A few months ago I wrote a post about considering adding interval training into your tennis workout.  Well I put my words into actions, so I thought I’d give an update on my findings.As a refresher, High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) consists of mixing high intensity periods of exercise with periods of lower intensity exercise.  In my earlier post, I pondered whether this type of exercise would more closely mimic the start and stop nature of tennis.For a few weeks now I’ve altered my workout routine.  I’ve thrown out one of my two weekly cardio sessions and replaced it with a HIIT routine.  For this new routine, I’ve been visiting a local high school track.  I sprint all-out on the straightaways and then walk the curves.  I then repeat this exercise until I’ve completed 4 laps around the track, consisting of 8 separate sprints.  Once I’ve completed my laps, I’m done for the day.Now only doing 4 laps around a track sounds pretty simple, right?  Even as I wrote that last paragraph describing my routine, I felt as if it sounded like a lazy man’s workout.  But trust me, this will kick your butt the first time you do it!  Let me clarify one thing first.  When I say sprint, I don’t mean jogging hard.  I mean trying to run as fast as I am capable of on each straightaway.  By the time I get to the 5th of 8 sprints, I’m sucking wind!  Sprints 6 and 7 are even more brutal, and when sprint 8 comes around, I just want to be done!I’ve only done this HIIT routine a couple of times, but I’ve already found a few things that I like about it.  First, the whole routine only takes about 15-20 minutes.  If I don’t have a lot of time to do cardio work, I can easily find time to fit in a routine like this.  Second, I find this routine to be easier on my knees.  Yes, it’s a more intense form of exercise, but I’m only on my feet for about 15 minutes total.  And only a portion of those 15 minutes actually consists of high-impact sprinting, with the rest being the walking/recovery period.  When I do my typical cardio routine of jogging, I’m exposing my knees to 30 or more minutes of continuous pounding.  Finally, this HIIT exercise really kicks my butt!  The few times I’ve done this routine, I’ve felt fine about 15 minutes afterwards.  But the next day I felt the after effects.  I woke up to find most of my muscles were incredibly sore, and not just in my lower body.  It was as if I had gone through an intense weightlifting session!All in all, I’m pretty pleased with this HIIT routine and I intend to continue it in place of one of my cardio sessions.  I believe that I’m getting equal or better results from my old workout schedule, with less overall wear and tear on my body.Along the lines of protecting your knees, the sprint/walk/sprint/walk routine I’ve been doing could also be accomplished on a bike or in a swimming pool for a lower impact form of exercise.  And again, I feel compelled to give my standard disclaimer to any readers.  I’m not a trainer or expert on anything regarding tennis or fitness, so please take the time to research what works best and is safest for you.  HIIT is a pretty intense form of exercise so I would recommend getting into pretty good shape before even considering it.

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HIIT For Tennis | FirstRoundTennis Blog