Muscle Groups To Train For Badminton—These 3 Are Important
Irrespective of your skill level in this highly athletic game, you need to know well, what muscle groups to train for badminton.
So keep on reading to know what do you n to work on and what exercises are best suited for beginners.
Badminton is a sport that requires quick movements and changes in direction. This makes it important for athletes to have good strength and mobility in the muscles used most often.
Specific muscle groups to train for badminton:
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced badminton player, it’s important to train each muscle group specifically to maximize your performance.
By targeting specific muscles, you can improve your stamina, coordination, and overall badminton skills. This study demonstrates the specificity that is seen in muscle action in the context of variable course of movements by Brachioradialis & Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus.
Here are 3 reasons why training each muscle group is important:
1. Muscles help increase stamina. When you work out intensely, your muscles will become fatigued. Physiological demand of bloodforpecifically O2 and other nutrients on the behalf of peripheral (body) as well as central (brain & spine) tissues is increased significantly. This leads to greater nutrient utilization and higher performance, which results in increased overall body stamina.
2. Muscles help improve body coordination. If you want to play badminton well, you need to be able to move your body in the right way. This can be accomplished by training different muscles in different ways, as muscles are the primary body tissues responsible for the initiation of motions.
3. Muscles help improve balance and agility. It is important to train your muscles in a way that will not tire them out too quickly. This is where balance and agility training comes in handy.
Now let’s discuss what muscle groups are important to train for good badminton play:
Upper Body Muscles:
Upper body muscles (back, chest, shoulders and arm,s) are crucial in agility and strength. Badminton requires a lot of upper body strength because the player has to keep their head up and move the shuttlecock quickly between their hand and the opponent’s net.
Strong shoulder muscles help lift the player’s arm high in the air so they can hit the shuttlecock accurately.
Chest and back muscles help hold players upright during movement and hitting of the shuttlecock. They also provide stability when landing after a successful shot.
Interestingly, when talking about the upper limb muscles, the proximal muscles of unskilled players seem to have a similar pattern of neurophysiological activity to that of a skilled player. However, this isn’t the case with the distal muscles of the limb. Hence, Focusing on training appears to be important for achieving the accurate performance of the smash in badminton.
Abs, Obliques, and Core Muscles:
Core muscles are essential in badminton because they help with your balance, agility, power, and speed. Players also need to maintain good posture to hit the shuttlecock accurately.
These muscles include muscles of the abdominals and back, attaching to the spine or pelvis—namely transversus abdominis, pelvic floor muscles, and the oblique muscles.
Badminton players need to keep their abs and core muscles strong to avoid falls and keep their balance while playing the game.
Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves:
These lower body muscles are particularly important are they are the primary muscle group responsible for locomotion.
A professional game of Badminton is thrilling and fast-paced in nature.
This sport requires:
- quick changes in direction
- sudden bursts of speed
- good hand-eye coordination
To perform successful fast deliveries, badminton players need to have a strong core muscle group that instills balance and equilibrium in the body
Research has indicated that its partit’slarly important for badminton players to be strong in their legs, hips, and calves if they want to compete at the highest level. Here are the muscles used in badminton and how to target them:
Quadriceps are used for jumping and landing. They are located on the front of the thigh.
HamstrinThe hamstringsponsible for bending the knee and pulling the leg back. They are located on the back of the thigh.
Calves are used for pushing off from the ground. They are located on the lower legs.
Lean Muscle Mass:
Lean muscle mass is beneficial for overall health and well-being. When you have more lean muscle mass, you burn more calories at rest, which can help with weight loss or weight control.
The benefits of having a lean muscle mass are significant for any sport but are especially beneficial for badminton because of the cardiovascular benefits that come with increased agility and speed.
Players with more muscle mass are faster and stronger and can hit the shuttlecock harder.
According to research, lean muscle also helps players stay agile while they are playing. It also improves their reaction time, balance, and coordination
To maintain or increase your lean muscle mass, commit to a regular strength-training routine that includes both cardio and strength-training exercises.
Cardiovascular Exercises:
Cardiovascular exercise is important for all athletes, but especially for badminton players. With the sport’s high energy demands and repeated falls, badminton players are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
Regular cardiovascular exercise can help to prevent these problems and improve overall fitness.
Badminton players should aim to do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day, split into 3 or 4 sessions.
Examples of cardiovascular exercises that are recommended for badminton players include:
- running
- biking
- swimming
- elliptical training
- stair climbing etc.
Regular aerobic exercises help to increase stamina
Flexibility Training:
Flexibility training for badminton players can help them increase their range of motion, preventing injuries in the future.
This type of training can also improve overall fitness and coordination. Badminton players who want to improve their flexibility need to engage in regular flexibility training.
Exercises that focus on improving mobility and range of motion are called dynamic warm-ups. A dynamic warm-up is a series of exercises that gradually increase in intensity, and it helps athletes prepare their bodies for more strenuous activity.
Dynamic warm-ups can improve an athlete’s overall performance by increasing blood flow and flexibility and decreasing the risk of injury.
If You Are A Beginner:
Confused already? Don’t worry, we got you!
When you are new to a discipline, It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the technicalities and ultimately not even start. Just know that the game is beautiful. The key is to just start putting in the effort.
As a beginner, there are two things you need to work on: Agility and Strength training.
The cardiovascular drill is suitable for the agility part of the training. At the same time, body-weight exercises are ideal for strength training if you can’t manage to get a hold of weights or hit up the gym regularly. These are your best bets.
- Running, swimming, rope-skipping, etc. are good forms of cardiovascular exercises, while lunges, squats, planks, push-ups and pull-ups are good for body strength training.
Hopefully, you have an idea by now what muscle groups to train for badminton, and what exercises are primarily effective in the process. Click here to learn more about:
