Participating in a training program for basketball is important for both sexes, but there are some specific reasons women need to participate in a regular fitness regime. Succeeding at basketball requires a unique fitness level, adequate strength levels and sport-specific coordination. A comprehensive training program consists of skill work, strength and power, conditioning and agility workouts.
Significance
Not only do women see improvements in athletic performance in training for basketball, but a consistent workout program can decrease the chances of injury. Women are particularly susceptible to knee injuries, but adequate strength and appropriate biomechanics can significantly decrease their occurrence.
Skill Work
Participating in consistent skill work should be considered the most important for women who are trying to train for basketball. Nearly everyday, you should be spending time on dribbling, shooting, passing and defensive skills. Not only will you improve your coordination and basketball-specific abilities, but your body will adapt to those types of movements and be better able to handle them during actual competition.
Strength And Power
Having an adequate level of strength and power is essential for women to excel at basketball. You should participate in a yearlong weight training regime that mixes general strength exercises, such as back squats and bench press, with more specific power exercises, such as jump squats and medicine ball activities.
Conditioning
Basketball is unique from many sports because it not only requires the ability to sprint short distances but also the ability to run for a long time. Depending on the level, basketball games can range from 36 to 48 minutes long, so female players need to be able to handle that duration of physical activity. Therefore, in the offseason, you should do short endurance activities, such as jogging for 20 minutes. With a couple months until the start of the season, longer sprints should be used to start building that type of fitness. As you get closer to the season, shorter sprint workouts should be used to get your body ready for competition.
Agility
Basketball requires quick changes of direction and bursts of sprints. Footwork and agility workouts should be incorporated into your training to improve the coordination of the feet and the entire body. Agility training plays a big part in preventing knee injuries; ACL tears in particular often take place when a female athlete is trying to change directions.
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