For 30 days starting Monday, 5thApril 2021, I’ll be training like a pro tennis athlete. I want to see how my body and technique are able to improve over this short period of time, and treating this challenge a bit like a self-experiment.
Once I survive the 30 days, the bonus goal is to play a match against the toughest opponent that my coach can find in the island of Fuerteventura.
I’m expecting roughly 4 to 5 hours daily training. It will be a mix of 1 to 2 hours training off-court and 2 to 3 hours on court. So we are talking up to 5 hours of training per day, 5-6 times a week.
My current tennis level is… intermediate. I am good, but definitely a long while till I can consider myself a wholesome tennis player.
I’m on my second prep week now and finalising schedule for all the off-court training and tennis classes for the next month. Currently, I’m doing 6-8hours of tennis weekly plus some running, and letting my body get used to the hard work it will have to endure.
Who is helping me out? My local coach Braulio, my friend and personal trainer, Luke, who takes care of my HIIT classes and nutrition, and Mary who’s a saviour when it comes to sport massage.
I’m aware. It’s a lot. But the name of the challenge is training like a PRO. It wouldn’t be a challenge otherwise.
The first 2 to 3 days of the challenge will be a bit of a ‘testing ground’, so I’ll probably start closer to 3 hours total workouts per day and then extend to 4 hours towards the end of the first week. With one full day for recovery and also an ‘easy day’ in between. We'll see how my body takes it and adjust accordingly.
I’m mentally strong when under pressure, which is a big advantage in matches. I try to play strategically to make up for the lack of solid consistency and technique in certain areas.
Above all, I expect to observe positive changes in my fitness levels, endurance and speed. But also hoping for some improvements in my technique, which is probably the hardest thing to tackle in such a short period of time.
Basic elements which I’ll be tracking:
Nutrition
Quality macro nutrients and calories consumed (roughly 2200kcal to keep me going + tonnes of bananas) . I have to say…I struggle with counting anything. Plus keeping track of food is not my natural thing. And I like sugar, I have to admit. But I’ve now got a calorie counting app and I’ll be doing meal prep ahead. My body weighs in at 69kg as of today, at a height of 175cm.
Fitness: endurance and consistency
I’ll be tracking the progress through various types of exercises, so I can 'count' the improvement in some form of numbers: from the amount of time I can hold a plank for, speed on my HIIT sprints, and consistency on court doing various drills.
Progress
I’ll be writing twice a week about how I'm doing. To be clear, don’t expect a full-on dissection: unfortunately, I don’t have the budget of mega athletes (yet) and I’m doing something that you CAN do at home.
Last but not least, I’ll be sweating my (tennis) balls for a good cause. It’s a cool British charity called ‘Give it Your Max’ that supports underprivileged kids get into tennis. Here’s more info about them:
And below is my fundraising page where you can donate:
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