I contributed to Women’s Health for a feature examining one of Aryna Sabalenka’s full-body conditioning sessions and why this kind of circuit works so well for a sport that demands repeated bursts of power, speed and control.
Sabalenka’s session combines skipping, reaction drills, fast feet, core work and glute-focused exercises into a short, high-intensity format.
What makes it useful is not just the individual exercises, but how they are put together.
Building endurance without losing athletic quality
Tennis requires repeated high-intensity efforts with relatively short periods of recovery.
You need to move quickly, change direction, strike with power and continue producing good movement deep into a match.
As I explained to Women’s Health:
“This kind of high-energy circuit is great for building both muscular and cardiovascular endurance, which are essential for staying strong and sharp during long tennis matches.”
That is the key benefit of a circuit like this.
It challenges the body to keep producing controlled movement as fatigue starts to build.
Skipping for rhythm and footwork
The first part of the session included one minute of skipping.
That might sound basic, but it is a useful conditioning tool for athletes because it combines aerobic work with lower-body rhythm and coordination.
I explained:
“Skipping boosts aerobic fitness while improving lower-body rhythm and coordination.”
For a tennis player, that matters because efficient footwork is fundamental.
You need to reposition constantly, stay light on your feet and react quickly to what is happening on the other side of the court.
Reaction and coordination under fatigue
The circuit also included punch-catch drills and one-eye catch-and-throw work.
These exercises add a coordination and reaction component rather than simply asking the athlete to work harder physically.
The punch-catch drill also keeps the upper body and core working while fatigue builds.
That combination is useful because sport rarely asks you to demonstrate strength, speed or coordination in isolation.
You normally need several qualities at once.
Glutes, core and total-body control
The second half of the workout shifted towards exercises such as mini-band hip abduction sit-ups, frog pumps, reverse crunch variations and bridge-and-reach movements.
One of the exercises I discussed in more detail was the bridge and reach.
“Moves like the bridge and reach do a lot at once. They fire up your glutes, open up your spine and challenge shoulder and core stability.”
This type of movement requires different areas of the body to work together rather than simply isolating one muscle group.
For tennis, that kind of integrated control is valuable.
Serving and ground strokes involve force travelling from the lower body, through the trunk and into the upper body.
The body needs to work as a connected system.
Why the lack of rest matters
The workout uses very little rest between exercises.
That is deliberate.
As I explained:
“Keeping the intensity high helps mimic the physical demands of a real match, where recovery time is short, and builds stamina that lasts.”
That doesn’t mean everyone should remove rest from their workouts.
The training format has to suit the person and their goals.
But for an athlete who needs to maintain movement quality under fatigue, carefully structured circuits can be useful.
Short does not mean easy
One of the interesting things about this session is that it takes just over 20 minutes.
That is a useful reminder that training quality matters more than simply how long you spend exercising.
A short session can still challenge cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, coordination, stability and strength if it is organised properly.
The key is that the exercises have a reason for being there.
What recreational exercisers can take from it
Most people are not preparing for elite tennis.
But the principle still applies.
If your goal is to feel fitter and more capable, you can combine:
- simple conditioning
- strength work
- core stability
- coordination
- controlled movement under fatigue
You do not need to copy an elite athlete’s programme exactly.
Take the principle rather than the prescription.
Choose exercises appropriate for your own ability and build gradually.
You can read my full contribution in Women’s Health.
Joseph Webb
Expert coaching. Entirely personal.
Chartered Personal Trainer | FRSPH | FCIMSPA
