Most badminton players go to the gym… and train completely wrong.
They lift like bodybuilders, copy random workouts from social media, and wonder why none of it actually improves their performance on court.
Badminton isn’t about how much weight you can lift—it’s about how quickly and efficiently you can move, react, and generate power.
That means your gym training needs to be specific.
In this guide, I’ll break down exactly how to train for badminton using simple, effective exercises you can do in a normal commercial gym—no fancy equipment, no gimmicks, and no unnecessary complexity.
If your goal is to move faster, hit harder, and stay injury-free, this is where to start.
Quick Start
If you just want the basics:
- Train 2–4 times per week alongside your badminton sessions
- Split training into strength and power days
- Focus on badminton-specific movements (Jump To Routine)
- Lift heavy (6–10 reps) to build strength
- Lift light and fast to build power
That alone will improve your on-court performance.
Why Most Badminton Players Train Wrong
Often, people will go to the gym and just go through the motions of a workout, or train in exercises that are not the most transferable to badminton performance. They don’t have a set plan, routine or even the right mindset.
If you’re serious about improving in the gym, you need three things:
1. A routine
A structured plan built around movements that actually transfer to badminton.
2. The right mindset
Every session should have intent—progressing weight, reps, or quality.
3. Consistency
This is the difference-maker. Showing up and sticking to the plan is what actually gets results.
What Actually Matters For Badminton Performance
There are two main elements of fitness we should cover in the gym:
Luckily for us, both are interlinked.
Power
1. Power = Strength X Speed
2. Speed = Distance Travelled/Time
In badminton, we want to maximise power. In gym terms, it’s much easier, trackable and natural to measure strength increases rather than the speed of lifting a weight. So our focus becomes simple: build strength first, then learn to apply it quickly. This is a direct application of the above formula.
Strength
Being strong is a matter of improving our ability to produce force. To develop our speed, we need to lift fast. The heavier the weight becomes, the slower the weight will move – and the key is balancing your training so that you get the best of both.
Specificity
We need to train using the concept of specificity. In other words, we should not simply perform exercises for the sake of performing them. There needs to be a purpose to the exercise that’s linked to badminton. Now, no exercise is inherently bad; there are simply exercises which suit the needs of badminton better than others. It’s also this concept that we need to keep in mind when balancing our routines.
A good analogy may be a car engine. When strength training, we’re building a bigger engine capable of delivering more horsepower. But when we train for power, we’re tuning that engine for throttle response so we can use all that horsepower as fast as required by the car.
The Anatomy Of A Pro Badminton Player
Badminton body types vary across players since everybody is different. But we can say that typically, badminton players are lean and athletic. They are not overly muscular, and training heavily focuses on their lower body with strong quads, glutes, and calves that support explosive lunges and rapid direction changes. Significant dedication is also given to the core, which is key to power development. A stable core helps transfer force efficiently during shots. Overall, their anatomy reflects a balance of explosiveness, endurance, and coordination, allowing them to move quickly, react instantly, and sustain high-intensity rallies.
Key Training Principles
Ok, now we have a focus, there are some additional things we need to remember in our training plans.
- Don’t Train Like A Body Builder
As badminton players, being bigger or heavier is a detriment to our sport. You will develop muscle, training for badminton, but it will be functional muscle – not show muscles. We want to train specifically for our sport and pick exercises that accommodate that.
- Technique > Weight
There are lots of resources on YouTube to teach you how to perform exercises. Otherwise, ask an experienced person to help. Only increase weights once you are comfortable with the correct technique. If you develop bad habits now, they will be much harder to correct. Once the weight becomes more challenging, those bad habits will be an injury risk. So master each exercise!
- Leave Your Ego At The Door
Lifting heavier than you can control doesn’t make you stronger—it just increases your risk of injury. If you lift explosively, as we will for badminton, fast movements with a heavier weight than you should manage will result in a strain or tear, which may keep you out of the gym and off the court for a sustained period of time. Lift weights safely and with control.
- Recovery Matters
Strength & Power training is very taxing on your body. Especially if you are not used to it. If you are a beginner, your muscles will hurt for days until they begin to adapt to the stresses you’re putting them under. Recovery is as important as it allows the muscles to rest and recover for the next time you train. Likewise with your diet. You need to eat in a way that allows the body to recover efficiently and grow optimally.
- Always Warm Up and Down
It’s not just on the court that you have to warm up. Although that seems pretty rare as well! It’s also in the gym! Your body is more susceptible to injury when it’s cold. So you need to make sure you’re warm, and your body is ready for the exercises it’s about to perform.
Best Exercises for Badminton (Gym-Friendly)
In reality, there are over 100 exercises that I could name, but the important thing is not to have a massive choice of exercises. It’s to be good at the specific ones, which will benefit our sport.
Broad Considerations
- Badminton Specificity
- Risk Profile Vs Benefit
- Prioritises exercises which are athletic – e.g., require coordination of the body.
- Nothing niche that would be out of the ordinary at the gym
- Availability of equipment to most gym goers.
Importantly, I do not want to overcomplicate this. Much of what you see online is geared towards aesthetics, not performance.
Below is a list of what I believe are the most beneficial exercises that could be incorporated into your gym routine to give you transferable results to the badminton court.
Just to be clear, if an exercise is labelled as “unilateral” it means the exercise is performed one leg or one arm at a time. Bilateral would be using both legs or arms at the same time.
So let’s get on with the best exercises that you should be doing in the gym.
Lower Body
| Exercise | Movement Pattern | Type | Bilateral / Unilateral | Equipment | On-court crossover | Transfer To Badminton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trap Bar Deadlift | Hip hinge + squat hybrid | Strength → Power | Bilateral | Free Weights | Quick push-off to backcourt, explosive recovery | 🟢 High |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | Lunge / split stance | Strength | Unilateral | Bodyweight/Free Weight | Lunging for net shots + recovering fast | 🟢 High |
| Jump Squats | Squat → plyometric | Power | Bilateral | Bodyweight/Free Weight | Jump smashes, fast split-step reactions | 🟢 High |
| Alternating Forward Lunge | Lunge / split stance | Power | Unilateral | Bodyweight/Free Weight | Lunging for net shots + recovering fast | 🟢 High |
| Step Ups | Single-leg push (vertical + forward drive) | Strength → Power | Unilateral | Body Weight/Free Weight | Builds leg drive, balance, and push-off strength in one leg at a time | 🟢 High |
| Calf Raises | Plantarflexion | Strength → Power | Bilateral | Body Weight/Free Weight | Improved split step and footwork movement | 🟡 Medium |
| Hack Squat / Leg Press | Squat pattern (machine) | Strength | Bilateral | Machine | General leg drive, limited direct transfer | 🟡 Medium |
| Hamstring Curl | Knee flexion isolation | Injury prevention | Bilateral | Machine | Injury resilience during fast stops | 🟡 Medium |
Upper Body
| Exercise | Movement Pattern | Type | Bilateral / Unilateral | Equipment | On-court crossover | Transfer To Badminton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Chop | Core – Rotational | Power | Unilateral | Cables | Power generation and transfer for overhead shots | 🟢 High |
| Pull Up/Assisted Pull Up/Lat Pulldown | Vertical Pull | Strength | Bilateral | Bodyweight/Free Weight/ Machine | Power generation & core stabilisation | 🟢 High |
| Land Mine Press | Diagonal Press | Power | Unilateral | Free Weight | Power Generation & Co-ordination of core with shoulder and arm. | 🟢 High |
| Chest Supported Row | Horizontal Pull | Strength | Bilateral | Free Weight/ Machine | Stabilisation Of Upper Body and shoulder | 🟢 High |
| Coordination of leg drive and core driving power through arms | Vertical Press | Power | Bilateral | Free Weight | Co-ordination of leg drive and core driving power through arms | 🟢 High |
| Shoulder Press | Vertical Press | Strength | Bilateral | Free Weight | Shoulder Protection & durability | 🟡 Medium |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Horizontal Push | Strength | Bilateral | Free Weight | Shoulder Protection & Power Generation | 🟡 Medium |
| Face Pulls | Horizontal Pull | Stability | Bilateral | Cables | Shoulder Protection & Injury Prevention. | 🟡 Medium |
Honourable Mentions
Squat: It’s perhaps the best lower-body exercise you can do, and many professional players use it. I know many of you were expecting this to be on the list, but there are a few reasons I didn’t include it. Firstly, it has a steep learning curve, which can take weeks or even months to develop good technique. Secondly, it trains in the sagittal plane and is not as badminton-specific as some other movements. Thirdly, it puts a lot of strain on the lower back, and injury risk can be higher, particularly when lifting heavier weights. The front squat could be used as an alternative, but I find that the Bulgarian Split Squat, when combined with the Trap Bar Deadlift, covers all the same bases with less injury risk.
Medicine Ball Throws (Rotational and slams): This is a highly functional athletic exercise but not all gyms have medicine balls, or if they have, they might not have a place to slam them or throw them. Plus, it’s really annoying for everyone else! Which is a shame because it is probably the most functional upper-body exercise you can do for badminton off the court. That’s not to say you can’t compensate with the other exercises mentioned.
Strength Training For Badminton
Traditionally, strength is measured with a 1 rep max, which is an all-out grind to lift the maximum weight possible for a given exercise. This is a very slow lift due to the amount of resistance. For our specific badminton purposes, this is not reflective of the sport. We can still gain the strength we need within different parameters to achieve our goals.
Parameters For Strength Training For Badminton
- Pick A Weight That’s Challenging But Not Forcing You To Grind Every Rep
We don’t want the heaviest weight possible. It is also more likely to result in injury, as form breaks down faster. Instead, we want to work within 70-80% of our one rep max. If you’re not sure what the appropriate weight is, work from the lowest and work your way up until you feel challenged within the rep range per below.
- Work In The 6 – 10 Rep Range
Traditionally, 1-5 reps is considered the “strength zone” for training. But we must consider the needs of badminton as well as the risks to us in terms of injury. Training in this slightly lighter but still moderately heavy range will allow us to develop our strength while allowing us to control the weights. Especially on the eccentric portion of the exercises.
- Rest Time 2-3 Mins (Or As Long As It Takes For You To Feel Ready For The Next Set)
You don’t want to set an arbitrary time limit if it doesn’t allow you to recover for the next set. You need to rest adequately so you can lift the weight again with good form and a similar number of reps as the previous set. Don’t simply push through if you’re tired. Beginners may need to take a little longer rest to adapt to training.
- Lift With Intent But Not Speed
Lifting the weight should be with the intent to move it explosively, even if the lift itself is slower. This is going to be the case since we’re using a heavier weight. This trains the central nervous system to recruit force quickly, even if it doesn’t feel fast.
What we are trying to achieve is a strong foundation for force production.
Power Training For Badminton
We can take the same exercises for strength and adapt them to focus more on power. This is the element that is truly reflective of badminton court performance.
This is not HIIT. We are not training to fatigue—we are training to produce maximum speed and force on every rep. Once your speed slows down, rest and recover.
With that in mind, we should focus on the following parameters:
- Pick A Weight That’s Roughly 30% – 60% Of Your 1 RM (Or Around Half Of What You Used Above)
If the weight feels slow to move, that is not power training. We want a light load here that we can lift very fast.
- Rep Range Depends On The Exercise And Your Ability
We’re using much lighter weights, and we’re training the body differently. We want to lift as fast as possible with good-quality reps, so once your speed slows down, we stop and rest. Not when we are at our limit or feeling fatigued. Whether that’s one rep or 20. Some exercises are more taxing than others, so the rep ranges may vary between them.
- Rest Time 2-4 Mins (Or As Long As It Takes For You To Feel Ready For The Next Set)
The goal isn’t to fatigue ourselves (although it may feel like that)! The goal is to give 100% effort to every rep. So we need as much time as possible to give 100% again to the next set.
- Lift With Speed
Lifting the weight should be with the intent to move it explosively at maximum speed. Unlike strength training, the weight should move much faster from the start to the end of the repetition. This is what trains rate of force development.
Example Gym Routines
If you’re not sure how to structure your training, use one of the routines below. You can mix and match these however you want to, but remember that some exercises have more purpose than others depending on what you’re training. Generally, strength training should involve heavy compound movements – such as the Trap Bar Deadlift and Bulgarian Split Squat. Whereas power training should involve exercises that are safe to do at speed, such as jump squats and step-ups. We can also modify exercises to tailor them to meet the requirements we’re trying to train.
As you gain more experience in the gym, you can change up your routines and include exercises which I haven’t mentioned. Remember, these are just what I think are the best exercises that carry over to badminton without overcomplicating it in the gym.
🏸 Beginner 4-Day Upper/Lower Split
| Day | Focus | Area | Exercise | Sets x Reps | Notes | How To Perform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Strength | Lower | Trap Bar Deadlift | 3×8 | Controlled tempo | Trap Bar Deadlift Example |
| Hamstring Curl | 3×8/leg | Controlled Tempo | Hamstring Curl Example | |||
| Alternating Forward Lunge | 3×8 | Weighted Or Body Weight | Alternating Lunge Example | |||
| Hack Squat/Leg Press | 3×12–15 | Full range Of Motion | Hack Squat Example Leg Press Example | |||
| Day 2 | Strength | Upper | Lat Pulldown | 3×8 | Controlled | Lat Pull Down Example |
| Incline DB Bench Press | 3×8 | Controlled | DB Incline Press Example | |||
| Chest Supported Row | 3×10 | Controlled/Machine | Chest Supported Row Example | |||
| DB Shoulder Press | 3×8 | Controlled | DB Shoulder Press Example | |||
| Face Pulls | 3×12 | Shoulder health | Face Pull Example | |||
| Day 3 | Power (Intro) | Lower | Jump Squats | 3×5 | Soft landing | Jump Squat Example |
| Step-Ups | 3×8/leg | Explosive | Step Up Example | |||
| Jumping Alternate Lunges | 3×5/side | Small jumps | Jumping Alternative Lunge Example | |||
| Calf Raises | 3×10–15 sec | Quick contractions | Calf Raise Example | |||
| Day 4 | Power (Intro) | Upper | Wood Chopper | 3×8 | Explosive | Wood Chopper Example |
| Push Press | 3×5 | Explosive | Push Press Example | |||
| Pull Up/Assisted Pull Up | 3×5 | Fast reps | Assisted Pull Up Example Pull Up Example | |||
| Push Ups | 3×12 | Control | Push Up Example |
🏸 More Advanced 4-Day Upper/Lower Split (In Order)
| Day | Focus | Area | Exercise | Sets x Reps | Notes | How To Perform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Strength | Lower | Bulgarian Split Squat | 3×8/leg | Heavy, controlled | Bulgarian Split Squat Example |
| Trap Bar Deadlift | 3×5 | Strong drive | Trap Bar Deadlift Example | |||
| Step-Ups (Weighted) | 3×6/leg | Stability | Weighted Step Up Example | |||
| Hack Squat/Leg press | 3×10 | Slow control | Hack Squat Example Leg Press Example | |||
| Hamstring Curls | 3 x10 | Slow Eccentric | Hamstring Curl Example | |||
| Day 2 | Strength | Upper | Pull-Ups | 4×5–8 | Full control | Pull Up Example |
| Landmine Press (1-arm) | 3×8/side | Strength Focus | Landmine Press Example | |||
| Chest-Supported Row | 3×8 | Upper back | Chest Supported Row Example | |||
| Shoulder Press | 3 X 8 | Controlled Drive | DB Shoulder Press Example | |||
| DB Incline Press | 3×8 | Controlled | DB Shoulder Press Example | |||
| Face Pulls | 3×12–15 | Injury prevention | Face Pull Example | |||
| Day 3 | Power | Lower | Trap Bar Jumps | 4×3 | Max speed | Trap Bar Jumps Example |
| Weighted Jumping Alternating Lunges | 3×4/leg | Explosive | Weighted Alternate Jumping Lunges Example | |||
| Bulgarian Jump Split Squat | 3×6/side | Lateral power | Bulgarian Jump Split Squat Example | |||
| Plyometric Step Ups | 3×15 sec | Reactive | Plyometric Step Up Example | |||
| Thruster | 3 x 5 | Explosive | Thruster Example | |||
| Day 4 | Power | Upper | Landmine Press (functional) | 4×3/side | Max speed | Landmine Press Example |
| Pull Up | 3×5 | Explosive | Pull Up Example | |||
| Plyometric Push-Ups | 3×5 | Fast | Plyometric Push Up Example | |||
| Wood Chop (High Low) | 3×6/side | Sport-specific | Wood Chop (High Low) Example |
Train Smart, Play Stronger
Professional players have the advantage of specialised sports science coaches and high-tech or varied equipment that supports the players’ development. For us normal folk, we have to make do with what the gym offers us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t utilise that to improve our on-court game. There are so many exercises out there, but you shouldn’t let that overcomplicate your approach. Focus on core exercises with a specific focus on badminton movements. If you find them becoming stale or you’ve adapted to them, they can always be made harder with modifications that you can find online.
Feel free to follow the routines mentioned above or generate your own from the exercises provided. But most importantly, know your own limits and train safely.
Strength training isn’t about becoming a bodybuilder—it’s about becoming a more explosive, balanced, and resilient badminton player. The right exercises will help you move faster across the court, generate more power in your smashes, and stay injury-free through long matches and intense rallies.
The players who improve the most aren’t doing complicated routines—they’re the ones who show up, train smart, and stay consistent. The difference isn’t talent—it’s how you train when nobody is watching.
So next time you step on court, ask yourself: are you just playing, or are you training to get better?
If you want to see how players really train beyond conventional gym exercises, check out the video below:
