Venus Williams is a natural when it comes to swinging a racket on the tennis court. But being an Olympic gold medalist and a Wimbledon champion also takes hard work. Williams does whatever it takes during training to make sure she’s at the top of her game. That means regular conditioning for strength, flexibility, and plenty of cardio. “If I were to pick one [workout], it would be lots of cardio,” Williams tells SELF in an interview for the launch of the Intrepid collection for her EleVen clothing line. “You can’t do your best at your match if you’re out of shape.” But there’s one type of cardio that she isn’t a big fan of: long-distance running. We totally understand. Running miles on a treadmill can get boring, and a marathon outdoors can be tedious. But Williams found a way to make her gym sessions fly by.
“I’m not a good distance runner, but I enjoy fast-paced plyometrics and sprints,” Williams says. Fast and explosive, plyometrics—or jump training—can be an effective way to build endurance, improve balance, and increase strength. “It’s a lot more intriguing and makes the time go by a lot faster,” Williams says. It’s easy to integrate plyometric moves into your own workout. But keep in mind: Plyo is not ideal for newbies and is best practiced at the beginning of your workout—when your muscles are fresh. Plus, it’s best to wait 48 hours between plyometric sessions to save your joints. At home, you can try burpees, jumping lunges, or single-leg deadlifts with a hop. (Get more ideas from this 15-minute at-home workout).
