Basketball Strength & Conditioning Workouts

Warming up

• Before beginning any work out program it is important to make sure all your muscles are warm, loose and ready for action.

  It is imperative when doing any exercise to get your heart rate up and get your blood flowing to all your muscle groups. A great way to warm up is to spend five minutes jumping rope or doing jumping jacks.

  Both are proven ways to raise your heart rate quickly and involve the entire body. Plus, the jumping and the quick use of the arms replicate a lot of the motions that are used in basketball so you are effectively doing two things at once; getting your body warmed up and practicing muscle memory and conditioning for your sport. Another suggestion is light jogging for the same amount of time.

Stretching

• A major area that is too often overlooked or not focused on enough, is stretching. Especially in the game of basketball that is full of quick movements and stop and go action, all the muscles must be properly stretched both before and after a work out to ensure you don't get injured.

  While stretching make sure and stretch each of your major leg muscles (hamstrings, quadriceps, calf), as well as your arms and your groin. As with any stretching, make sure not to over extend the muscle and to reach with a fluid motion; do not bob or rock back and forth. Find an acceptable stretching point and hold for a 7-10 second count, then release slowly. Repeat each stretch at least twice.

Strength

• To succeed in basketball you must have a certain level of strength. While, by definition, basketball is a non contact sport, anyone who has played the game knows there is a great deal of physical play. But even more than needing strength to combat your opponents, basketball players need strength to take their game to the next level.

  Running faster, jumping higher and moving quicker all come from building up strength in the legs, core, and arms. Here are a few basketball specific strength exercises:

  Legs: The most basic leg strengthening work out is what's known as a 'squat'. Just as its name implies, the object is to go from a standing position to a squatting position and returning back to standing. The move can be done with or without weights and with or without a machine. For basketball purposes, it's best done with lighter weight and in higher repetitions (or 'reps').

  Core: A great way to strengthen your mid section (abs, obliques, lower back) is to work on your core. This can be done in a variety of ways such as sit ups, crunches, leg raises while laying on the floor. For a great basketball specific core workout, you can get into a crunch position (head and shoulders off the floor, knees bent, feet and rear end on the ground) and hold a basketball in your hands. While keeping your lower body in position, reach the the ball to the right and touch it to the ground just behind where you are sitting. Then, bring it across your body and touch it to the same position on the left side of your body. Alternate between sides at a constant and moderate pace for a count of 30.

  Arms: To develop the strength needed to shoot and pass the basketball you need not only strength, but strength that lasts. For this, you can do a simple workout, with or without weights, where you stand with your hands to your side, then raise your arms up and out to the sides, creating a 'T' shape, then returning to your side. Then raise both arms up and to the front, and return to your side. Do this for three sets of 15 reps. Remember, because it is a high rep exercise do not use too much weight.

Conditioning

• Conditioning is a major part of basketball. It is necessary to be able to sustain your level of effectiveness throughout a game. If you are tired and unable to perform at the highest level at the end of a game you are no longer a helpful or productive member of your team.

  There are two forms of conditioning for basketball that you should work to improve. The first form is basic conditioning. This can be done by running wind-sprints and other running drills that are designed to mimic the distances you will run in a basketball game. It is important to know that in order to improve your conditioning, each time you need to work to do more and more basic conditioning drills before you reach exhaustion.

  A common example of a basic conditioning drill is called doing 'a suicide'. This drill starts at the baseline and then you sprint to the foul line and sprint back to the baseline, then sprint to half court and sprint back to the baseline, then sprint to the opposite foul line and back, and then sprint to the opposite baseline and back. This drill most directly reflects the type of running you will do in basketball competition and it should be your goal to complete each 'suicide' while in a full sprint.

  The other form of conditioning is called game conditioning. This involves getting your body conditioned to do the movements you will will be doing often in a game. The goal is to be able to work to increase the amount of time you can do a specific moment before you reach exhaustion. One example is a shooting drill that can be done all by yourself. Start by picking a specific area where you would like to improve your shot. Then, take a shot; if you make it, run and get your rebound back to the same spot and shoot again. If you miss, run to your rebound, dribble to the basket and make a lay up. Then run back to your original spot and start the process over again.

  Do this drill for a minute and keep track of how many shots you make. After time you'll realize that the more shots you take, the more you will make, and the better condition you get in, the more shots you'll be able to take.

Cool Down and Treatment

• Another area that is often overlooked comes after a workout. Just as important as the warm up and stretching, is the cool down and the treatment of muscles. After completing your work out, a light jog is a good way to loosen up any tight muscles. Following a brief jog, make sure to do the same stretching regimen you did at the beginning of your workout, but this time take extra time to focus on any areas that are especially tender.

  After cooling down and stretching either ice down any joints that feel extremely stiff, or take a 10-15 minute dip in what is called a "cool tub". A cool tub can be created in any bath tub and is great for muscle recover. Fill the tub with 50-degree water and get in and relax.