Invented by James Naismith in 1893, basketball eventually grew in popularity to become an Olympic sport in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Throughout the years, basketball players have followed dedicated training programs to improve basketball skills and performance. As a result, basketball players have the speed, agility, power and jumping ability of world-class athletes. To help basketball players improve those skills, online training programs have been developed for players at any level.
Function
College and professional basketball players have several physical characteristics in common, such as strength, power, speed, acceleration, balance, coordination and stamina. All of these characteristics are skills that can be improved through online training programs. As a result, these online training programs use specific high-intensity activities, exercises, drills and workouts. With a main focus on strength and power, the program design will also improve the other physical characteristics.
Time Frame
Most basketball seasons occur from November through March with some seasons extending into May and June. To maximize the training efforts, online training programs break down the season into three phases -- offseason, preseason and in-season. Each phase has a specific goal and purpose within the training program. The offseason phase occurs for about two to three months in the summer while the preseason phase covers three to four months in the early fall leading up to the season. The in-season phase typically covers about six months or the duration of the season.
Workouts
Regardless of the training phase, the online training programs consist of aerobic conditioning, strength conditioning and flexibility conditioning with only the intensity, duration and frequency changing throughout the different phases. Aerobic conditioning workouts typically consist of two to three days per week with a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise such as swimming or cycling. Strength conditioning workouts take place two to five days per week and using a combination of functional total body strength exercises with a focus on core stability. Flexibility training includes various stretches to be performed at least three times per week after a total body warmup.
Features
Online training programs generally feature training charts and workouts that can downloaded and printed to help track progress throughout the program. Along with providing a detailed layout for a year-round strength and conditioning program, the best online basketball training programs will have additional features. Some of these features may include additional drills for specific positions, practice plans, training tips, nutrition advice and tips for parents.
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