As people age, they start to lose muscle mass. In fact, after age 30, we lose about 3% to 5% per decade. As pickleball players, this may not seem like a big deal. After all, we don’t need bulging biceps to slice a Wiffle ball perfectly out of our opponent’s reach. But, less muscle can lead to greater weakness and lost mobility. And, eventually, it can lead to less time spent on the courts.

Today, we’re going to discuss the best strength training exercises (with variations) to keep pickleball players in (or I guess, OUT of) the kitchen and ready for action.

Exercise #1 - Plank

Core exercises train your pelvis, hips, stomach, and lower back. Stronger core muscles lead to better stability and balance. Planks help improve core and upper body strength. This is great for pickleball, where you need to rotate your hips and upper body every time you swing at the ball.

To perform the plank:

Lay on the floor, stomach down.
Plant hands directly under your shoulders, palms flat against the ground.
Push your body up, as though you are doing a pushup, with your butt and knees straight.
Keep your arms straight and your back and bottom flat, like a table.
Utilize your core for support and to help maintain good form.
Hold the position for 20-30 seconds (or as long as you can).
Lower yourself down to rest.
Rest for 60-90 seconds and do the plank again.
Repeat 4-5 times or as many times as you can.

Variation

Lay on the floor, stomach down.
Plant hands directly under your shoulders, palms flat against the ground.
Push your body up as though you are doing a pushup, but keep your knees on the floor.
Keep your arms straight and your back and bottom in line at an angle.
Picture the back of you making about a 45-degree angle, from your knees to the top of your head.
Hold the position for 20-30 seconds (or as long as you can).
Lower yourself down to rest.
Rest for 60-90 seconds and do the plank again.
Repeat 4-5 times or as many times as you can.

If that variation is still too much, then you can keep your forearms flat on the floor and just push up your upper body instead of straightening your arms all the way. You can also reduce the time to 5-10 seconds, building it up longer over time.

Exercise #2 - Squat

In pickleball, you constantly squat and bend your knees to get into a good shot position or reach for the ball. Adding strength to your legs and thighs will help you react more quickly and build stamina.

Description:

● Stand with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart.

● Turn your toes slightly outward. Think of hands on a clock and put the toes on your left foot around 10 o’clock and your right foot around 3 o’clock.

● Keep your spine neutral, shoulders back, and chest open.

● Plant your heels down flat and clasp your hands in front of your chest like you are praying.

● Lower yourself as though you’re sitting in an invisible chair.

● Bend knees to lower down as far as possible while keeping your chest upright and strong. Do not let your thighs go below parallel with your knees.

● Hold for just a second at the bottom.

● Press down into your heels to stand back up straight.

● Repeat.

● Do about 8-10 times, take a 60-90 second break, and do another set.

● Try to accomplish 4-5 sets.

Variation

For variations, try one of these:

● Limit how much you lower yourself. Even if it’s just a few inches, you will gain strength and increase the range over time.

● Stand with your back up against a wall to support yourself when lowering.

● Place a chair under your backside and actually sit down, then stand up again.

The key to a good squat is to keep your back stiff and engage your lower body through your heels and thighs. It’s important not to lower yourself below your knee level–your knees should stay parallel and flat. As you lower and push yourself back up, try to focus on pushing through the back of your heels.

Exercise #3 - Lunge

Improving your knee and ankle stabilization will help prevent injuries in pickleball as you twist, turn, and move laterally around the court. Increasing strength in your legs, which are massive muscles for your body, will also help improve your stamina.

To perform lunges:

Stand straight up, with your feet firmly below you.
Take a large step forward with one foot. Think of it as a 1.5x your normal step.
Engage your back leg for support and begin to lower your back knee towards the floor.
Stop when your front knee is parallel to the ground (or as close as you can get). Try not to take your thigh past your knee.
Drive yourself back up with your back leg, pushing through your heel.
Switch legs.
Repeat 4-5 times, alternating each time.
Take a 60-90 second break and perform another set.
Aim for 4-5 sets.

Variation

To perform a variation:

● Don’t lower yourself as much. Even a few inches will help.

● You can also help stabilize yourself by holding onto the back of a chair as you lower yourself down.

● If the constant up and down bothers you, simply lower yourself and hold for a few seconds before you come back up and do fewer reps.

Lunges can be tough when first starting out. Use a chair or a wall to help you improve over time.

Exercise #4 - Glute Bridge

Glute bridges are suitable for pickleball because they help to add explosiveness, adding more power to your shots and making your reactions quicker. Glute bridges can help prevent injuries by increasing knee strength and stability.

To perform glute bridges:

Lay flat on your back, with the bottom of your feet flat on the ground, and your knees bent, facing upward.
Pull your belly button in to engage your abs and stomach.
Push your feet into the ground while lifting your hips up off the ground, straight into the air.
Try to squeeze your butt as you push upward.
Hold your stomach in the air for a few seconds before lowering your backside to the ground.
Repeat 6-8 times.
Take a break and perform 4-5 sets total.

Variations on glute bridges:

● Don’t push your midsection up so high, and you can lower yourself down quicker without holding it.

● Or you can do the opposite and hold it up longer but do fewer reps.

● You can also take small breaks between bridges.

The most essential part of glute bridges is activating your backside and stomach muscles.

Exercise #5 - Pushup

Having a stronger core offers many benefits to your pickleball game and life. Pushups help increase arm and upper body strength. They also help you improve your core muscles through your stomach and back, helping you hit more powerful shots, bend and stretch better, and increase reaction time.

How to do pushups:

Lay down flat on your stomach.
Place your hands flat and slightly wider than your shoulders.
Push your body up through your hands and arms.
Straighten your arms, and create a straight line from your back to your butt and legs.
All parts of your body should be off the ground, except your hands and your toes.
Lower your body, keeping all parts in control until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Pause at the bottom, then push yourself back up through your hands.
Repeat as many times as you can.
Take a break, then perform a complete set again.

Variations on pushups:

● Lay flat against the floor, but keep your knees down on the ground when you push up.

● Push only your upper body off the ground until your arms are straight.

● Engage your upper body and your core.

● If your knees are sensitive, add pillows under your knees to make them more comfortable.

● You can also limit how far up or down you push your body–even a few inches is helpful.

Pushups are challenging, but they can help you build much stronger muscles and work almost every part of your body simultaneously.

If you notice that your pickleball game isn’t entirely where you want it to be, or you just want to add some extra oomph! to your game, do these (and other) exercises regularly. Your opponents won’t know what hit them.