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Sports training

Netball strength and landing workout

In young female athletes in other sports, warm-ups with landing practice and leg strength exercises in every session cut ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries from about 1 in 54 players to 1 in 111, and the more landing and strength work they included, the bigger the effect. Netball's own studies are small but point the same way: coached strength and jump training improved how girls aged 11 to 13 landed. This session is our own design on that evidence and hasn't been tested on injuries. Do it twice a week in pre-season and once or twice in season, alongside the KNEE warm-up. You need dumbbells or a kettlebell, a box or step of 30 to 40 cm, a resistance band, a bench, and a partner or anchor for Nordics.

35 minIntermediate15 movesA wall · A step · A dumbbell · A bench or box · An anchor point · A bandCalves · Hip flexors · Hip abductors · Glutes · Quads · Hamstrings
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Skipping2 min
    Beginner · Calves, Hip flexors, Quads · 3D demoEasyEasier: Ankle bounces (mini pogo)Harder: Alternate-leg bounding
  2. Side-stepping (sideways walking)2 × 20 s each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoLow and quickHarder: Lateral band walk
  3. Snapdown to athletic landing2 × 5, hold each landing 2 s
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoLand quietly: hips back, knees bent and over the toesHarder: Box drop landing

Landings and jumps

Rest 60 to 90 s

  1. Box drop landing3 × 5
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoStep off, land on both feet and holdEasier: Snapdown to athletic landingHarder: Depth jump
  2. Single-leg hop and stick3 × 5 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoForwards, then sideways; hold each landing for 2 sEasier: Standing broad jump with stuck landingHarder: Alternate-leg bounding
  3. Lateral bound (skater jump)3 × 4 each side
    Beginner · Glutes, Quads, Hip abductors · 3D demoStick each landingHarder: Box push-off jump
  4. Rocket jump (jump and reach)2 × 5
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoJump as if for a high pass; land with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees bent, keep the ball above hip height, and turn your whole bodyEasier: Standing long jumpHarder: Box-to-box depth jump

Strength

Rest 90 s

  1. Dumbbell goblet squat3 × 8
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoStop 1 to 3 reps short of failureEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
  2. Rear-foot-elevated split squat (Bulgarian split squat)3 × 8 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoFront knee tracks over the toesEasier: Reverse lungeHarder: Split squat jump
  3. Single-leg Romanian deadlift3 × 8 each leg
    Advanced · Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoHips levelEasier: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
  4. Nordic curl2 × 3 to 6
    Advanced · Hamstrings, Glutes · 3D demoLower as slowly as you can and catch yourself with your handsEasier: Slider hamstring curlHarder: Full Nordic curl
  5. Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 12 each leg
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoSlow on the way downEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops

Trunk and hips

  1. Side plank2 × 30 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoHips highEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
  2. Copenhagen plank1 set each side, 3 to 15 reps
    Advanced · Adductors, Abs, Shoulders · 3D demoShort lever first, with your top knee on the benchEasier: Hip adduction machine
  3. Lateral band walk2 × 10 steps each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Quads · 3D demoKnees out over the toesEasier: Hip abduction machineHarder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

Tips

  • On a high pass, land with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees bent, keep the ball secure above hip height, and turn your whole body towards your next pass rather than just your head: the authors of a netball ACL video study suggested these.
  • No hard jumping or heavy leg work the day before a match (our suggestion).
  • Under-16s: bodyweight or light loads with a coach watching, as our children's guide advises.
  • Pregnant: talk to your midwife or GP first. England Netball asks pregnant players to get individual medical advice, and the NHS advises against activities with a risk of falling or bumping your tummy.
  • Pain in the tendon below the kneecap: keep it at 3 out of 10 or less and settled by the next morning, as our jumper's knee guide explains.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

Injury prevention exercises for runners

Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.

25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box

Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the netball strength and landing workout take?

About 35 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall, A step, A dumbbell, A bench or box, An anchor point, A band. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 12 of its 15 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.