i didn't really feel like i wanted to do a huge hour-long workout today, going for a run or
riding the bike or whatever. so what i'm going to do instead is run you through two rounds of
three sets of three different moves that are all core. my name is meike babel, i'm a former top
30 wta pro and these are all things that i used to do. so again, we're doing three moves for 30
seconds, three times through then one minute break and then we'll get into another round.
so let's get going here with a little warm up. and i have my racket because, yes, i do want to feel
like a tennis coach. so let's just get warmed up a little bit just forehands and backhands.
and as you can see, i'm doing that here in front of my garage. so i'm thinking most of my neighbors
already know that i'm a tennis coach but if they haven't gotten the memo, they will sure as heck
have gotten it after we're done. because i'm seeing somebody walking by right now. all right,
so let's do a few butt kicks. even before you're just doing core workout stuff, i would
always recommend to get your body temperature up a little bit. all right, and just kind of if you've
been sitting around like me all day, it just helps you get into the mood a little bit more.,
okay so let's do a few shuffles here, again just moving.
loosening up, just little, tiny shuffles, more from your ankles.
all right, then just really playfully a couple of volleys.
all right, backhand volleys so the whole workout is not going to be longer than 20 minutes
but i know that i will feel that tomorrow morning. all right, last little bit here just some twists,
ski twists.
all right, i'm gonna put my racket away.
and we are going to start with 30 seconds of bicycle crunches. so i'm going to interlace my
fingers here behind my neck and i'm just going to ride my bike here laying down. 30 seconds of this.
then we're going to do, i'm going to do this way,
high planks to low planks. so i'm starting in my plank position, high plank. wrists are under my
shoulder and then i'm lowering myself down and then up again, down and up. so the third move
is we're getting back into plank position, or tabletop, sorry, tabletop and you lift your
opposite arm, opposite leg. so right arm, left leg, left arm, right leg, so on and so forth.
so we got three moves, 30 seconds each we're doing three rounds. all right,.
bicycle crunches.
trying to make sure that my lower back is not arched, so i'm trying to press the
small of my back into the ground. almost there, three, two, one and then switch.
and i'm going to do it sideways now so you'll see from the side. start with low plank, i'm trying to
stay as compact and straight as possible. what i don't want to do is this, and i don't want to
get my heiney up either, so just going low, up and lowering down again. seven seconds.
and then we go right into your tabletop.
and then just hold it,
balance on your knee and your hand. when you feel that you have your balance,
you switch.
eight seconds, same thing again. i'm trying to balance and i'm trying to stay in one line.
and that is our first 30 seconds break. so the next round, i'm just gonna do facing you
so you'll see it from a different perspective.
all right, we're getting ready
in five, four, three, two, one and go.
i did hate most of these exercises when i was a kid
and only later then, of course, when i played on tour did i realize how important they are.
a couple more seconds here.
and switch. we're going back to high planks, low planks. so again, i'm trying not to kind
of wobble around. high plank into low plank and then back up. and i'm trying to alternate the arm
with which i'm pushing myself up. i do feel that my left
is worse. so now i'm using right and, oh yeah, i'm struggling.
lucky. bird dog i think that's called, what it's called. so again opposite arm, opposite leg.
and, of course, you can all do all these things
in your home.
break. if you have enough room. i don't feel i have enough room in my house or my living room
anywhere. plus, it was kind of cluttered and not picked up, so i'm doing it out here so that my
neighbors have a spectacle. all right, we got 13 more seconds then we have our last round.
all right getting ready, bicycle
crunches.
all right, ten seconds.
five, four, three, two, one coming up for high plank, low plank and i do need these big time
because i'm struggling.
especially on the press up here.
and if you do need a break just like i do right now, just hold your high plank. all right,
last bit, bird dog. opposite arm and opposite leg. really trying to reach forward and backward
through your heel there, forward through the tips of your fingers here. seven seconds.
and break. okay, that is going to be one minute.
so it's a great time to get some water and i'll explain our next moves.
okay, our next moves are just holding the boat position. that's from yoga i believe.
and what you're doing is you're on your sits bone and you try to get your calves up to 90 degrees
here, parallel to the ground. arms pointing here in front and we're just going to hold that.
okay, so that's our first one. second one is going to be walking planks and i have to
actually move my mat for that.
so we're in a plank position and i'm just going to take two steps out and two steps back and do that
for 30 seconds. if that is too much for you, just hold your high plank. so i might go into that,
much rather have you just doing a static hold rather than really feeling wobbly and then
injuring something. there we go. and the third one will be superman pose so what i'm doing is
i'm trying to just have contact here on my belly and then pelvis.
and i'm just extending my arms and my legs, i'm pretending i'm superwoman,
superman, superwoman, let's go with superwoman since i'm a woman.
all right, are you ready? we have nine more little sets and that's it, then you're done. boat pose.
this is just a quick and dirty little workout.
if you feel that you're struggling a little bit with core stability.
i cannot over stress how important the core is. tennis is such a one-sided sport. five seconds.
we just got to make sure that the core can really balance all that stuff out that we're doing.
all right, walking planks. step out one and coming back and i'm trying to
keep my butt low don't want to do this. this is not what we want.
got 10 seconds.
one more time through.
and then we transition into superwoman pose.
right here.
just trying to not let chest or my thighs touch the mat.
if you feel that's too easy for you, you can, of course, always bring
your shoulders in but that right here, holding, is plenty for me.
all right and 30 seconds break.
all right, this is something also that you can just fit in, maybe you know, over lunch break.
just those little things that can get you better even when you don't have court time.
six more little sets and then we're done.
all right back to boat pose.
if you want to make this tougher.
i can't, you can extend your legs but i do feel that i'm not stable enough and i just really don't
want to do anything to my lower back because i feel i have to compensate. all right, two more
seconds. walking planks, whoops, this is where i need to be. alright, set out, step out, just two,
four more seconds, one more and, oh yep, i'm feeling that. superwoman.
30 seconds, we're already halfway there.
three, two, one and break.
all right, grab some water.
we're almost done, almost done. when we're done i'll also lead you through a few stretches
that you can and probably should do after each time you step
off the court. let's go, boat pose. last 30 seconds.
i definitely haven't done enough of those lately
because i'm feeling that i'm starting to tremble just slightly.
but we got this.
all right, walking planks last time through. step and step.
10 seconds
you really have your core engaged there.
and 30 seconds
superwoman and then we're done.
10 seconds.
and done, we're done with our exercises. let's cool down by stretching a little bit.
all right, just very simple quad stretch. so i'm just holding on here
to my ankle. if i have issues with balancing this, i can try to have my left arm up. for me
that feels that i have more control for whatever reason. let's hold that a little bit more.
and then
switch. okay, even though it was just a short workout i feel like i did something
because i'm already feeling my abs here.
all right adductors here. so i'm just getting with my elbows to the inside of my knees
and i'm leaning forward slightly until i feel a good stretch and then i just hold.
that and release all right. mr bug you should probably not be here.
there we go. all right, i like to do that here sitting down.
my left leg goes over my right, i'm hooking my right elbow here to my knee and then i'm
trying to look back over my left shoulder. and i feel a pretty good stretch in my tush.
and switch.
so now right foot over my left knee, hook in my left elbow to my right
elbow, my right leg and then i'm looking back here over my right shoulder.
and release. and then the last one, just stretching my legs out here
and trying to touch my toes which thankfully i can still do.
okay and we're done of course you can continue to stretch. if you like this
video let me know in the comments or if you had one exercise that you liked the least,
also let me know in the comments. there are seven or eight other workout videos where i have way
more tennis specific movements all here in front of my garage. check those out, i will post them
down in the descriptions. all right, shower time.