Tennis, Pickleball and Strength Training

Yes, keep your sport. In our experience, tennis and pickleball sit well alongside strength training, as long as strength comes first. Your strength workouts stay put, and a match can take the place of the optional conditioning workout. Your coach helps you set up the week so you get enough fuel and recovery.

Your court time might be the best part of your week.

Your friends are there. Your competitive streak is there.

Nobody here is going to ask you to give that up.

Why isn't my sport giving me the muscle I want?

I hear some version of this on a lot of calls.

"I play all the time. I'm really into it. But I know it's not building muscle, and I've lost my definition."

Here's the thing.

Your sport is great for you. You're moving, your heart rate is up, and you're laughing with your people.

What a match doesn't do is ask your muscles for a little more every week.

In our experience, muscle changes when you give it:

The same key movements. Repeated often enough that you get good at them.
A little more over time. A bit heavier or a bit harder over the weeks. That's progressive overload.
Enough food. Protein at every meal, and enough overall.
Real recovery. Sleep, and rest days that stay rest days.

A great rally gives you plenty. A plan that builds week to week is the part it leaves out.

Chris puts it in three words: "Muscle is metabolism."

Does tennis or pickleball count as cardio?

It counts as movement, and movement matters.

A lot of the women we coach count an hour on the court as part of an active day, and so do we. Here's more on how daily movement adds up for fat loss.

What it doesn't replace is your strength training.

Here's how I'd think about it:

Strength workouts build the muscle.
Your sport keeps you moving, and keeps it fun.
Walks fill in the rest of your week.

So on a day you play, your match can stand in for the optional conditioning workout. Your strength days stay where they are.

How do I fit strength training around my matches?

Here's how a week works in our 8-week Metabolic Reset.

Five follow-along workouts at home, about 50 minutes each: 3 strength and 2 conditioning. One of the conditioning workouts is optional.

Here's how we usually build your sport into it:

Strength days come first. Chris calls resistance training "the foundation and heartbeat" of everything we do. Those three workouts are the base.
Your match takes the optional conditioning spot. Play on Thursdays? That's your optional workout for the week. Play more often? Your coach fits the extra games around your strength days.
We set the week together. On your onboarding call, we look at your court schedule and pick your strength days, so your hardest workout and your longest match don't land back to back.
Busy court weeks get planned. Tournament coming up? Tell your coach, and she'll shift the week with you.

Your coach checks in every two weeks, and you can reach her between check-ins. If the schedule changes, the plan changes with it.

If you're playing most days already, adding all five workouts on top is usually too much. Here's how many days a week to strength train, and what to do if you're overdoing it.

And if you're juggling a class or two as well, here's how classes fit with strength training.

What if my body can only handle so much?

Hey ladies, listen up. This one matters.

A lot of women tell us they only have so many hours in the week, and their body can only manage so much.

That's honest. And it's exactly why the plan gets built around you:

Fewer workouts, built better. A few solid strength workouts beat a packed week you can't recover from.
Your energy is the guide. Dragging into a match? Sore for days? Tell your coach.
Every move has an easier option. Take it on a heavy week.
Rest days stay rest days. A gentle walk is welcome. A third match might not be.

Right? More isn't always better. Better is better.

Do I need to eat differently on the days I play?

Often, a little.

A long match or a tournament day asks more of your body. In our experience, more active days usually need more fuel.

Here's what that tends to look like:

Protein at every meal, game day or not.
A real meal before you play, with time to settle.
A little more fuel on the big days. The first 14 days are lower carb and higher protein, then carbs come back. After that, your coach may add a bit more on your long court days.
Your water bottle on the court. Every time.

No counting. Your coach uses simple hand-size portions and adjusts as she sees how you feel.

What if my knee or shoulder hurts?

Start with your doctor or physio.

If you have pain in a joint, pain that's sharp, or pain that hangs around for more than a few days, get it checked before you keep playing or lifting through it. Some women have to sit out a season, and that's okay.

We coach around whatever they've cleared you to do. Your coach swaps any move that doesn't feel right, and there's always an easier option. Here's how we coach around injuries.

Why put strength first at all?

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

In our experience, building muscle is what keeps body composition changing after 40. Your sport keeps you moving and keeps you happy. Strength training is what tends to bring back the shape you've been missing.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.

Some of the women we coach play every week, right through the program.

Ready to keep your game and build your strength?

You don't have to choose between the court and the weights.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, tell him about your sport and your schedule, and he'll tell you straight whether the program is the right fit and how your week could look. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Keep your court time.

Let's build the strength to go with it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I play pickleball and still strength train?

Yes. Your strength workouts stay the base of the week, and a game can take the place of the optional conditioning workout. Your coach helps you pick the days.

Does tennis count as a workout for weight loss?

It counts as movement, and that helps. In our experience, it doesn't replace strength training, which is what tends to change body composition after 40.

Will strength training make me too tired to play?

It can if the week is overloaded. Your coach spaces your strength days and your matches so you have room to recover, and adjusts the plan if you're dragging.

Is pickleball enough exercise after 40?

It's great movement and a lot of fun. To change body composition, we pair it with planned strength training, three times a week in our program.

What if I get hurt playing tennis or pickleball?

See your doctor or physio, especially for joint pain, sharp pain or pain that lasts more than a few days. We coach around whatever they clear you to do.

I play tennis or pickleball. Can I keep my sport and still strength train?