Fitness Routines of Top Pickleball Players: Pickleball professionals train hard to stay at peak fitness, balancing strength, cardio, and recovery to handle multiple daily matches. While pickleball itself provides great cardio, many pros supplement their training with additional workouts tailored to their needs.
Strength and Cardio Play a Key Role
Anna Leigh Waters prioritizes cardio in her routine but avoids running, opting for swimming and biking instead.
“When I’m on the pickleball court doing drills, that’s a lot of cardio. I used to play midfield in soccer, so I used to run a ton. I feel like cardio is just ingrained in me. I definitely do a lot of weight and mobility stuff, and balance and reaction work because that’s everything in pickleball. There’s some sports where maybe you just need to be able to use your feet, but in pickleball, you have to be able to do everything. I like to mix it up a lot with my workouts and training.” – (Waters)
Allyce Jones incorporates weight training, whether at home or on the road. “I can go there and just zone out,” she said.
Salome Devidze focuses on pilates, which has strengthened her core and improved her game.
“I’m really into pilates now. It’s intense and I’m not very good at it, but I try my best. It makes me feel great, and it’s definitely helped my game because my core is stronger and it keeps me stronger on the court.” – (Devidze)
Connor Garnett maintains his fitness in the gym but emphasizes recovery.
“I definitely hit the gym, but in pickleball you’re out there so much on the court that it keeps you in pretty good shape. For me, it’s more balancing the recovery and making sure I stretch and take care of myself off the court so I don’t get injured.” – (Garnett)
Training Routines Vary Among Players
Lacy Schneemann incorporates weightlifting into her schedule whenever possible.
“I lift weights. When I have time off from tournaments, I try to lift like three times a week, but with tournaments my schedule can get kind of wonky. I pretty much just go to the gym, pick up heavy things and put them down.” – (Schneemann)
Parris Todd works with a trainer and focuses on strength training.
“When I’m home, I try to get as much time in with my trainer. I go to the weight room and work on different parts of the body because I’m on the court so much and getting a lot of cardio in. I’m doing so much cardio on the court that I have to strengthen my muscles. It may not look like I lift weights, but I’m trying to get some muscles on my bones.” – (todd)
Kate Fahey finds that strength training benefits her body and mind.
“I really like strength training because it got me stronger on the court, but it also helps me mentally knowing that I’m in shape and can outlast people. I also do a little bit of cardio. I try not to run fast, but I’ll jog or walk, and stretch as much as I can.” – (Fahey)
Christian Alshon believes diet plays a key role in fitness.
“The best way to stay in shape is in the kitchen, not in the gym. If you’re going to eat like crap and you work out every day, it’s going to show. If you eat super healthy and you work out twice a week, you’ll look better. I work out almost every day, and if I’m not working out, I’m doing mobility, stretching, physical therapy, something every single day, even if it’s rest and recovery.” – (Alshon)
Strength Training a Common Theme
While each professional follows a different approach, strength training is a common theme among top players. Their workouts, whether in the gym, on the court, or through alternative methods like pilates and swimming, are carefully designed to enhance performance and prevent injury.
News in Brief: Fitness Routines of Top Pickleball Players
Pickleball professionals use a mix of strength training, cardio, and recovery techniques to stay in peak condition for tournaments. While workouts vary, weightlifting, mobility drills, and proper nutrition play a crucial role in their routines.
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