Professional basketball players require a balance of speed, agility, power and strength to be successful. To improve their skills and abilities as a basketball player, pro players have various training secrets that they incorporate into the strength and conditioning program. These secrets range from strength training techniques, skill work to improve ball handling, functional training to improve balance and cardio training to improve endurance.
Resistance Training
Resistance training -- commonly referred to as strength training -- is used by pro basketball players to improve the strength and function of the muscles commonly used during a basketball game. Steve Nash, NBA point guard, for example, follows a three-day per week resistance training schedule during the summer offseason. Day one involves chest and back exercises, such as dumbbell rows and cable flyes. Day two focuses on shoulders with movements, such as rotator cuff exercises and overhead presses. Day three trains the biceps and triceps with a series of biceps curls and triceps extensions.
Skill Work
A pro basketball player can possess the best physical skills, such as running and jumping, but without sport-specific basketball skills, such as dribbling and shooting, a pro player's career may be limited. To improve sport-specific skills along with improving balance and coordination, Baron Davis, NBA point guard, incorporates various ball-handling drills into the strength and conditioning program. For example, day one involves a dribbling drill while standing on an unstable surface followed with a seated figure-8 ball drill. Davis' goal for these drills is focus on balance and stability throughout each exercise.
Functional Training
Functional training involves exercises that are basketball-specific and generally include exercise equipment, such as stability balls and Bosu balls for an unstable surface. Karl Malone, retired NBA power forward, uses a stability ball for various exercises, such as push-ups, dumbbell shoulder presses and other upper body exercises. The unstable surface from the stability ball and Bosu ball force your core and abs to stabilize while maintaining balance, posture and coordination.
Cardio Training
The length of the basketball season requires endurance and stamina, and as a result, pro basketball players incorporate cardio training into the regular training schedule. NBA player LeBron James uses high-intensity interval training on an exercise bike to improve cardio, stamina and power. Another common cardio exercise used by pro basketball players includes sprint training using bungees or parachutes.
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