Last week we discussed the power of the lunge pattern in improving cricket performance. This week we look at the technique for good lunging.

The forward lunge simulates movements that we make in cricket when we bat, bowl, field and keep wicket as well as being the starting point for the development of speed and stability: two vital components within any athletic performance.

I was asked an interesting question the other day;

“What is the one best physical exercise for cricket?”

Now, fitness is more than one exercise.

A programme would incorporate numerous drills, exercises, aerobic training, anaerobic training, strength, power, core, weights and many other elements to boot.

Good cricketers are strong.

They may not look like big chested hulks (although some like Kallis, Flintoff and Irfan Pathan come close) but to bowl quick, put revs on the ball or hit the ball hard you need to have strength.

The pros have strength coaches to plan their every gym visit. Grass-roots coaches and their players may not even have access to a gym.

But that doesn't mean you need to ignore the usefulness of strength training in your sessions.

In the old days if you got an injury you just shrugged, put it down to bad luck and waited for it to heal up.

Some people still do that.

But the clever guys (that's you, because you are reading this) know some things can be headed off at the pass.

You can stop an injury before it happens.

We know this because researchers have looked into the influence of posture on rate of injury. They found that certain postural triggers - the way you hold yourself when moving and still - lead to more injuries.

In this series, we give you a sample workout you can use from the extensive database of cricket fitness programmes at PitchVision Academy. To see the full list, click here.

As this is a new series, we will start with the warm up. That’s because - for most cricketers - the warm up is the last thing on the list when it comes to improving skill or fitness.

 This is a series where we reveal some real workouts you can do to improve your cricket fitness.

Once a month we will delve into a plan that gives you exercises, sets, reps and rest for every type of player from the beginner to those hoping to become a professional.

Subscribe to the newsletter to get the latest workout. They will also be posted here.

Cricket Fitness Workout List

One of my training clients is having a little trouble with occasional knee pain. It’s nothing more than a niggle, but we have to take care it doesn’t become an actual injury.

It got me thinking; this is good practice for all players; your first aim should always be to get on the park, and that means staying injury free. However, you are not a physiotherapist (neither am I) and so diagnosing and solving injury issues is impossible.

What do you do?

Fast bowling is complex. It’s impossible to break it down to one part; but a crucially important part for power - and therefore speed - is your hips.

Your hips are the powerhouse of the bowling action. You have leapt to the crease, landed with a braced front leg and there is a surge of energy heading up your body (like a pole vaulter’s pole sends them over the bar).

But wait. Before the energy can get into the ball to sear it down the other end it needs to get through your body.

It doesn’t matter how good a coach you have, because when you cross the white line it’s all down to you. No coach can play for you. You have to learn to understand your own game because you can adapt to the changes proposed by your coaches.

But in today's cricket world, a keen self-understanding is uncommon.

Meanwhile in the academic world the opposite is true.  Schools and Universities specialise in teaching skills then measuring how well you have learned through exams and coursework.

Recently we had a question posted on PitchVision Academy asking this:

“I am trying to increase the speed of my bowling. I am already a keen gym goer and quite strong. I bench 150kg, deadlift 180kg and squat  170kg. So what can I do now to become faster?”

It’s a great question because, as we already know, strength is a crucial element in bowling fast.