Although basketballs are not heavy, strength training is important for a basketball player's success. Developing your muscular strength will improve your chances of beating out opponents for rebounds and will increase the range of your shots.
Unilateral Exercises
According to University of Wisconsin strength and conditioning coach Ray Eady, you should perform exercises for single-leg strength to improve your power for layups and other unilateral, or one-limbed, movements. To improve single-leg strength, you can perform leg presses with one leg at a time or single-leg squats.
Positional Training
GuideToCoachingBasketball.com suggests altering your weight training based upon the position you play. The website explains that centers and power forwards should aim to add bulk by lifting heavy weight for few repetitions. Small forwards and guards should perform more repetitions with lighter weight to add strength and muscle tone, with minimal bulk.
Exercise to Prevent Injury
Strength and conditioning coach Ray Eady explains that you should strengthen certain muscles to prevent injury. Eady notes that ankle and knee injuries are common in basketball, so you should strengthen the muscles surrounding these joints, such as your calves and quadriceps. You can improve calf strength through weighted calf raises and quadriceps strength via squats or leg presses.
Avoid Overtraining
Although training is beneficial, training too often or without adequate rest can cause injury or prevent progress. On CoachLikeAPro.com, coach Brad Winters suggests limiting strength-training workouts to three times weekly on nonconsecutive days. Winters also suggests limiting workouts to 60 minutes and resting one minute between sets.
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