This week’s featured training exercise once again comes from the Carlos Alcaraz: My Way docuseries. It features a foundational movement that elite players like Alcaraz incorporate into their off-court training routines. I’m honestly shocked to discover that I haven’t already written about this one previously, as it’s one of the most basic and widely used weight training exercises out there. Today’s topic is the bench press.
The bench press is a classic upper-body strength exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In this clip, Alcaraz is shown performing the bench press using a bar loaded with modest weight plates on each end. It was a part of a montage on how he went from a skinny kid to a well-muscled adult seemingly overnight.
The bench press is performed by lying flat on a bench and gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. The bar is pushed straight up until the arms are straight, being careful not to lock the elbows. After a brief pause, the bar is lowered back to the chest. Good form is critical, and it is essential to have a spotter nearby when using heavy weights. Alternatively, this exercise can be performed using dumbbells.
Tennis players can benefit from regularly performing bench presses. It develops the kind of strength essential for generating power on serves and groundstrokes as well as maintaining stability on the court. The bench press also builds the muscles that generate racquet head speed. It’s not just about brute force, but also strengthening the interconnected muscle groups in the kinetic chain of efficient and effective tennis shots.
The bench press is such a cornerstone that it appears in nearly every book on tennis fitness training in my collection. If you’re building or refining your strength routine, this move absolutely deserves a place in your program. It’s a proven, time-tested lift that can help you build a stronger, more durable game. Bottom line: if it’s good enough for Alcaraz, it’s probably time to add the bench press to your regular workout rotation.
