Venus Williams workout

June 15, 8:55 PMSan Jose Fitness ExaminerAmy Rabinovitz

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Venus Williams  in Paris, Friday May 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

"At Wimbledon I'm always pro-Venus," the beautiful tennis star and three-time Olympic gold medalist (who turns 29 on June 17) told The Guardian. 

Pro-Venus though she may be, she knows that confidence alone isn't the key to winning, at Wimbledon or elsewhere.

• Here's a brief slide show of Serena Williams
• Here areslides of Venus Williams
• Check out Andy Murray's workout
• Take a look at Roger Federer 's workout

It takes practice and practice and then more practice - on the court and in the gym - to gain that confidence.

But no one accuses either of the Williams sisters of lacking dedication, though according to sister Serena Williams, it's Venus who really LIKES to workout. 

"I can't train with my sister, Venus," Serena told Star Magazine. "She loves working out. She loves going to the gym and running. It's frustrating working out with her because she's so into it. I'm the complete opposite."

So, if you are Venus Ebony Starr Williams and you LOVE to work out, what does your workout look like? Yoga. Gym work. Strength, speed and core exercises. It’s about working hard on her athleticism, toning her muscles and constantly improving her aerobic levels as well.

Kerrie Brooks, a physical therapist who works with Venus regularly and owns OrthoSport Group in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida wrote a great article for Tennis.com, in which she outlined one workout that Venus doesn't really consider fun: a difficult workout done on sand.

Brooks said they go to the beach as often as possible, particularly before a clay-court session. Running and jumping in the sand takes a lot of effort and builds ankle strength.

Difficult workouts, according to Brooks, "have helped cut down on her leg injuries, which isn’t easy for a woman who’s so tall [6’1”] and is forced to bend so much on the court." Be sure to check out the article for three beach exercises you can do, and pay heed to her advice about cooling down. (Venus goes for a 10-minute walk in the water).

Of course, it's about more than time at the beach. Venus attributes much of her success to core-body conditioning."I dedicate one entire workout each week to it," she told Shape.com in August, 2008, "but I also challenge it during other exercises--it's where so much of my power comes from."

Pro-Venus?  You bet she is.  We are too!

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