Gym theory for competitive table tennis players

Every once in awhile, someone at my table tennis club will ask me how they should be weightlifting. My answer is pretty complex. Because traditional running and bodybuilding schemes are not optimal for most sports, least of all table tennis.

Without knowing an athlete’s schedule, athletic history, nutritional intake, injury history, weak points and goals, it would be irresponsible for me to create a training program. But here are some thoughts.

Be explosive repeatedly: This is important! Doing bodybuilding lifts with bodybuilding tempos will not train your body optimally for table tennis. Tournaments require you to be explosive on shot after shot for hours in a row. The best way to develop this is multiple sets of low reps with a weight you can really move. (Say 10 sets of three reps with about 55% of your one rep max.) You should not be at failure at the end of each set.

Train your posterior chain: Your posterior chain generates power. Most table tennis players could benefit from deadlifts, cleans (from the hang and from the floor), snatches (from the hang and from the floor), reverse hypers and Romanian deadlifts.

Develop joint mobility: Unless you're arthritic or have knee or back problems, you can use exercises like overhead squats, one-leg squats, one-leg deadlifts and front squats to develop mobility throughout your lower body.

Favor unilateral exercises: Lunges, one-leg squats, one-arm overhead presses and so on should play a big part in your training routine.

Don't forget your posture: Many people have a weak lower back, weak inner abs, weak rotator cuffs and shortened hip flexors. Therefore, you should include reverse hypers, planks, L-flyes and stretching for hips and quadriceps in your workout routine.

Sprint: Long distance running is rarely optimal. Repeated dashes are much better. Try doing ten 100-yard dashes with 60 seconds of rest in between.

Try a little unbalanced training: Occasionally, do exercises while standing on an unstable surface, like a bosu ball. This will help make sure your abs and ankles are stable.