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Bryan Brothers - Tennis' No. 1 Doubles Team Talks Grand Slams, Fitness and Rock n' Roll
Posted on Sep 9th 2009 12:00PM by Karen AspFiled Under: Fitness
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| Photo: Bob and Mike Bryan, provided by BEST Tennis |
The Bryan brothers have been playing tennis together since they were born, after all. And when they're not jamming on the courts, you'll find them jamming with their band.
Even with everything on their plates (including a chance to defend their 2008 U.S. Open title), they took time to chat with That's Fit about tennis, fitness and music. Read on, and you be the judge of how cool these two are (and if you really like them, head to their website and become a member of the Bryan's Bunch).
That's Fit: I'm sure you've been asked this a zillion times, but what's it like to play tennis with your twin brother?
Bob Bryan: We like playing doubles with each other and have done it since we were boys. We're best friends and like doing things together.
TF: OK, but do you ever get mad or upset with each other?
Mike Bryan: We get along great 99.9 percent of the time, but when we do have an argument, it only lasts for a minute or so.
TF: When did you start playing doubles together?
BB: Our parents always say we were playing together before we were born because our mom, who was also a tour player, played a doubles match at our club on her due date. So we were sort of playing in there before we actually arrived in the world.
TF: Way back when, did you ever think you could get to the point you're at today?
BB: Our mom used to say, "If not them, who?" And our dad always says that he'd have been more surprised if we weren't No. 1 in the world and hadn't been on the USA Davis Cup team and won all those titles because that was our goal, and we were passionate about it.
MB: Yeah, the point is, we dreamed this dream, and we did everything we could to achieve it. We took all the little steps along the way.
BB: And the big steps.
TF: Talk about your fitness routine. I understand you maintain a pretty vigorous fitness program, spending about two hours a day training off-court.
BB: We try to do an hour to two hours a day, depending on if we're at a tournament or not and what time of the year it is.
TF: So what do you do to achieve a high fitness level?
MB: Playing tennis and practicing are certainly great ways to stay in shape. But we also work out in the gym and on our sand volleyball court. We do all kinds of machine work and free weight and core ball and bungy cords.
TF: What do each of you think are your physical strengths?
MB: We really haven't had too many injuries in the 26 years we've been competing. We've had some -- but not many -- and we've never had to have surgery.
BB: That's the main thing with our training. First and foremost, we want to be healthy and able to play and stay on the tour. We also think we're strong and flexible and have good aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
TF: What are you working to improve right now? I heard, for instance, you were trying to improve core strength and stability and lower body strength.
BB: Yes, that's part of it. To build leg strength, for instance, we put ankle weights on and run and sprint backward up our driveway. We also do side-to-side movements in sand on the volleyball court, and we do sprints and interval endurance on the bike.
TF: Do you both enjoy working out?
MB: Well, we do it together and with a trainer, and we always have some laughs and try to make it fun just like we do with our tennis workouts. We also play music, if it's available, while we're working out.
BB: But we don't like working out nearly as much as we like playing tennis.
TF: How do you stay motivated to train at such a high level?
BB: Just like Mike said, we think music passes the time and makes the whole thing more enjoyable. Mike and I are deep into music, and we play instruments and even have a new CD coming out called "Let It Rip," but we love listening to it as much as we love playing it.
TF: If you weren't playing tennis, what sport would each of you be playing?
BB: Basketball and golf.
MB: Same for me. We also think volleyball is a great game, and like all tennis players, we like to play Ping-Pong.
TF: You're not just tennis players but also musicians, as you've already mentioned. You've got a band, the Bryan Brothers Band, and a full recording studio at your house. What's the scoop?
BB: Yeah, we have a large studio with lots of guitars, pianos and drums and all kinds of recording equipment. We spend a lot of time there when we have a week off.
TF: I understand that you once played with the Counting Crows?
MB: Yeah, Jim Bogious, their incredible drummer, is a great guy and a big tennis fan and has become a good friend, and we had a blast playing "Hangin' Around" with them at a huge gig in Tampa. They couldn't have been nicer.
TF: So if the tennis career ever went south, would you switch to becoming pro musicians?
MB: Yes, we love music. We love playing gigs and recording. And we really enjoy playing with other musicians. We've just recorded our first CD called "Let It Rip" with David Baron, and it came out at the U.S. Open.
TF: Besides playing tennis at Flushing Meadows, what's your favorite thing to do in New York City?
BB: We love to play music gigs there and also go out and hear music.
TF: Even with all that you've achieved, what goals do you two still want to accomplish?
MB: Well, we were No. 1 in the U.S. in the boys 18s. We've won the NCAA team title twice and also the NCAA singles and doubles championship. We've been on the U.S. Davis Cup championship team. We've won all the doubles Grand Slams, and we've won the bronze at the Olympics. What else is there, Bob?
BB: How about an Olympic gold and a total of 62 doubles titles which would be a new record -- we're at 54 right now.
Looking for more scoop from other top tennis pros? Check out this interview with Ana Ivanovic.
