Sport-specific training and workouts for basketball prepare players for competition. Successful training can be accomplished without using equipment and involves a combination of different skills, including strength, agility, power, balance, speed and metabolic conditioning. Workouts that build strength without using equipment allow a basketball player to workout at any time and any place. Each player, regardless of position or skill, can become stronger by training without equipment.
Speed Workout
Basketball is a game full of running, accelerating, decelerating and changing directions. Running is a great exercise to build speed, strength, power and metabolic conditioning. One workout that is basketball-specific is called the suicide ladder. The suicide ladder will improve the player's ability to run up and down the court during fast breaks, quickly change directions while on offense to avoid a defender and to accelerate quickly while playing defense. The players will start along the baseline and run to the closest free throw line. Touch the line and return back to the baseline. Touch the baseline and run to the half-court line and touch the line. Return back to the baseline, touch the line, and run to the opposite free throw line. Touch the line, change directions and return to the baseline. Touch the baseline, change directions and run the full length of the court. Touch the opposite baseline, change directions and return to the starting point. Rest for 60 seconds and repeat.
Functional Strength
Functional strength builds the specific strength needed during a basketball game. The workout that incorporates functional strength utilizes full-body compound movements, including the pull-up, push-up, sit-up and squat. Building strength with these exercises will improve performance late in a game during the fourth quarter and will improve the ability to make stronger passes. Perform 10 rounds of 10 repetitions on each exercise. For example, perform 10 pull-ups, immediately followed by 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups and 10 squats. Rest as necessary between rounds and repetitions. The goal is to complete all 10 rounds in the fastest time possible.
Plyometric Workout
Plyometrics are exercises that are executed at fast, powerful intervals. The exercises are designed to build strength, power and explosiveness that can increase speed and vertical jumping ability without fancy equipment. Increasing the vertical jump will improve shot blocking ability and the ability to elevate over defenders during a jump shot. Start by performing walking lunges for a total of 100 feet, then immediately perform 30 repetitions of box jumps and finish with 10 pull-ups. Complete a total of five rounds as fast as possible.
Agility & Strength
Combining agility and strength into training is a great sport-specific basketball workout that resembles the physical demands of a basketball game. Agility and strength is important during a game to chase down loose balls and boxing out opponents for a rebound. Mark two points 10 yards apart with marking cones for a shuttle run. Start in the middle of the cones and run as fast as possible to the right, touch the cone, change directions and run 10 yards to the next cone, touch the cone and run through the starting point. Immediately perform 10 burpees. To complete a burpee, start standing and drop down into a push-up position and complete one push-up. After the push-up, bring the feet up to your hands and stand up and jump before returning to the starting point. Return to the shuttle run and complete a total of five rounds as fast as possible.
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