Getting prepared for a season of basketball is a lot of work for an athlete because basketball demands excellent conditioning. Athletes have to do both cardiovascular training and strength work in order to have the opportunity to compete at their best. At the same time, they must also strive to upgrade their skills in order to play against the best competition.
Cardiovascular Training
Engage in interval training three times per week as you prepare for basketball season. Interval training will get your body prepared for sprinting up and down the court in basketball and it will also improve your overall cardiovascular conditioning. Go to a high school or college track and measure off distances of 100, 90, 80 and 70 yards. Sprint each of these distances consecutively, starting with the longest. Take no more than 15 seconds between sprints. When you are finished with all four, rest for two minutes and repeat the set. Do one more double-set before you leave the track.
Strength Training
Get stronger to be a more effective basketball player. Some of the most effective stength-building exercises include the bench press, arm curls, the leg press and leg curls. If you don't have access to free weights or circuit training machines, you can work on your strength by doing push-ups, pull-ups and abdominal crunches.
Competitive Edge
Find pickup basketball games against older and more experienced players. Nothing will prepare you more for the rigors of the season like competition. When that competition comes against players who are better than you, it makes you work harder and play better just to be respectable.
Ballhandling Drill
Work on your individual skills before the start of basketball season. You will need to improve as a ball-handler. To do that, take two basketballs and start at the baseline. Walk toward midcourt and dribble the ball in your strong hand as you move. The instant you hear the first ball hit the ground, dribble the second ball. Keep going like this until you feel confident that you can dribble both balls at the same time. Turn your walk into a trot and eventually see whether you can run while dribbling two balls.
Shooting Drill
Work on your shooting and develop confidence in your form and shot. To do this, start your shooting practice by taking 50 shots from 10 feet or less. These should be easy shots but you need to concentrate and you need to bend your knees and follow through on each shot. Record your performance results on paper or in your computer every day. This will give you more confidence and better fundamental skills for longer shots.
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