Developing a program with the appropriate exercises will enable basketball players to achieve better results in games by increasing their strength, speed and vertical leap. By working hard in the correct way, a player can add height to his jumping ability and increase his speed. This will take athletes to the next level in competition.
Strength Program
An important element in a strength training program for an individual or a team is having a plan for the frequency and duration of training sessions. There should be three different training periods: post-season, pre-season and in-season. The post-season training period is when a player should concentrate on making significant gains in strength and explosiveness. The pre-season and in-season phases are geared toward maintenance. A program during the post-season should begin two to three weeks after competitive games have ended. Post-season workouts will be 45 to 60 minutes, three times per week, preferably Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In the pre-season, allocate 30 to 60 minutes per workout, just two days per week, with basketball-specific activities on the other days. Finally, workouts during the season should be to 20 to 50 minutes, twice each week. While strength is not gained during the season, it is vital to maintain strength and prevent injury with frequent training.
Strength Training Exercises
Each basketball strength training program should be focused on total body development. Each workout needs to incorporate multiple "athletic lift" exercises dedicated to this emphasis. Here is a sample post-season three-day per week program. On Monday, do some form of cleans--power cleans, hang cleans, clean-and-jerks--and then follow these up with deadlifts, front or back squats, vertical jumps, pull-downs or pull-ups, military presses with barbell or dumbbells, dumbbell curls and tricep press extensions. Finish with core work by doing decline sit-ups, hanging leg raises, and a bridge. Cool-down with dynamic and static stretching. On Wednesday, repeat the program but substitute stationary lunges for squats, bent over dumbbell rows for pulldowns, incline bench press with dumbbells for military presses and eliminate curls and tricep presses. On Friday, repeat Monday's schedule.
Speed Schedule
The speed part of training should occur three days per week during the off-season and pre-season periods, preferably right after the basketball workouts. Working in conjunction with the strength training part of training, coordinate the speed training exercises on opposite days. So, if the strength exercises are completed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, incorporate a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule for the speed work. If this schedule is not possible, working the strength exercises in the morning and the speed exercises in the afternoon is suitable.
Speed Exercises
After each basketball session, incorporate a quality combination of wall marches, walking marches, scramble-ups, towel sprints, skip-and-sprints, pitter-patter step-and-sprints, four-point stance sprints, hill climbs, stair climbs, sand sprints, box jumps, dot drills, floor ladder drills, resistance band exercises and water conditioning. Speed and quickness can be achieved by designing a program with these exercises in mind. These exercises will stimulate the fast-twitch fibers, which are essential to speed, vertical lift and quickness.
Cool-down and Stretching
An important component to increasing speed and maintaining strength is having flexible tendons and ligaments. An athlete can benefit by doing dynamic and static stretching at the beginning and end of each program. This will ensure proper flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.
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