The last basketball workout post was really popular and many people seemed to have liked it. I know in the past I received emails from basketball players who wanted not only basketball workouts, but weight lifting and strengthening programs for basketball players. Travis Sawyer from StrongBaller has informed me of his free basketball workout.

Download the Free 4 week basketball program

I was able to download it and check out the workouts and they are good. It is a pdf with descriptions of basketball strength exercises with photos and he has Youtube channel with videos of workouts as well..

I recommend anyone interested in strengthening exercises for basketball players to visit the Strong Baller website. Name does offer a more detailed workout when you purchase the full workouts, but it is not required! However, I’m sure you’ll like the paid version as well!

Make comments if you’ve checked out the workouts!

Recently I created a basketball workout and yesterday I received a comment by Dee Sharma which included a workout that I will present below. If you want to contact Dee Sharma please leave a comment or send her an email.

try doing this workout:

Basketball Workout

0:00 – 0:05 stretching, 40 push-ups, lunges full-court back, jog
full-court back with and without ball

0:05 – 0:20 elephant , elephant dribble, behind the back, jump stop
behind the back, spin move, crossover, threw legs, spin move 2 dribbles back
then go, in and out, in and out cross, in and out behind the back, threw legs
cross, double threw legs, and in and out threw legs, do each 2-3 times up and back

0:20 – 0:25 water break

0:25 – 0:35 Steve Nash warm up jumpers, banks, floaters, lay-ups, step
backs, turnarounds, hook shots, and 3ptrs

0:35 – 0:40 slide dribble

0:40 – 0:55 ball slaps, Finger tip touches, Ball wraps, Corkscrew,
wraps around each leg(both ways), figure 8 wraps(both ways), one hand dribbles
around each leg(both hands),figure eight dribbles around both legs(both ways),
Ball drops(one hand front one hand back), Ball drops(both hands front and back)

0:55 – 1:00 water break

1:00 – 1:10 catch and shoot(spin ball out), shot fake one dribble
pull-ups left and right, and shot fake two dribble pull-ups left and right (5 times)

1:10 – 1:15 jump rope 3/30

1:15 – 1:20 dribble right hand crossover half court and left hand back (twice)

The elphant drill or crab walk is when you are going threw your legs but not dribbling going in a straight line up and down the court.

If u have any questions or need another workout contact Dee Sharma at teamplayaz06@yahoo.com

Do you want to be a great player? Do you have the main 3 qualities?

1. Confidence

• Gained through repetition of the fundamental basketball skills
• Adverse situations are a challenge that you look forward to conquering

2. Aggressiveness

• Playing with relentless determination, constantly trying new things to make you better. Winners are never afraid of losing.

3. Unselfish

• The team must come first!!! Everything you do has an effect on the team. Make sure it is a positive one.

Have you wanted to improve your vertical jump or your explosiveness? I’m sure at one time in your athletic career you’ve done Stair Exercises. It can be a pain in the a$$ but it’s worth it and the conditioning is excellent.

A buddy of mine Virgil has created a Stair Exercise Program for all athletes. He has trained many professional players in the WNBA, MLB, Police Academy and many company SEO’s. Below is a video of some techiques he has.

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Virgil Aponte has many options if you would like to purchase his DVD, book or combo. He has a great program. It’s highly recommended.

Most guys at least who reach the height of about 6″0 can probably dunk the basketball. If you’re very athletic it comes a lot easier to dunk even if you’re 5″9. At 6″2 I dunked the basketball “once” that was when I was in top shape and lifting weights like crazy. Dave Moore has a system for all you ballers that haven’t reached the rim but have come close. Well even if you can touch the net you are only inches away from dunking the basketball.

My buddy Dave Moore almost promises that you will dunk sooner than you’ve probably been hoping. Its really not difficult. Head over to his site to read the dunking tips to be unstoppable!

Going up strong is no hype and you can become the best rebounder also. Take a look at his site:

http://www.goupstrong.com

An easy to follow system that will help you to make more shots quickly and with confidence!

Improve your team’s odds of winning that close game!

1)Does your team shoot inconsistently from the field?

2)Does your team shoot erratically from the free throw line?

3)Does your team keep making the same mistakes?

4)Are you unsure why your teams shots aren’t going in?

5)Are you tired of losing games by just a few points because of easy missed shots?

(Did you know most youth games are decided by 5 points or less?)

This ebook by Steve Pavlolic, view samples of his ebook: Continue Reading ->

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