Fitness for Intermediate Table Tennis Players

At the intermediate level, physical fitness starts to become a more important factor. You and your opponents now have better technique and consistency. Footwork starts to become more important since your opponents are starting to place the ball in hard to reach locations, and your game tends to become more physically active as you move around to allow you to use your better strokes. You can also hit the ball harder more often, so strength and power start to become more important too.

However, even at this level some players can compensate for lack of fitness by having better technique or tactics. Naturally though, it is better to be fitter, since you will play better for longer.

Intermediate players should be getting most of their fitness work from playing table tennis, in order to make the best use of their time. But for those times when you can't find a partner, doing some specific activities to improve your aerobic fitness and strength will be of benefit too.
Fitness for Advanced Table Tennis Players
At the advanced level, physical fitness is very important. Almost all your opponents will have good technique and tactics, so giving your opponent an edge in physical fitness can be the difference between victory and defeat. Anaerobic fitness (i.e. the body's ability to contract muscles without burning oxygen) is needed during strenuous counterlooping or loop to chop rallies, while aerobic fitness is required to keep up the intensity over a 7 game match which can last up to a hour, or to compete successfully in several matches during one day.

Advanced players will be combining on the table work with off the table training in order to raise their fitness to the necessary level. A play who intelligently uses off the table training can use his time more efficiently and get an edge in fitness over someone who only plays table tennis.