Position Specific Training Considerations for Basketball
Mike Gough, BS, CSCS, CFC
With the Basketball season around the corner it is time to start preparing the athlete for a successful season. The basketball player must be the complete athlete: strong, agile, explosive while exhibiting fine motor skills when shooting and dribbling. The athlete must be conditioned to the demands of the sport, their position, and their limitations.
From my experience as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the NBA, each player must be assessed individually, as point guards have different physical demands than a center; a shooting guard has different set of physical demands than a power forward. This is critical when developing a conditioning program for an athlete. Here’s a look at training focuses for each position.
Forwards
The Forwards require strength, power and the explosiveness to get up and rebound, while needing the agility to move in the low post to receive a pass. Often the forwards need to work on their co-ordination and body awareness due to their height (>6’8″).
A classic example is Alex Radojevic, the Toronto Raptors first round selection in the 1999 NBA Draft and who now plays for the Denver Nuggets. Alex a 7’3″ center that weighed 242 lbs., was limited in his strength and agility. My focus was to increase his co-ordination and body awareness, elevate his strength levels to a point where he could compete down low, and increase his footspeed. How did I do this?
Alex trained functionally, I challenged him by doing single leg exercises, used wobble boards, foam rollers, stability discs and pillows to make his body aware and react to many different stimuli. His strength was increased by standard lifts and a comprehensive core-strengthening program. His footspeed was increased by working on the agility ladder. This including complex patterns where he had to dribble the ball while following the specific footwork pattern. Most of his position specific agility was done on court involving read and reaction drills in the key followed by giving and receiving a pass, and by taking a shot.
Here is a sample workout for a center/power forward:
Exercise
Sets x Reps
Warm Up 5 min. of Shooting Baskets
Incline Bench Press 3 x 6
Alternating DB Press on Physio Ball (75cm) 3 x 5 (each arm)
Standing Push Press (Explosive) 3 x 6
One Arm DB Row 3 x 6 (each arm)
Single Leg Cone Touch (on Wobble Board/Airex Pad) 3 x 12
Lunge Complex (Front/Side/ Rotational) 3 x 10/10/10
Core
Ab Rollout on Physio Ball 2 x 10
Wood Chop (with tubing) 2 x 12 (each side)
Low Back Extension on Physio Ball 2 x 20
In addition to this workout, footspeed, and agility work would be performed pre-practice.
Guards
Guards are considered the ball handlers when moving up the court. They are quick, agile, elusive, and quite powerful for their size (>6’7″). Guards need to be able to run the court, get back on defense, shoot from the outside, and tactically move the ball around on offense. From my experience, guards often need to work on their physical strength so they can win the battles with bigger forwards.
An example of this is Muggsy Bogues, at 5’3″ and 141 lbs. Muggsy always provided a spark off the bench with his high tempo play and superior ball handling skills. What he lacked in height he made up for in heart, determination and conditioning. What I focused on with Muggsy was increasing his strength levels by pushing him to lift heavier weights. I focused on core lifts, bench, squat, lunges and deadlifts. We also trained functionally with some the additional exercises.
Guards often have amazing athletic qualities. They can run fast, jump high, and move around opponents with ease. By targeting their strength levels, a difference can be seen when challenged by physically bigger, stronger players on the court.
Here is a sample workout for a shooting/point guards:
Exercise
Sets x Reps
Warm Up 5 min. of Shooting Baskets
Standing Push Press (Explosive) 3 x 5
Bench Press 3 x 5
One Arm DB Row 3 x 6 (each arm)
Squat 3 x 5
Romanian Deadlift with DB 3 x 6
Walking Lunges 3 x 8 (each leg)
Core
Overhead Medicine Ball Toss Sit-Up 3 x 10
Wood Chop (with tubing) 2 x 12 (each side)
Low Back Extension on Physio Ball 2 x 20
with Medicine Ball Overhead Press
In addition to this workout, footspeed, and agility work would be performed pre-practice.
By analyzing the requirements of each position, a position specific program can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual athlete. No longer can you view all players and all positions the same when designing a basketball specific training program. Try training to the needs of the position to elevate your player’s game.
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Mike Gough B.Sc., CSCS, CFC is the Director of Optimum Performance Specialists (www.optperformance.com). He has worked with the Toronto Raptors NBA and Cleveland Indians MLB as a Strength and Conditioning Coach. For more information or questions on functional training programs or sports performance conditioning, contact Mike at 613-261-3895 or mikegough@optperformance.com.
You can also find more valuable sports training articles at http://SportSpecific.com
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