Fitness Requirements for Badminton The game of badminton requires many different aspects of fitness which I will outline below. Aerobic Endurance-a good level of cardio-vascular fitness is needed because of the continuous nature of the game. Speed -needed to move into position quickly both in attack and defence Strength -leg power is probably more important than upper body strength although this is required for shooting. Explosive leg power is needed for rebounding, jump shots and jump-ball situations. Muscular endurance is also needed because of the repetitive nature of the game.
Flexibility – needed for all aspects of the game to reduce the risk of injury and to allow movement to the ball in a variety of situations. As well as the health related aspects of fitness, several skill-related components are important. Agility, balance, co-ordination & reaction time are needed for all aspects of the game. As the game has so many different requirements I have decided to use circuit training to develop my current levels of fitness as this develops most of the aspects I need. It also will allow me to be specific and adapt the exercises and work intensities easily as the Programme develops.
As well as doing the circuits I will also attend two basketball practices, one in school and one at the club, and also play matches when arranged. Because of this I will arrange the time of the circuits to ensure I have either ample recovery after a match or rest before a match.Overall I enjoyed completing the circuit training and was very pleased with the way in which the PEP developed all the different aspects of my fitness. I also found it easier as the work stations were quite well spread out, meaning on the first workstation you worked on your bi-triceps and on the next station you worked on your hamstrings or quads.
The chosen method of training and the specific exercises were relevant to the game of badminton and the level of intensity was suitable for me. The overload and progression worked well and definitely made me work hard. I now understand how to implement gradual changes to the intensity without risking injury and fatigue. I also have a better understanding of the need for adequate recovery time and the importance of a proper cool down period. Before following this PEP is used to only spend time warming up. The exercises were followed safely and the quick safety check of equipment was carried out each session.
The retest results how I have improved in all areas of fitness. I was particularly pleased with the vertical jump and flexibility results. These improvements have allowed me to be more effective in the matches I am playing and I am starting to make fewer mistakes in my games and my reactions have also improved. I also seem to be more effective under the basket when rebounding. However I still feel I need to develop my upper body strength. I found the evaluation of each session useful and will continue to do this in the future, not only for training but matches to make my goal setting more effective.
The PEP helped my levels of motivation as I wanted to constantly strive for improvement as well as my levels of concentration. Because I was getting tired I found I had to focus on the technique and I have started to transfer this to the game situation which has helped my skill performance. I will continue to incorporate circuit training into my overall programme and aim to gradually increase the work intensity, after reducing the recovery time between the circuits.