Part 2: Fit with Tennis-Point – warming up like the pros

Last modified on17 June 2025

After former tennis pros Nicola Geuer and Stefan Koubek presented a targeted warm-up for the legs in the first part of the fitness exercises for tennis fans, the second part continues with tennis-specific warm-ups for the upper body.

PART 2: FITNESS EXERCISES FOR THE UPPER BODY

Once again you should the right equipment at hand. You will need a toning tube or loop as a resistance band for the upper body workout as well as a tennis ball and a medicine ball for the throwing and catching exercises. And you're ready to go!

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EXERCISE 1: CLEVER UPPER BODY TRAINING WITH THE TUBE

In tennis, everything in the stroke movement is directed forwards. You should also work specifically towards the back during warm-up and fitness training. A toning tube which can certainly be found in almost every pro's tennis bag.

We start with an exercise for the shoulder area. To do this, pull the tube taut, move your arms upwards, then backwards and as far down as possible. You train your mobility in the shoulder area by alternately moving the tube forwards over your head and then back again.

Please make sure that you don't get into a hollow back position and that your upper body is always completely straight. A mini loop, which you already learned about in the first part of our warm-up exercises for tennis, can also serve as an alternative to the tube.

EXERCISE 2: UPPER BODY WARM-UP WITH EXERCISE PARTNER OR NET POST

Let's move on to further warm-up exercises for the upper body with the toning tube. You will need a partner for this or you can simply attach the tube to the net post.
First bend your knees a little and pull the tube backwards with both handles at hip height. Your shoulders should remain low.
Now go back a little and repeat the exercise at chest height with a little more tension. Then move a little closer again and work outwards with your arms straight. You should open your chest a little without getting into a hollow back. Then pull the tube up several times above your head with your arms stretched out.

EXERCISE 3: ROTATION FROM THE FOREARM

Next, use the tube to train forward rotation, which is very important for your tennis game. Go into external rotation and keep your elbow close to your body. You only rotate your arm outwards from the forearm. Repeat this alternately on both sides, left and right.

Teil 2: Fit mit Tennis-Point - Aufwärmen wie die Profis

EXERCISE 4: WARM UP SHOULDER GIRDLE WITH TENNIS BALL

After these exercises with the tube or the mini loop as easy-to-use training tools that are guaranteed to fit in any tennis bag, continue with the next upper body warm-up using a tool that every tennis player probably already has with them, namely the tennis ball . The tennis ball warm-up exercises for the shoulder girdle can either be performed as a partner exercise in pairs or you can use a wall as an aid.

Your arm is at a 90-degree angle and the rotation and throwing movement is done backwards to warm up the shoulder girdle optimally. Your partner performs the same movement and throws the ball back to you over their shoulder.

EXERCISE 5: MEDICINE BALL TRAINING FOR FOREHAND AND BACKHAND

We continue with the good old medicine ball. If you want to train with a slightly lighter ball, use the two-kilogram weight class for tennis-specific warm-ups. The three-kilogram medicine ball is ideal for even more intensive medicine ball training.

Here too, you start with a low center of gravity and throw the ball crosswise to your partner after a lunge. You rotate forwards, just like you do in tennis. After catching the ball, first swing backwards and then forwards again. And, of course, switch sides so that both forehand and backhand are trained equally.

EXERCISE 6: WARMING UP THE SHOULDERS FOR THE SERVE

After these warm-up exercises for the basic strokes with targeted rotational movements, we move on to warm-up training for the shoulder area, which is explicitly very helpful for the serve.

You use both hands to lift the ball from the side all the way up over your head and throw it firmly onto the floor. Start slowly and increase the strength and speed from throw to throw, finishing with full power. This gives your shoulders an optimal warm-up. Your abdominal muscles and the rest of your body will also benefit from this great warm-up exercise for the serve.

Your legs and upper body are now optimally warmed up for tennis training or competition. Before you start, however, you should do a few targeted exercises for eye-hand coordination , which we will show you in the next part of our warm-up series, so that you are also ready in your head for your best tennis game.

For upper body exercises, we recommend the fashionable Nike training wear. You can find the training clothing that Nicola Geuer and Stefan Koubek wear during the tennis warm-up in our store.

Finally, a tip: You can watch all the exercises from the second part of the warm-up training for tennis players again in the video on our official YouTube channel.

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