Should badminton players train to get bigger biceps?

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Biceps training or not? Understanding which parts of your body to focus on when training specifically for badminton is important. This expert article helps you understand how to deal with your biceps from a badminton training point of view.

Muscle development in badminton is not about the size of the muscle, but about strength, power, agility, and efficiency. That said, playing badminton well depends on your ability to make many muscle groups work together.

In short, you do need to do some training to strengthen your biceps, but your ultimate goal is probably not to get bigger biceps.

The biceps are also known as biceps brachii (see Wikipedia). Interestingly, it was Leonardo da Vinci who expressed the original idea of the biceps acting as a supinator in a series of annotated drawings made between 1505 and 1510.

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Is the strengthening of the biceps important for badminton players?

Are you a badminton player looking to up your game and dominate the court?

While most athletes focus on improving their speed, agility, and endurance, many overlook the importance of building muscle in key areas. But here’s the burning question: should badminton players train to get bigger biceps?

In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits (and potential drawbacks) of bulking up those guns and whether it’s worth incorporating bicep training into your overall badminton fitness routine.

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First of all, it’s important to note that strong biceps are beneficial when playing badminton. They help you generate more power behind your shots, and they will also help you with serve quality and consistency. In addition, having stronger biceps can give you the support needed when executing smashes. For these reasons, it makes sense to at least consider incorporating some sort of bicep training into your routine.

Of course, it’s worth mentioning that there is still a lot of debate about the role of bicep training for badminton players.

Some experts argue that bulking up your biceps too much can lead to a decrease in flexibility and range of motion – both of which are essential for badminton performance. So, if you’re planning to include strength training in your program, make sure to focus on exercises that improve mobility as well as strength. This way, you can get the most out of your workouts without putting yourself at risk of injury or overtraining one muscle group at the expense of another.

Ultimately, whether or not you should rely on bicep training as part of your badminton fitness regime is something only you can decide – it depends on a variety of factors, including your current level of strength and skill, your goals, and the time you’re willing to devote to training.

However, it’s important to remember that regardless of how big or strong your biceps are, badminton is still a skill-based sport that requires a range of physical abilities. So if you want to be the best player out there, make sure you also focus on honing your technique and developing the other crucial skills necessary for success in this dynamic game.

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How to train biceps for badminton

There are a few things to keep in mind when training biceps for badminton.

First, badminton players need to have strong grips, so exercises that strengthen the forearm and grip are important.

Second, because badminton involves quick movements and a lot of arm swinging, exercises that build endurance are key. Badminton players need to be able to generate power quickly, so exercises that focus on explosive strength are also beneficial.

One exercise that meets all of these criteria is the farmer’s walk. To do this exercise, hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. Walk forward while keeping your shoulders down and your core engaged. You can also do this exercise with just one weight; simply hold the weight in one hand and alternate sides as you walk.

Another good exercise for training biceps for badminton is the chin-up. Grab a chin-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. As you lower yourself back down, resist the temptation to swing your body; instead, control your descent and use your muscles to lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.

For forearm and grip strength, try doing some Farmer’s Walks with a towel instead of weights. Simply grab each end of a towel in each hand and walk forward while maintaining tension on the towel. This exercise is also great for endurance since it mimics motion.

Badminton players need strong biceps to generate the power needed to hit the shuttlecock over the net. To train biceps for badminton, players should focus on exercises that target the biceps muscles, such as dumbbell curls and chin-ups.

In addition to working on bicep strength, badminton players should also focus on their forearm strength. Strong forearms are necessary for generating the wrist snap needed to generate speed on the shuttlecock. Exercises that target the forearm muscles, such as farmer’s walks and wrist curls, should be included in a badminton player’s training program.

Good luck with your training to become the best badminton player you can be

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How to attract and motivate volunteers at your badminton club

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Oliver Shepherd

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Most badminton clubs are completely dependent on volunteers. But how do you attract and motivate volunteers to get involved? We’ve spoken to clubs around the world. This article highlights some of the best ways to create an outstanding community of active volunteers.

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Understand what attracts and detracts volunteers
Are parents the best volunteers and why?
Should you pay volunteers?
How to make volunteering manageable long term?
How to organize your team of volunteers effectively?

Why personal branding is key for ambitious badminton players

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Oliver Shepherd

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Creating a personal brand is a surefire way to increase the fanbase, and thereby income, of any semi-professional or professional badminton player.

In this article, sports branding expert Oliver Shepherd offers his branding advice for badminton players. Personal branding for badminton players has become a must-do activity for serious badminton athletes.

Oliver offers advice on how to get started and some of the key considerations involved with building a personal brand for badminton players.

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Badminton diet – is yours aligned with your goals?

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Badminton Speak

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Good nutrition can enhance your badminton performance. But what is a good badminton diet?
This article will enlighten you on how to build a nutritious and healthy diet. The diet tips you get in the following are relevant to badminton players. Not just top-level players, but players of all ages and levels.

When it comes to your badminton diet, it goes without saying that you need carbohydrates. The more intense your training is, the more carbohydrates you need to take in.

But there is so much more to a good badminton diet. And while it takes time and a bit of experimenting to find the right diet for you, the good news is that changing your dietary habits slowly will help you sooner than you know.

In a conversation with Babolat, Tom Hill, the nutrition expert from Hills Nutrition, recently said something interesting. He suggested for badminton players, and athletes in general, to “Think 24 hours before, 24 hours during, and 24 hours after exercise“. In this article, you will discover exactly why this is a smart approach and how you can apply this method.

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Facts about diets and names mentioned

Babolat was the first company to specialize in racquet games. The first natural gut strings for racquets were invented by Pierre Babolat around 1876. Today Babolat is a well-known brand involved with badminton, tennis, and padel.
Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of the three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Learn more over at Harvard here

What do Black, Red & Yellow cards mean in badminton? How to get them and avoid them?

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Oliver Shepherd

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Are you confused about black, red, and yellow cards in badminton? This badminton rules article will give you up-to-date information about the rules, regulations, and consequences of receiving a yellow, red, or black card in badminton.

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What’s the punishment for an on-court fight?

Video source: The Guardian.

Thailand’s Bodin Issara was given a black card after chasing down and physically hitting compatriot Maneepong Jongjit. This happened during the final at the Canada Open in 2013.

The two Thai doubles players competed as a pair at the London 2012 Olympics but later split up. In the Canada Open final, they faced each other with their respective new double partners. Bodin Issara was penalized with a black card and disqualified.

The consequence: On July 21, 2013, Bodin was suspended for two years. Full story here

The Yellow card in Badminton

We will start with the least significant card in badminton, the Yellow card. The yellow penalty card can be given to any player as a warning for misconduct (in-game faults are not misconduct). As the Umpires are allowed to talk to players they very often give them multiple verbal cautions before they issue a yellow card. This is likely to be a repeat offense that a player makes during a single match however an umpire can give a yellow card directly if they choose.

The Yellow card has no impact on the points of the game but does serve the purpose of deterring the player from continuing with the misconduct. Though it will not affect the match, in professional badminton, the player will be fined by the BWF.

What if the same player breaches a different rule? Even if the breach is different – from the one they received the first yellow card for – they will receive a red card for the second offense.

What if the player didn’t know the rule? Unfortunately for them, this is not seen as an acceptable excuse. The umpire can still give the player the yellow card even without a caution first. So make sure to be nice and smile at your next umpire!

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The Red card in Badminton

A red card in badminton is given when a player commits a continued breach of misconduct or a significant breach of misconduct. This results in the offending side losing the active rally and the opponent receiving a point. The Umpire if they wish could caution again with a red card. The umpire has full authority to decide what is red card worthy during a match.

Do you think this was red card worthy?

The Black card in Badminton

This is the real deal in badminton misconduct. A player will receive a black card for excessive misconduct. The black card will follow a red card for significant breaches of misconduct that bring the game into disrepute (behaviour that makes the sport look bad).

The result of a black card?

Immediate disqualification from the match and competition. According to the BWF statute, if this happens in a team competition, or a group-based competition, they will be removed from the competition entirely and not allowed to continue. Although not specifically said, if a doubles player receives a black card in mixed doubles they will be removed from the whole tournament if they play single or mixed doubles.

The Badminton Fans Opinion

In badminton, it is generally accepted that umpires will do everything possible to warn the player instead of giving them a card. Instead, they give verbal cautions. We often see umpires speak to the same players about the same offense throughout matches without any cards being shown.

There is certainly criticism over a lack of consistency in the umpiring of badminton matches. Umpires are given authority to manage games however they see fit – which is then subject to each umpire’s opinion and perception of the rules. Below are some common behaviors that are deemed as misconduct in badminton.

This story about badminton lingo might interest you

Misconduct in badminton

Delaying the game to receive coaching.
Delaying the game to recover.
Purposefully delaying the game to disrupt the opponent. (Normally when serving or receiving service)
Leaving the court during games without the permission of the umpire.
Tampering with the shuttle in any way.
Making any gesture towards an opponent. (Clenching a fist toward the opponent is commonly a breach)
Celebrating too much is included in unsportsmanlike conduct!
Purposefully breaking a racket.
Throwing a racket in any direction.
Intimidating an umpire, service judge, line judge, or referee.
Shouting during points is considered an attempt to distract your opponent, especially calls of in or out.
Actions interfering with your opponent’s ability to continue a rally such as reaching over or under the net.
Contaminating the playing surface with sweat or similar actions.
A mobile phone being present or going off at the courtside.
There is no mention of misconduct for deliberate or unusual playing patterns :-).

Badminton kids must develop movement and athletic skills first

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Oliver Shepherd

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Far too many badminton coaches (and parents) forget the importance of developing the overall movement skills and athletic abilities of children. Before kids reach the age of 14-15, they still need to focus on the development of their basic athletic abilities.

According to Kristen Gostomski;
“When children are focused too intently and too early on technical skills while neglecting fundamental movement and athleticism, they miss the one-time opportunity to develop neuromuscular patterns that eventually make them quicker, faster, stronger, more coordinated, and more skilled. That’s time they can never get back.”

> See the book about athletic development <

Sadly, often badminton kids are “lured” into making badminton their only priority at a very young age. As a result, they practice badminton 3-5 times each week. Most of their exercises are badminton specific. Therefore, there is no time for football, cricket, tennis, gymnastics, or any other sports. In the words of most experts, that’s a huge mistake.

There are many examples of world-class badminton players who were multi-sports kids. And they maintain that their experiences from other sports were hugely beneficial to their development as badminton players.

Today the optimization for competitions in badminton begins much earlier than it did, say, 10-12 years ago.

Parents and coaches are “investing” in the development of badminton kids from a very early age. The training schedule involves badminton training on a daily basis. And some children as young as 12, may even have several days with two training sessions per day.
This in turn makes it virtually impossible for these kids to practice other sports besides badminton.

In this article, you’ll learn from experienced experts. You will get tips on how to balance the development of athleticism in children up to the age of 14-15.

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Badminton in Brazil – the football-crazed land of samba and warm people

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Oliver Shepherd

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In recent years we’ve seen Ygor Coelho compete on the global BWF badminton tour. But apart from him, we have not seen but a few Brazilian badminton players compete on the world tour. Oliver Shepherd takes a look at how badminton is faring in Brazil.

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This story will give you a unique insight into:

How and where badminton is played in Brazil
Some of the top badminton players from Brazil
Mentions of the most prominent badminton clubs in Brazil
What is being done to grow the sport of badminton in the country
How junior badminton players are developing as compared to other South American countries
What is Badminton Brazil doing to develop badminton in the country?

Badminton in Brazil standing in Pan America

Brazil has done relatively well at the regional Pan American Games. As of 2022, they were placed as the fourth most successful country in the Pan-American region with 15 medal points – only 5 medal points behind Peru in third place.

The Rio favela kid Ygor Coelho made it onto the big badminton scene

Ygor Coelho’s story is unique and encouraging. He grew up in a Rio favela but was encouraged to join a badminton program. Interestingly, samba dance was used to develop players’ footwork. About that, Coelho has said:

“samba is the perfect training for badminton and helps develop a player’s rhythm and agility. Dance has a lot of similar things to badminton — we dance on the court. I think it helps me to get the rhythm and play at different speeds and movements”

Ygor became Brazil’s first-ever Olympian in badminton at the 2016 Rio Games. And he is working towards qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. Today, Ygor lives in Denmark from where he travels the world to compete internationally.