Every Tuesday, this site publishes a post exploring a tennis technology or training technique. Today, we are returning to exploring vintage Bag Check promotional videos produced and aired by the Tennis Channel. This week’s edition features American tennis professional Christina McHale. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 24 and represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. McHale reached the fourth round at both the US Open and the French Open, earned one WTA doubles title, and was known for her fitness and defensive court coverage. She officially retired in 2022, though she returned to the court for a few events in 2024.
I was low-key surprised to discover that McHale was playing in 2010, since she has still been competing fairly recently. In fact, she was featured in a second Bag Check video 7 years ago. Other players have likely been asked to complete the Bag Check sunshine double, but McHale is the first I have noticed achieving that promotional feat.
In her Bag Check first edition, McHale pulled a predictable list of items from her racquet bag. That included racquets, shoes, and a jump rope. She also revealed a stick massage roller, which I just reviewed last February. When she pulled a resistance loop out of her bag, I similarly thought that I had recently written about it. However, upon further review, I had not. McHale then proceeded to demonstrate how she uses a resistance loop to perform monster walks. That was enough to lock it in for this week’s focus.
Monster walks are a basic lower-body exercise that targets the glutes, hips, and related stabilizing muscles. This exercise is performed by placing a resistance loop either just above the knees or at the ankles, with an athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, and knees slightly bent. The idea is to maintain tension on the band while taking controlled steps either forward or laterally. While the movement may appear easy, it effectively engages the hip abductors and external rotators.
For tennis players, monster walks support the muscles needed to create power while maintaining balance. Strong hip stabilizers reduce the risk of knee and lower back injuries and improve explosive directional changes. A consistent routine of resistance loop training can enhance power during open-stance groundstrokes and improve stability when making sudden stops. Monster walks are also an efficient activation exercise before practice or match play.
I recently purchased a new set of resistance loops, and as I mentioned earlier, I was surprised to learn I had not previously written much about this particular training device. A quick search of my post history shows that the last time I covered resistance loops was in May 2024. That post featured a clip of Aryna Sabalenka from the Netflix series Break Point. The fact that I don’t write about resistance loops on the regular is a significant oversight.
My new resistance loop set is already in heavy rotation during my fitness sessions. Since my on-court time has been significantly reduced over the past year, the gym now accounts for a much larger share of my training. As a result, I am doing a lot of resistance work and focusing on functional moves that directly target the muscles required for on-court performance.
5-Pack Elastic Loop Exercise Bands (<- Sponsored Link)
Resistance loops are versatile, portable, and efficient, making them a great investment for anyone fine-tuning their tennis fitness. If you do not already have a set of resistance loops, now might be the time to address it. Learn how to use them for activation and strength building, and keep them in your tennis bag. Small improvements in stability and force generation can make a big difference on the court.
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