Tennis Speed and Power Workout

Yesterday after work, I did my summer 2015 version of my summer power/plyo workout.  This summer I'm focusing on tennis speed, agility, and upper-body power.  Here are the exercises that I did:

• Spider drill:  I have seen lots of versions of this.  For my version, I sprinted to 5 points on the court, then either sprint side-shuffled or sprint-backpedaled back.  I started from the center of the baseline, and sprinted to the right end of the baseline (1), the right end of the net (2), the center of the net (3), the left end of the net (4), and the left end of the baseline (5).  I did this twice going in the counterclockwise direction, and then twice in the clockwise direction.  (I took a break after each 5-point sprint.)
• Forward bounding: about 20 bounds per side; I repeated this once.
• Sprint: I sprinted the length of the baseline and walked back (then repeated after a break), and then I sprinted the length of the side and walked back (then repeated after a break).
• Big skips: about 20 skips per side; I repeated this once.
• Side-shuffle sprint: I sprint side-shuffled the length of the baseline, and then walked back.  I did this four times in both directions.
• Backpedal sprint: I sprint backpedaled the length of a side and walked back.  I did this four times.
• Overhead throws: I threw an 8-lb medicine ball with both hands over my head at the wall; 8 throws.
• Side throws: I threw an 8-lb medicine ball side-arm at the wall; 8 throws per side.
• Slams: I slammed an 8-lb medicine ball down on the ground with both hands from over my head; 8 throws.
• Squat throws: I held an 8-lb medicine ball in a "set" position at my chest with both hands, squatted, and then threw the ball up as I squat-jumped; 8 throws.
• Plyo push-ups: 8.  I did 5 rounds of all of the upper-body drills (overhead throws through plyo push-ups.)

The spider drills were hard!  The constant forward-and-back and changing direction was physically difficult and mentally challenging.  I felt like I just got going, and it was time to change directions!  I can see why this is a good drill.  Similarly, the other sprinting-type drills seem like they will be useful for tennis.  The upper-body moves were the same ones that I did last year, and I think that they have helped my serve.

Overall, the workout took me about 65 minutes.  I definitely took a lot of breaks to make sure I recovered, since the idea is to be able to go all-out each time.  I am sore today, but not incredibly so.  I burned about 225 calories.  The next time, I may increase the spider drills by one in both directions.

This morning I did P90X+ Kenpo Cardio+.  I was supposed to do P90X3 Triometrics, but I wasn't really in the mood for it, so I went back to one of my favorites.  I burned about 215 calories.