Hi, I'm planning to start lifting some weights in summer cuz of all the free time. I'm not weight lifting just for badminton, but also just to get stronger in general. I was wondering how many number of reps, sets, and how much weight i should use when training for 1. muscle strength 2. muscle endurance 3. muscle shape/definition 4. fast-twitch muscle fibres 5. slow twitch muscle fibres thanx!
For muscle size and strength: 1-3 Reps 2-3 sets @ 70%+ of 1RM 2-4 min rest between sets (1RM = 1 rep max, weight you can lift only once) For muscle endurance, shape, & definition 10-15 Reps 2-3 sets @ less than 70% of 1RM 30secs-2min rest between sets For fast twitch fibers, explode during lifting phase. Lift hard and fast but remember to keep control. Determining your 1RM will take time. A lot of trial and error. Building a solid base is a good idea as well. Train muscle endurance first. Muscles will then be able to last longer during workouts. You will gain strength at the same time. Then train for size. Should take about 4-6 wks for good base. Getting at least one session with a personal trainer would be good. He/she can design a program that is specific for your goals. I myself have been recently certified as a personal trainer. This is what I would tell someone if they asked. If anyone else has any other additional ideas or if they wish to correct any errors i have made, feel free. It's always good to get another view and learn from it. Jaysee, I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, just ask
Good feedback, Tim. However, I do have a diff of opinion on a couple of points. I'll get to this soon (when I have more time).
Training for explosive power As a badminton player, your muscle/strength development should stress speed, not bulk. Look at the elite players. They tend to have well developed legs (quads, hamstrings, calves, etc.) but the upper body is usually sleeker... built for speed. To play well we don't want our body too bulky & tight. Furthermore, your goal should not be to merely to develop strength. You need to be able to apply strength effectively. The optimal combination of strength and speed to produce movement is defined as POWER. Bodybuilders usually focus on strength & size but often do not develop fast, explosive power. They largely develop very strong intermediate-twitch (type II-a) muscle fibers. However, to produce explosive power, the athlete should emphasize development of (the much faster) type II-b fibers. For badminton, we may employ the use of some type I (slow-twitch) and type II-a fibers, but it would seem that the development of type II-b fast-twitch fibers is of paramount importance. Tim suggests performing the positive (concentric) phase of a weightlifting exercise explosively. This action may be OK for some exercises but for other lifts this may prove to be damaging. Some 8 yrs ago (before I knew about plyometrics), I performed some explosive leg presses (with quite a bit of weight) on an inverted, inclined machine. This action caused me to lock out my knees and also produced some weight bounce at the end of the lifting phase. After only 5 or 10 minutes of this, I decided that perhaps it was not a good idea... too late, the damage had already been done; I am STILL suffering for this mistake. Plyometrics should be incorporated into your workout program to best develop explosive power. Most of your weightlifting exercises should be performed at a more moderate tempo. Typically, the concentric (positive) phase of a lift is performed at a moderately fast pace. However, on the negative part of the lift (the eccentric phase), you should return the weights to the starting position in a SLOW, controlled manner. On exercise machines, the negative part of the lift should usually take 2 to 3 times longer than the positive phase. Lift for a count of 2 or 3, pause (for about 1 second), and then lower the weight for a count of 4 or 6. DON'T hold you breath while lifting. You should usually exhale on the positive phase of the lift. For more about plyometrics you might look into some books by Donald A. Chu, PhD. One, in particular, to check out is 'Explosive Power & Strength". His program incorporates both resistance (weightlifting) and plyometric exercises. Dr. Chu does advocates varying the tempo from one weightlifting workout to the next, but he never suggests explosive lifts. For explosive movements he details plyometric and medicine ball exercises. Other worthwhile books by Dr Chu include, 'Jumping Into Plyometrics' and 'Power Tennis Training'. Altho' the latter book is tennis-specific, much of it can be incorporated into a badminton workout program. His books can be found at www.HumanKinetics.com As Tim point out, when embarking on a weightlifting regimen, it is a good idea to first train muscle endurance... Dr. Chu recommends an initial (Preparation) phase for a weightlifting program that is very similar to the one that Tim suggests for developing muscle endurance. He suggests 2-4 sets of high reps (10-15) @ 60-70% of 1RM. Dr. Chu recommends 3 to 6 weeks for this phase (with some elementary plyometrics included). D. Chu also has a high-intensity, low-rep phase as outlined by Tim. However, Dr. Chu also includes an intermediate phase that utilizes 3-4 sets of 4-10 reps @ 70-85% of 1RM (with more plyometrics). For a seasonal athlete this would be considered a Precompetition phase that can last from 8 to 12 weeks. The 3rd cycle that Dr Chu presents consists of 3-5 sets of 1-3 reps @ 80-100% of 1RM (with higher level plyometrics). For a seasonal athlete, this phase may be several weeks in length. For year-round sports this high-intensity phase would be too stressful to maintain for any extended period of time. In this case the Precompetition phase would probably be extended to develop optimal strength, maximal strength, strength endurance, explosive strength, & reactive strength. As far as arm development goes, avoid the temptation to overdo the biceps (it can hurt your smashes & other shots). Some bicep work is OK, but you should stress forearm, tricep, and deltoid (shoulder) development more than biceps. Most of the lifts that Dr Chu recommends are multijoint exercises rather than single (isolated) muscle exercises. This seems to be particularly true for upper body work. Even tho' the workout I describe emphasizes speed strength over bulk, you should still see muscle definition & some size gains as well.
Re: Training for explosive power Great info gregr. I agree with your comment about explosive movements. I do explosive movements myself but not too the point where I lock out my knees and bounce the weights. It is very controlled. If a person does happen to bounce and lock out, then I can see where the problems will occur. Along with the program described by myself and in detail by gregr, you should incorporate a great deal of stretching exercises into your program. Stretch after warm up, between sets, and after your work out. This will help improve your flexibility and reduce muscle soreness and chance of injury. Not just 2 sec stretches either. Hold them for 8-10 secs after the warm up and about 10-15 secs after your workout. This aspect is neglected by many who you see working out in the gym. As a badminton player there is a lot of lunging, and reaching. If your muscles are tight, you are gonna tear something. Once again, comments are welcome. I'd like your input on this aspect gregr. Your previous reply was very informative and enlightening. Thanks.
Stretching good call on stretching, Tim. as you said, stretch AFTER warm up. lot of ppl still make the mistake of stretching before the warm up their muscles and joints; this is a no-no. never stretch muscles/joints that are cold. a lot of us forget that post-exercise stretch, too. some experts say that stretching after a workout (or after heavy badminton playing) is even more important than the post-warmup stretch. Dr. Chu has quite a bit of stretching exercises in some of his books.
