Lateral Lunge Progressions for Netball

A smart strength and conditioning set from Netbird Performance - and a really useful one for netball players, because changing direction is everywhere in the game. Losing your defender, driving onto the circle edge, recovering in defence, shutting down space, stopping suddenly. It all asks a lot of the hips, knees and adductors.

These lateral lunge progressions build the strength and control needed for that stop-and-go movement. The adductors help players decelerate, push off and re-accelerate in a new direction, which makes them a key part of netball strength and conditioning. They also support hip and knee stability, so this is not just about moving faster. It's about moving better, with more control and less unnecessary injury risk.

The short video series shows a clear progression, starting with more controlled lateral lunge variations before building towards movements that feel closer to the demands of court play. Fixed stance dumbbell work helps players focus on loading the adductors properly. Standard lateral lunges build the base pattern. Landmine, Zercher, cable deceleration and step-up variations then add more challenge through the trunk, hips and braking phase of movement.

Add these into a netball strength and conditioning session when working on change of direction, lower body control, adductor strength or injury prevention. Players do not need to rush through the hardest version straight away. Start with the variation they can control well, then build from there. Very boring advice, annoyingly correct.

For netball players who want to change direction more efficiently on court, lateral lunge progressions are a strong place to start. The better players can brake, hold shape and push away again, making them harder to track, mark and contain.