By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated December 4, 2020
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3 min read
Squats are an extremely important exercise for badminton and is commonly done for all different types of sports. There are many different types of squats with their own benefits, but in general – squats train your legs. They keep you strong and stable, giving you the strength to explode out to each corner you need to reach and have the ability to land solidly and get back to the middle afterwards. Some variation of squats should be done at least every week – this is essential for all badminton players. In this post, we will look into several different types of squats and the benefits for each type.
Bodyweight squats are the simplest form of squats and can be done anywhere. Below is a short video on how you perform this exercise:
As you can imagine, this exercise can help tone your glutes and quadriceps if you are doing high enough volume. Additionally, if you maintain the proper form, you can also work out your lower back. Because you are not carrying any sort of weight in this exercise (aside from your body weight), it can potentially be a good form of cardio training as well if you target high volume of squats per set.
This exercise is targeted more towards beginners. For more advanced players, we will want to add on weights or do some variation of this squat to make the whole exercise harder.
The barbell front squat is what most people think of when they hear “squat”. This is done using a barbell and normally done by most people who work out in the gym. This is a great video on how to properly do the barbell front squat.
This squat has similar benefits to the bodyweight squat, but with many more benefits suited for badminton. For starters, this trains your explosive muscle energy much more than a bodyweight squat. After getting down to your lowest point, you will have to find energy within your body to push the heavy weight on your back all the way back to the standing position. These types of squats are also known for improving jumping speed and height. Jumping is an important footwork movement in badminton and this will help you get higher and faster jumps to get to the bird faster and hit stronger shots. Finally, there is a greater emphasis in working your hamstrings and spine due to holding the heavy bar on your back – both of which help you in your badminton movement and game.
The barbell squat also provides itself to a natural progression system, similar to jumprope. Each week, you should be able to add on more weight to the barbell and track your progression and muscle growth. I highly recommend all badminton players to incorporate this into their training routine.
The third type of squats I would like to talk about is the bench squat. This is the act of squatting from a standing position down to a bench or chair and sitting gently on the chair, as shown in the video below.
Slightly different from the previous two exercises, this squat has a much higher emphasis on training your glutes rather than your quadriceps, hamstrings, or back. Glutes are an extremely important muscle to help you stabilize on the court after you explode out to a corner, so training your glutes here will help you become a more solid player in terms of movement.
With this exercise, you can also incorporate the barbell on your back or carry weights in front of you. Either way, your main goal is to make this exercise as hard as possible for you to make sure you maximize your growth week after week. Find your own way, or contact me for your training help, if you need any assistance or advice on how to develop a progression system for bench squats.
All of these variations of squats are important for badminton players. If you are interested in more variations, feel free to check out related videos on YouTube or Google and find a squat exercise that works for you! Find a way to work it into your weekly training routines and develop your own progression system to track your growth. If you’d like to see more drill highlights, training highlights, or more, please check out my YouTube channel and Instagram Highlight Feed, and feel free to reach out with any questions. See you guys in the next training post!
