When we thought Malaysia is losing the All England Tournament again;

when we thought there's no new blood after Lee Chong Wei; 

when we thought badminton is a dying sport;

here comes a young chap who beat the Japanese ace and snatched the title from the Danish player -- he is Lee Zii Jia. 

So, how exactly did Lee did it? 

Badminton is a sport of speed, strength, and strategy; one has to think ahead of the opposition while dashing in the court until the game ends, that is, if you still have the breath to go on. 

Endurance, no doubt, is the key in this demanding sport, but that doesn't make anaerobic exercises like weight lifting less important, as explosive movements like constant jumping, smashing, even lunging requires coordination of different muscle groups to perform. 

For starters, consistent training of running and sprinting are great way to boost up the stamina. Start from 20-minutes jog 3-4 times a week, then, gradually increase the time to 30 or 45 minutes. You'll be fascinated by your body's performance. 

After a month of run and sprint, maybe it's time to throw in some weight in your workout. Here's what you can do to improve muscular endurance: 

1. Plank

2. Squat

3. Lunges

4. Pull-ups

5. Push-ups

6. Shoulder Press

Feel free to step up the game by adding more weights, especially in movements like lunges and shoulder press --- as this could help to train each muscle group individually for better balance, and building up strength from scratch. Keep this routine for a good 90 days and you should see drastic improvement from where you begin. 

Good luck and smash that routine!