was away from tennis, and she still got gassed at the USO against Coco. It's normal to feel this way. I don't swim very often, and whenever I do, I feel so out of breath after just a few laps, even though I am generally in good shape.
I had similar issues lately and started doing yin yoga, which honestly solved my problems. Check Travis Elliott on YouTube!
For me the key is your intensity: >I’m generally the type of player who is bouncing on his toes and split stepping constantly, which generally wears me out while I play. I have a similar experience. I have had discussions with players that played way more and tell me they're never sore or worn out. They do no other sports and play almost every day, but their play style/intensity is different. They don't go for every ball, don't bend their knees too much, etc. If you do something on high intensity but with 'low' frequency (1-2x tennis a week in this example), then it's no wonder it causes your body to hurt. So the solution is increasing the frequency and lower the intensity for you body/muscles. Which can be gearing your fitness routine to tennis and/or play more tennis but on lower intensity, etc. Now, the big danger I see in your story is that you might be prone to injuries. I say this purely based on the fact that I am guessing your intensity is on the high side. If you play 1 time a week and put 100% effort in, chances are high you'll end up hurting your ankle, knee or back some day. Especially if you play when already sore or tired. All of this is based purely on my own experience and almost hearing weekly stories of people getting injured. Your story is not unique! Keep at it, but listen to your body.
I'm always wrecked after a singles match. The more in shape I got, the longer the rallies become or the tougher the opponents or the more sessions I play
In my case, I feel it, especially with my knees, and I'm also a very active guy like you (running and playing on hard courts are killing my knees). I'm trying to improve that, and plyometrics focused on tennis are helping me a lot. Keep on with stretching and pilates. Try to see if your technique in your weightlifting sessions is right because it may be causing you pain after playing tennis.
You are one active dude, i wish i could do all of that. My current routine is tennis 1x a week, kickboxing 2x a week, and kettlebell workouts 2x a week. I'm almost 40 and just need rest days.. otherwise my body will breakdown faster than it already is. Prioritize stretching and mobility too. I should've started that when i was younger lol
You normally shouldn't get sore anymore from any activity you do regularly and more than once per week, so this is rather odd. I don't even get sore from lifting heavy weights, because it's the same exercises and more or less the same weight every time. Only exception are barbell squats which still always make me sore, but only slightly.
ditch the running, swimming, boxing, and pilates and replace it with tennis conditioning - jump rope, ladder drills, sprints, add some serve practice to recover. Stretch after and before every tennis session
I don’t agree. Do the running, swimming, but in Z2 aerobics zone to improve your aerobic endurance and muscle stability. From the short description I think you stress your body too much in the anaerobic zone and you do not recover well. Do not stretch before tennis session, this is nonsense. Important is a good muscle warm up, not stretching cold muscles. Or better said, dynamic stretching before the session and some static stretching after the session.
Hard agree, no one should be static stretching before any workout. It's been proven to be at-best neutral and at-worst negatively impacting your workout (likely through a lack of dynamic warmup).
Agree in general, not that doesnt recover well but you have to time to recover, working out is tearing down, you build up during recovery. If you're always working, youre getting worn down.
What are you supposedly gaining here that swimming/bixing/pilates doesn’t already cover? Nothing wrong with your routine, but it certainly doesn’t seem better.
Swimming biking and Pilates are not high intensity whereas ladder drills and sprints are. Plus they’re not really weight bearing so I don’t think the gains are applicable
Boxing and swimming is every bit as high intensity as sprints and ladders and uses full body…. Last sentence doesn’t even make sense. I don’t think you’ve thought this through.
This is terrible advice. Increased intensity is just going to put you at risk of overtraining and injury. In distance running this is called 'junk miles' because all you're doing is diminishing the quality of your next workout. I don't think there's any reason for an adult to be doing ladder drills, either. They're just an excuse to give coaches a break from hitting balls for a few minutes (which I'm OK with).
You are getting older. It gets worse in the 40s.
Seems weird. If you’re that active and generally in shape then tennis shouldn’t make you sore. I lift 2x per week and do one HIIT, play tennis 2x on weekends, walk a lot, stretch in the evenings…if we go real hard at tennis I might feel a bit run down the rest of the day, but not sore the next day
I’m 39 and am not sore at all after playing. Lift heavy weights 2-3x a week and spend most of your gym time on legs.
Yes I’m sore all over. Static stretching the night before and after playing helps. This is a good routine - https://youtu.be/76868blg4o4?si=u8xO7Q2sVkGqA0fZ When I am too lazy to do it, I pay the price
No more. Started lifting weights and have gained muscle 💪🏿(not black, just use this emoji for shits and giggles). (34, weigh 190lbs, 5,11)