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ANDRE AGASSI'S WORKOUT

Andre Agassi defied the odd's when having been ranked 141 in the world in 1997 he came back to win the French Open in 1999 and got back to world number 1.
The road back wasn't easy. Agassi dismissed gimmicks and gadgets and improved his fitness the old fashioned way.
"Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work, I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it" Agassi said.

With Gil Reyes (Agassi's long term fitness trainer and friend) at the controls, Agassi put himself through a grueling program of weight-lifting and cardiovascular exercises aimed at improving his leg strength and speed. "The legs are key for Andre, If Andre feels that he has the legs he can get to any ball and stay out there for as long as it takes" Reyes said.

AGASSI'S ROUTINE

In addition to two 90 minute practices on court, Agassi trains with Reyes for two hours off court.
One hour lifting weights and one hour sprinting.
Often Agassi runs 20-40 metre sprints on a track but Reyes said "The ultimate challenge for Andre is running up the mountains"
Agassi and Reyes started calling the mountains they trained on MAGIC MOUNTAIN because they said that is were the magic happened.
"Thats the toughest for me, my lungs are burning and im running so hard that sometimes I think i'm going to throw up. But when I get to the top, it's the greatest feeling in the world. Thats when I know i'm ready physically and mentally" said Agassi.

UPHILL TRAINING

To increase lung and leg capacity Agassi runs uphill. The sprints are the same length as on the track, but because of the height, the body works harder and also gets better results.
Run a 10-, 20- or even 40 metre sprint uphill or on an elevated treadmill, then jog slowly for a few minutes then repeat.
Try a set of 5 sprints and build from there.

REACTION TIME

"I rely on quick reflexes so that I can hit the ball early and offensively" Agassi said.
To help quicken your reflexes, have a coach or hitting partner stand at the service line and serve balls into one corner of the court.
The extra pace will force you to react to the ball and as a result will force you to prepare earlier to get the ball back.

ANDY RODDICK'S WORKOUT

It’s not a problem getting the top U.S. player into the gym. So says his trainer, Doug Spreen: “The best thing about Andy is that he always wants to be doing something. Downtime gets boring for him, so it doesn’t take long, even in the off-season, and he’s ready to get back to work.” Spreen, a former ATP trainer, travels with Roddick and helps him with his nutrition, strength, and injury prevention. “We’ve tried to get him in better overall shape, which means getting his body fat down and converting it to muscle,” Spreen says. “We want to make his whole body stronger so it’s less susceptible to injury.” With that in mind, Roddick has focused on shoring up his shoulder and core. “The shoulder is key for his serve, and the core keeps the entire body balanced,” Spreen says. “It’s become a real priority of Andy’s.” Here are three exercises from Roddick’s routine.

1. STABILITY-BALL CRUNCH
Crunches are the classic exercise for building abdominal strength. When you do them on a stability ball (available online at performbetter.com), you force your other core muscles (lower back and obliques) to help keep you balanced. Lie on top of a midsize stability ball with your feet planted on the floor and your hands either behind your head or in front of your chest. Slowly lift your shoulders and upper back off the ball, then lower them down, taking three to five seconds to complete the crunch. Work up to three sets of 20 reps.

2. ABDOMINAL LEG LIFT
Another way to build ab strength is with leg lifts. Lie flat on the floor with your palms at your sides or under your buttocks. Keeping your feet together, lift your legs off the floor a few inches. Without touching the floor, slowly raise them up approximately 5 more inches and back down to the starting point. Work up to three sets of 20.

3. EXTERNAL ROTATION
To strengthen and protect the muscles around his shoulders, Roddick does rotation exercises. (a) Lean forward on a bench or other stationary object and put one hand and knee on top of the object. Take a dumbbell of comfortable weight and hold it with a bent elbow at your side. (b) Lift your arm out and up until the dumbbell is at head height. Hold and slowly bring your arm back down to the starting position. Work up to three sets of 10.

Plyometric training has helped make Elena Dementieva one of the fittest players on the WTA tour.

What is plyometrics, exactly?
At its simplest, it’s a fancy word for “jump training,” but it’s really all about power. “Plyometrics improves explosive power,” says Vern Gambetta, M.A., director of athletic development for the New York Mets and whose newest training video is “Proprioceptive Plyometrics” (Gambetta Sports Training Systems). “This kind of training helps you get to more shots,” he says. Just ask Elena Dementieva, whose improved fitness and speed, due in part to the jump training she has incorporated into her workout, helped her reach two Grand Slam finals in 2004. And if you’re looking for a way to decrease your risk of ankle sprains, you’d be wise to add a few of these moves to your training regimen. Gambetta recommends two sessions of plyometrics a week. Warm up for five to ten minutes before each workout and do the moves demonstrated by Dementieva, starting with two sets of each and working up to three.

1. EXPLODING STEP-UP
Stand next to a bench or platform that’s about 15 to 18 inches high. Place your right foot on the bench and push up as powerfully as you can, lifting your left leg up until your thigh is parallel with the ground. Use your arms to help propel you up. Step back down. Move as quickly as you can but maintain control. Do 10 times, switch legs and repeat.

2.LATERAL STEP ON BOSU BALL
Stand with your left foot on the ball and your right foot on the floor. Bend your knees slightly and jump up, shuffling your feet so your right foot lands on the ball and your left foot on the floor. Shuffle from side to side (one foot should always be on the ball), moving as quickly as you can. “The ball is an unstable surface, which improves body awareness,” Gambetta says. Do 10 steps in each direction.

3.LATERAL TWO-LEGGED JUMP
Stand next to a 4-inch step (an aerobics step is the perfect height). Jump up and to the side with both feet so you land on the step and then immediately take off again, traveling in the same direction so you land on the floor with both feet. That’s one repetition. Repeat 10 times.

Does exercising at the beach sound like fun?

That’s not exactly the way Venus Williams describes it. But we go there as often as we can to train, particularly before the clay-court season. It takes a lot of effort to run, jump, and change directions on sand, and it improves your ankle strength as well—all of which helps with the long rallies that occur on clay. In the five years that I’ve been working with Venus and Serena as their trainer, they’ve learned the value of giving their muscles that extra push. In Venus’ case, it has helped cut down on her leg injuries, which isn’t easy for a woman who’s so tall and is forced to bend so much on the court. Illustrated here are three elements from a typical day at the beach. One note: It’s important to cool down after a sand workout so you’re not sore the next day. Venus goes for a 10-minute walk in the water.

QUADRANT HOP
Mark a spot in the sand and stand there with your feet shoulder width apart. After a deep knee bend, hop forward as far as you can and then backward to the original spot. Repeat that movement to your left, behind you, and to your right, getting as much push into your hops as possible.
Do as many as you can in 30 seconds, then take off for a 50-yard sprint. Try to gradually increase the number of hops you do in 30 seconds, and then extend your time until you can hop for 60 seconds.

CONE JUMP
Line up six cones (or hurdles) a few feet from one another. Stand at one end with your legs at shoulder width and face the cones. Hop forward between the cones, then backward, trying to get as high in the air as you can. Start again, this time with your body sideways to the cones. Hop laterally between all of them and back.
Do this five times in each direction, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat

HARNESS PULL
Tie a thick harness rope around your waist and have a partner or coach resist you from behind. Sprint forward as hard as you can for 20 to 30 seconds, then take a one- to two-minute rest. Do 10 sprints. The resistance will help increase the stamina and explosive power in your legs.

MAGNUS NORMAN'S WORKOUT

Magnus Norman from Sweden was Runner Up in the French Open 2000 (lost to Kuerten) and was number two in the world rankings.
Norman was known for his good all round strength.

IN THE GYM

Norman focuses on his legs. He balances a 130 pound (58 kgs) barbell on his shoulders and does three sets of six jumps, an exercise designed to get him more explosive power on his serve, "jumping with the weights helps me extend" he said.

ON COURT

Norman hits against two fellow pros at once, 'with two people, the ball always comes back, which gets you in great shape for a long match'
He also plays a set or match after he finishes a workout in the gym 'You get more out of yourself when you're tired' he said.

SPRINTS

When Norman is done playing, he runs a series of 30 foot sprints. He sidesteps a few metres and then sprints forward.
After another few sidesteps, he sprints backward. He does other mimicking court movements (side-to-side running, shuffle steps) for 30 minutes.