Gym Exercise Machines I should target?

Discussion in 'Techniques / Training' started by MeowMeowCats, Jan 16, 2013.

  1. MeowMeowCats

    MeowMeowCats Regular Member

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    So I recently joined a gym and I was wondering what Gym Exercise Machines I should use to get my badminton muscles stronger?

    Mostly focusing on upper body muscles, like arms and abdominal? And backhand clears muscles?
    I'm a petite girl and I can't really backhand clear (due to not enough practice) but will any machines or muscle groups help w/ my backhand clears? I don't have much muscles in that area.

    Also, I don't have much arm muscles or muscle strength in general.
    I was starting at around 10-30 pounds at the gym (enough resistance to get me sore and enough reps), while most guys were 75 pounds.
     
    #1 MeowMeowCats, Jan 16, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2013
  2. Mark A

    Mark A Regular Member

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    External rotations might help with the backhand clear - you only need a low pulley with the stirrup attachment - but it's mostly wrist.
     
  3. raymond

    raymond Regular Member

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    I'm not a gym goer, but did use various machines there to help me prepare for tournaments, and to recover from injuries.

    I'd suggest overall coverage of all major muscle groups, instead of just working on 1-2 muscle groups. These exercises could help prevent injuries as well.

    The legs are very important for badminton. I'd spend time on it over others if I'm short in time. Hamstring, calf and quadriceps. The machines typically have diagrams on the muscle groups it work on.
    Use moderate weight (i.e. not too heavy) to perform faster speed, as you're not body building.

    If you legs are strong, and footwork proper, and you play Doubles, you would have less need for backhands. Backhand clear quality/length has a lot to do with technique/timing. Someone with lots of arm muscles may not do it well. Some kids with proper training but not otherwise noticeably muscular tone can do a decent clear.

    Anyway, for stroke strength, I'd actually use dumbbells to work on the forearm instead. It's mostly a forearm supination and pronation. Be sure to work on your non-racket arm also to balance the development. :) Abdominal muscles are used in smashes as well. I'd pulled my back muscles (shoulder and lower back) before, so don't forget them...

    If I do all the above, plus 15-20 minutes cardio warm-up, it usually takes me 1 hour in the gym.
     
  4. MeowMeowCats

    MeowMeowCats Regular Member

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    Thanks guys!
    By the way, excuse me for sounding stupid. But may you explain this to me more?

    I have 0 knowledge about weight lifting.
     
  5. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

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    just wanted to say that i truly believe Abs is very very important, like footwork. that said i have three exercises that helps with your "powerhouse"

    1. ab machine , you sit in this maching with the armrest up high and you basically pull the armrest down. adjust to appropriate weights that you can do about 30rep per set, 3-4 sets :)

    2. ab rocker, you lie down on this bench with your arms spread apart and your legs on the footrest so your arms and legs are up, then you rock your upper body toward you knees. do about 200 reps. if you want to work your upper abs, then lie down lower toward the footrest, if you wanna work your lower abs, then lie down higher toward the headrest.

    3. lower ab leg raises, you get on this "bench" by stepping on the footstep, you rest your elbows on the cushions, and your legs should be dangling without support. keep your legs straight without bending your knees, raise them up to your hip. do about 10-12 reps per set, 3 sets. make sure no one is standing directly in front of you, or else you'll kick them in their face when you are trying to raise your legs.

    once you start toning your abs and gaining some strength on your abs, you'll notice the stabilization of your moment between your legs and your upper body and it should be somewhat easier for you to move around the court. :)

    P.S. Pilates also helps with your "powerhouse". it helps build stamina of your ab muscles!!!
     
  6. OhSearsTower

    OhSearsTower Regular Member

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    forget about those machines they are useless for badminton training

    you must do the big exercises which strengthen your whole body and not singular muscles who are completely useless wenn the rest of muscles are weak

    so do deep squats, bench press, shoulder press, deadlift and rows (all with barbell)

    coremuscles is even more important, you need stability and power in your body to maintain balanced while moving and be quick
    best google coremuscle exercises
     
  7. AimUk

    AimUk Regular Member

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    I'm with gundam and sears on these. Core strength and overall body strength is FAR more important than individual muscle groups. I'd recommend something like circuits or body weight exercises as well.

    Plyometrics (if your gym has the space) are one of the more useful training techniques to badminton as they are very close to actual fast twitch movements used in matches and on court movement.

    Pilates as gundam said, and yoga are not to be scoffed at, they really do help you figure out your body balance and are great for injury recovery too! :)
     
  8. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

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    also look up "fast footwork for badminton" or "chinese fast footwork" and you'll see warm up drills on your legs. AND, look up agility workout, those are killers.
     
  9. MeowMeowCats

    MeowMeowCats Regular Member

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    Thanks!

    I have a question though, I am not strong enough to do a bench press! So any alternative?
     
  10. charliebadders

    charliebadders Regular Member

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    if you are unable to do a bench press with a bar, try a dumbbell bench press so you can choose your weight required. you can also do push ups on your knee, elevated push ups with legs on a chair or my favourite dive bombers.

    In terms of other exercises i would do all major compound exercises. squat, bench press, shoulder press, pull up, deadlift, lunge, rows, core. Make sure you cover the whole body if not this will cause overdevelopment on one muscle group, which causes tighter muscles and ligaments, creating a higher chance of injury.
     
  11. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    Jump rope, plank, push ups, chin-ups (this maybe hard for girls), balance training (bosu ball, swiss ball), and lunges. Also look up Paul Steward arm chair wrist exercises for a stronger wrist. I think resistance training can also help but I am not very experienced with them. All these exercises require space, but no real gym machines. Make no mistake, I do my exercises in a gym, but I go there for the atmosphere and to maintain motivation. I do not use any machines or free-weights.
     
  12. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    I forgot to reply to your question regarding backhand clears. Contrary to intuition, a good backhand clear can be had if you have strong abdomen and lower back muscles. If you straight out your torso when hitting your backhand clear, you can borrow a lot of energy from your body and that make it easy for your shoulder and wrist. However, having strong shoulder muscles and forearm muscles will benefit as well, they will prevent injuries
     
    #12 soulless, Mar 15, 2013
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2013
  13. Joseph

    Joseph Regular Member

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    If you're able to straighten out your torso in the first place, why would you be doing a backhand clear? It sounds like you should have enough time to use your forehand instead. Most backhands will probably be used when a player is out of position (e.g. rushing towards the back of the court and basically lunging).
     
  14. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    I think that is a quite extreme position. I have seen very many pro games and even video clips where the high backhand clear is not deep lunge position. Constantly trying to go around the head will be very tiring and risks injury, especially for us amateur players. Also this person is just asking how to hit a backhand, she should start with the basics first. I must also note that straightening out the torso takes a fraction of a second and you can get there if you have quick feet.
     
  15. Joseph

    Joseph Regular Member

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    I'm not referring to an extreme lunge by any means. I was thinking more of a position as in this:
    taufik-backhand-250x300.jpg
     
  16. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    Well then, I guess we are not that far apart. I would think Taufik's torso, abs and shoulder, are in a straight line perpendicular to the floor during the moment of impact.
     
  17. quixilver

    quixilver Regular Member

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    If you are targeting For overall badminton performance, I would suggest these machines below :
    Treadmill
    Hyper Extension Bench
    Leg Press
    Abdominal Bench
    Swiss Ball
    Leg Extension
    Leg Curl
    Seated and Standing Calf
    Leg Abduction
    Cable-cross Pulley

    When I was actively went into the gym, I was focussing on the Leg Press, Leg Extension, Seated Calf and Cable-cross Pulley to train the muscles which are generally used in badminton. Swiss Ball would be very useful also before you realize it builds your body balance awareness during the game.

    If you are focusing more on the strokes and hitting power, you can try to use the Training Racket. I’ve been using the Apacs W-series, started from W-120, W-140 and W-200 for almost a year to train the arm pronation/supination, wrist and fingers. I noticed my strokes are getting stronger significantly for every shots.
     

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