It's been winter. It's been cold and dark for a lot of us, depending on where in the world that we spend our days. But luckily, spring is almost here and with that comes the outdoor tennis season! Sure, we've played a bit throughout winter but not even close to as much as we're about to. To put it bluntly, we've seen more serves hit on the telly, broadcasted from Melbourne, from Indian Wells, from Brisbane, than we've hit on-court ourselves.

So what does this mean? Well, that our bodies may not be as amped up for a three-hour clay session as they were last summer. That our joints are less flexible; our feet less quick. That we may not be as fast; as agile; as strong, as we'd like to be. That our bodies may be more prone to injuries, which in our opinion is a thing relatively synonymous with hell, particularly so when the sun is shining from a crisp, blue sky and our friends are playing doubles right in front of our very eyes.⁠

To get ahead and get ready for the outdoor season that is soon to come, we've pieced together an Off-Court Training Program — a series of exercises that span across the areas of mobility, strength, explosivity and acceleration. To getting better, faster, stronger and more hard-hitting on court. Though we can't promise you that you'll be hitting backhands down the line like Auger-Aliassime or Świątek after doing this thing, you'll definitely be closer to it than you were 30 minutes before.

And now we'll shut up so you can get going on your way to glory on the court.

STANDING SIDE LUNGE — TEN REPS ON EACH LEG

This exercise will warm up your joints real good, build onto both your strength and hypertrophy in the lower body while also improving your range of motion. Essentially, the side lunge is a deep squat on one leg and one-half of a split on the other.

Here, your squatting leg is challenged by reaching full flexion at the hip, knee, and ankle, while the hamstrings and adductors in the other leg are put under great amounts of stretch. Shift your weight from the bended leg in the side lunge to the other.

Repeat the exercise and do ten reps on each leg.

HIGH PLANK WITH ALTERNATING ARM AND LEG RAISES — FIVE REPS ON EACH SIDE

A strong core will get you a helluva long way on court. You know that force that is in your racquet when you hit a forehand winner? A lot of that comes from your core. So, if your core is weak, you'll risk losing power and overusing your muscles, heading straight towards injury. This plank exercise will increase both your balance and strengthen your core muscles.

To do this thing, you must brace your abs, squeeze your glutes and spread your feet just a tiny bit more than being shoulder-width apart. Without moving your body, lift one arm off the floor and stretch it forward while doing the same with the alternating leg. So, right arm and left leg, and vice versa. Hold for a second, then return to your starting position.

Repeat on the other side. Do this five times.

FOREARM PUSH-UP — TEN REPS

Now, this one goes way back. Probably the first exercise we ever did as kids, with a slight remix. It is arguably the most simple thing in the world but it is incredibly impactful: The forearm push-up. It works your triceps, pectoral muscles and shoulders hard. It's also fast, effective and convenient. It's a fucking push-up, you know, with a little bit of plank built into it.

Start in plank position, forearms flat on the ground, placed shoulder-width apart. Push up your triceps to lift the elbows off the ground. Continue until arms are fully extended, then lower your elbows until just above the ground for another rep.

Repeat the exercise ten times.

MASON TWIST — TWENTY REPS

The Mason twist strengthens your core, obliques, and spine. It's an all-out, killer core exercise that also works your balance, builds stability in your spine, and keeps your mid-section cut.

Start in a seated position with your legs bent in front of you into a V. Interlace your fingers above your stomach. Engage your core by tensing your abs, then lean back with a straight spine and feet lifted up off the floor.

Hold the position, not collapsing down onto your lower back, then rotate your upper body slowly from side to side so that your hands reach the side of your hips on each side every rep. Keep your head and legs still by looking straight ahead, right across your knees, all the way out.

Repeat the exercise twenty times.

BOX JUMP — FIFTEEN REPS

You remember that lob your friend did last year that you jumped for, arm stretched high with the racquet reaching for the ball? Well, this year, you'll smash that ball right back in the ad side. Why? Because box jumps (you can also use the bench by the courts or whatever's around you). It's high impact, targeting your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves for increased power and explosivity on court.

Stand facing the bench one short step away, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and drop down into a quarter of a squat, bringing your arms down in front of you. Use the momentum from your squat to send yourself upward, jumping onto the box with your arms swinging out in front of you to drive yourself up. Land softly on both feet with a slight bend in the knees.

Step back down and repeat the exercise fifteen times.

SKATER JUMP — TWENTY REPS

This is a plyometric exercise, meaning that your muscles will exert maximum force in short intervals. It's called skater jumps and it'll improve both your balance and coordination while strengthening your core stability.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto your left leg, bending the knee to lower your hips a bit while raising your right foot off the ground. Jump to your right by pushing off on your left leg. Land softly on the right with your left leg crossing behind you, arms swinging across your body in the same direction. Pause, then repeat the movement, this time setting off on your right leg and landing back onto your left leg.

Repeat twenty times.

ACCELERATION TABATA FINISHER: TWENTY SEC. WORK, TEN SEC. BREAK - EIGHT ROUNDS

This interval training will increase anaerobic and aerobic capacities. The four-minute workout is super-efficient and will get your heart racing in minutes.

Tabata is a cardiovascular exercise, that includes eight rounds. Each round consists of 20 seconds of intense activity followed by 10 seconds of rest, for eight rounds altogether.  

To finish your workout on a high do 8 rounds of 20 seconds sprint and 10 seconds of rest.

Go all out!