Leg Strength for Padel: 12 Exercises from Squats to Lateral Lunges

Leg strength for padel isn't about setting heavy squat records; it's about accelerating over short distances and stopping safely, not losing power when stepping sideways, and taking your first step just as fast at the end of a 90-minute match. The short answer: padel leg training targets three skills — bilateral strength (the squat and deadlift family), single-leg control (the lunge and split squat family), and lateral strength (side lunges, shuffles, changes of direction). A 12-exercise repertoire ranging from squats to lateral lunges covers almost everything a club-level player needs.

As the O’Padel Sky coaching team, we see leg strength as the physical quality that makes the biggest difference on court. Even with the same technique, a player with strong legs reaches the ball earlier, hits with more balance, and makes fewer errors in the final set. If you have pain, an old injury, or a chronic condition, consult your doctor and a sports physiotherapist before following the program below.

What do the legs do in padel?

A padel court is 20×10 meters. That means a space where you never sprint long distances to a ball but accelerate toward almost every ball. Within a single point, you typically accelerate several times, brake several times, and change direction several times. From an energy-system perspective, it's a series of short bursts; from a strength perspective, it's a repeated accelerate-and-brake cycle.

The legs take on three separate jobs in sequence in this cycle. First, pushing: generating force from the ground to take the first step. Second, stopping: absorbing incoming momentum and getting into hitting position without losing balance. Third, supporting: providing a solid base for trunk rotation during the shot. The third job is usually the most neglected, but it's a prerequisite for core training to be effective.

What strength looks like on court

Strength gains can be hard to track in numbers, but there are visible signs on court. The first is holding your position at the net: when your legs aren't tired, you don't feel the need to step back. The second is hitting without losing balance after turning off the glass. The third is your feet still moving on the return of serve in the third set. If any of these three signs has changed, the program is working.

Three types of strength, three separate workouts

Squeezing leg training into a single template leaves out part of what padel demands. The breakdown below clarifies why you choose each movement when writing a program.

12 exercises: from squats to lateral lunges

The repertoire below works whether or not you have access to a barbell. You can start with dumbbells, kettlebells, or just bodyweight and progress from there.

1. Goblet squat — 3×10. Teaches you to keep your torso upright; the safest entry point for learning the squat.
2. Back or front squat — 4×6. Foundational bilateral strength. Keep depth within a pain-free range.
3. Romanian deadlift — 3×8. Hamstrings and posterior hips; critical for backpedaling and braking.
4. Bulgarian split squat — 3×8 (each leg). The single-leg movement with the highest carryover to padel.
5. Lateral lunge — 3×10 (each side). Directly trains the braking phase of the side step.
6. Cossack squat — 2×8 (each side). Combines lateral strength and hip mobility in one movement.
7. Step-up — 3×8 (each leg). Forward drive and single-leg balance.
8. Hip thrust — 3×10. Hip extension power; the engine of first-step speed.
9. Single-leg Romanian deadlift — 2×8 (each leg). Balance and posterior chain control in one.
10. Copenhagen plank — 2×20 seconds (each side). Inner thigh (adductor) strength; the area under the most strain when stepping sideways.
11. Single-leg calf raise — 3×12 (each leg). Achilles tendon and first-step push-off.
12. Lateral band walk — 2×15 steps (each direction). Activates the hip abductors; can also be used in warm-ups.

We cover the injury prevention side of strength training in detail in our knee and ankle health article; reading the two together makes the program click.

8-week progression plan

Strength develops when you increase the load gradually. The framework below is for a player doing two leg sessions a week.

• Weeks 1–2 — technique: Bodyweight or light load, 2–3 sets, high reps. The goal is to learn the movement.
• Weeks 3–4 — volume: Increase the load, 3 sets, 8–10 reps. Muscle soreness is normal during this phase.
• Weeks 5–6 — strength: 4 sets, 5–6 reps, longer rest. The load you can lift without your technique breaking down is your limit.
• Week 7 — power: Drop the load slightly, increase speed. Add jumps and short accelerations.
• Week 8 — deload: Cut volume in half. Your body locks in the gains this week.

This cycle runs alongside our 8-week conditioning program on the same calendar. Skipping heavy sets during tournament weeks is the simplest rule for heading into match day on fresh legs.

On-court power: turning strength into speed

Strength built in the gym doesn't automatically turn into speed on court. The bridge between them is short-distance acceleration and change-of-direction work. Put these at the end of your pre-match warm-up or at the start of leg day, before you're tired.

• Split step + first step: 6 reps. Hop lightly and explode in the direction your coach points as you land. Combines reaction and strength.
• 5-0-5 change of direction: 4 reps. Run five meters, stop, and come back at the same speed. The most honest test of braking strength.
• Lateral shuffle + stop: 6 reps. Shuffle three steps sideways, brake hard, hold your balance.
• Pogo jumps: 3×10. Short, quiet hops from the ankles with minimal knee bend. Develops the spring function of the Achilles tendon.
• Medicine ball side throw + step: 5 reps (each side). Links leg drive to trunk rotation.

This block takes eight to ten minutes in total and requires full rest between sets. The goal isn't to get tired but to perform quality reps at top speed; if you're out of breath, extend your rest. Done twice a week, the first change you'll feel on court is getting to more balls coming off the glass.

Common mistakes

Players who train legs but don't see it pay off on court usually make one of these mistakes.

1. Training only bilaterally. Almost every shot in padel is hit balanced on one leg; a load you lift with two legs doesn't teach that skill on its own.
2. Skipping the lateral direction. Squats and deadlifts work in the front-to-back plane. Padel's most demanding movements are sideways.
3. Lifting heavy before a match. Stepping on court with tired legs hurts your technique and raises your injury risk.
4. Not training braking. Slow-tempo lowering and controlled landing work get done less than acceleration work, but they're more protective for the knees.
5. Forgetting the calves. First-step push-off and backpedaling depend on calf strength; when neglected, Achilles complaints quickly climb the list.
6. Not planning recovery. Strength is built during rest, not training; leave at least 48 hours between two leg days.

Recovery and support: the Sky ecosystem

Fitting leg day and match day into the same week makes planning recovery essential. After a match or heavy session, the sauna and steam room at O’Spa Sky are a practical step for easing muscle tension and unwinding at the end of the day. After heavy leg sessions or tournament days, the cold plunge is a method our players often turn to for managing heavy legs; however, if you have a cardiovascular condition, blood pressure issues, or are pregnant, consult your doctor before getting into cold water. If you want to maximize strength gains, it makes more sense to avoid long cold exposure right after a heavy session and save the cold for after matches.

Sports massage works well on a two-week rhythm for tension built up around the quads, calves, and hips. If you have a technical issue or recurring one-sided pain, the sports physiotherapist at O’Athletic Sky uses movement analysis to show how much load each leg carries and where the asymmetry comes from, which makes the program more precise. The reformer Pilates sessions at O’Wellness Sky are a low-load complement for single-leg control and hip stability, and the semi-Olympic pool is a joint-friendly option for active recovery after a heavy leg day. Don't skip your warm-up and cool-down routine either: you'll find the details in our pre-padel warm-up and post-padel cool-down articles.

Conclusion: strong legs, longer matches in Sarıyer

In padel, leg strength is the highest-return investment after technique. With a 30–40 minute leg day twice a week, you'll speed up your first step, make your braking safer, and stay a step ahead of your opponent in the last twenty minutes of the match. No need to overcomplicate the program: one squat, one hip extension, one single-leg movement, one lateral movement, and one calf movement form the core.

At the Skyland Istanbul complex in Sarıyer, the courts, fitness area, reformer Pilates studio, pool, and spa are all within walking distance, so you can fit training and a match into the same visit. When you come straight from work in Maslak or Levent, combining leg day and an evening match under one roof is the easiest way to keep the program going for weeks. If you're not sure where to start, padel lessons get a short assessment with our coaches as part of it.

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