How to condition for basketball

Basketball Conditioning Drills & Workouts for the Individual Athlete Wanting to Get in Great Shape

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As a basketball player, there are certain things you dont have much control over. You dont control what your teammates do, you dont control your coaches, and you certainly dont control the officials.

However, you can control how much work you put into your game and your basketball conditioning. You can put in the time practicing free throws, dribbling drills, and improving your conditioning. Many players dont want to put in the extra work it takes to be great, especially if this means working on running and basketball conditioning drills. You can set yourself apart by showing up to practice in great shape. Learn about some basketball conditioning drills you can do on your own below.

What Does Basketball Conditioning Mean?

Being in shape is essential to be able to perform well in sports, but being in cross-country shape isnt the same thing as being in basketball shape. To be in basketball shape, you need to have endurance and repeat short bursts of speed running or shuffling down the floor. This is very different from running three miles in cross country.

A high school basketball game is 32 minutes long, so you must be prepared to be running and defending for an extended period of time. At the end of the game, you still want to have the legs and the wind to be able to handle the ball, score, and play tough defense. The final minutes of the game often decides who wins or loses, and you dont want to be too tired to get the win.

Below, you can check out several different drills to work on your basketball conditioning to make sure you are in great shape for your next game.

You'll find four categories of drills below...

Conditioning/Cardio Drills with a Basketball

As discussed above, basketball involves a lot of sprinting up and down the court. While you are running up and down the court, you might as well multi-task by working on your skills at the same time.

That means you can improve conditioning while improving ballhandling, shooting, and/or finishing skills.

Check out these basketball conditioning drills you can do with the ball in your hand:

1. Full-Court Dribbling & Layup Drill The full-court layup drill is exactly what it sounds like. You will start at the baseline and dribble the length of the court and shoot a layup. Then, you will grab your rebound and shoot a layup at the other end of the floor. You can continue circling the court this way until you make a certain number of layups or for a set time limit. Be sure to do this drill twice, once on the right side, and once on the left, so that you can work on dribbling and shooting with each hand. You can also work on your 1v1 moves by setting up cones and making dribbles moves each time you reach a cone.

2. Dribbling Cone Weave For this drill, you can set up cones in a z or a zig-zag pattern. Dribble to each cone, then crossover, and switch hands each time you reach a cone.

3. Two-Ball Dribbling Two ball dribbling is another way to work on cardio and ballhandling. With two ball dribbling, you have a basketball in each hand, and you dribble the length of the court. You can alternate the dribbles, dribble one ball high and one ball low, or you can even weave through cones while dribbling two balls.

4. Cone Grab Layup Drill This is another drill you can do to work on cardio as well as shooting. You will need two cones, and you will put one cone at the top of the key and another at the elbow. Start underneath the basket will a ball, and dribble out to the top of the key around the cone and toward the second cone. As you pass the second cone, pick it up with your off-hand, and finish the layup with your other hand. This drill can help you improve your layups as well as your conditioning.

5. Arc Layup Drill For this drill, you will need five cones as well as a basketball. You will set up the five cones anywhere along the three-point arc. Then, you will start underneath the basket, dribble around the first cone, and go take a layup. After you shoot the layup, grab your rebound and dribble around the next cone for a layup. This gets you used to dribbling full-speed and taking layups from different angles, which can help you improve your conditioning as well as your shot.

6. Sideline Sprint Shooting Drill With this drill, you can set a basketball on a chair somewhere within the three-point arc. Then, you will start at any area of the sideline and sprint to the ball, pick it up, and take a shot. This drill will get you cardio in the running to the ball, and it will also help you focus on taking shots at game speed.

7. Man in the Hole If you have a partner, this can be a great drill to work on conditioning, ballhandling, and defense. With this drill, you will start at the baseline with your partner. One player will be on offense, and one player will be on defense. The offensive player will dribble the ball, trying to get past the defensive player while he tries to stop the offensive player. When you get to the other side of the court, turn around and start again.

As you can see, there are endless conditioning drills that you can do with a basketball in your hands. We just listed a few drills, but you can check out more drills right here.

You can turn almost any skill drill into a conditioning drill by running between reps or going full speed. These drills will help you get in great basketball shape, but they will also help you improve ballhandling or shooting. When possible, it's best to do basketball conditioning with a basketball in your hand.

Running Drills

Next, lets talk about some running drills that you can do to get in great shape for basketball. When it comes to running drills, you want to keep in mind that intervals can help you get into basketball shape. Intervals involve running hard for a short period of time, followed by a short period of rest or recovery. These intervals are repeated to help build up endurance. Check out a few running drills below that can help you mimic what happens in a basketball game.

8. Minute Sideline Sprints One common basketball conditioning drill is sideline sprints. This exercise requires you to run from sideline to sideline as many times as you can in one minute. With this exercise, some people have a specific number of times you have to hit the sideline, like 17, but if you cant quite reach this number right away, you can start lower and work up to 17.

9. Suicides Suicides are a common running workout in basketball. For this conditioning drill, you will start on the baseline of the basketball court. Then, you will sprint to the free-throw line, touch it, and sprint back to the baseline. Next, you will sprint to the half-court line and back. Then, you will sprint to the far free-throw line and back. Finally, you will sprint to the other baseline and back. You will do all of this without stopping to build up your endurance and work on your sprinting.

10. Full-Court Partner Sprints If you have a teammate who wants to get in some basketball conditioning, you can do this drill together. You and your partner can alternate sprinting the length of the court and back. While you are running, your partner can rest. When you finish, your partner can start so that you are pushing each other to go as fast as you can.

Those are just a few examples of running drills that you can do without a basketball. These running drills are beneficial because they can help you get in game shape. You are building up your endurance with these drills, but you are also working on changing direction and stopping and starting, which will happen during the game.

Conditioning Drills with No Running Required

When people say they need to do cardio or conditioning, everyone immediately thinks of running. It is true that running is a popular way to get conditioning in, but it is not the only way. If you are looking for some conditioning drills with no running required, check out the options below.

11. Exercise Bike If you dont want to run for your cardio, you can always hop on an exercise bike. When you are using an exercise bike to get in shape for basketball, you might want to try different intervals where you go really hard for a short period of time, and then go slow for a bit while you recover. Then, you can repeat the interval process.

12. Aqua Jog An aqua jog is simply running in the pool or another body of water. When you are running in water that is at least up to your chest, it builds resistance and gives you a great cardio and muscle workout.

13. Swimming If you are already running a lot, or you are looking for a different type of cardio, you can try swimming. Swimming is a great way to work different muscles and still build up your conditioning.

14. Jump Rope Jump rope is another great basketball conditioning drill because it works on your lungs as well as your legs. You can find many different jump rope drills like single foot jumps, hopscotch, side to side jumps, and more. You can jump rope for a set amount of time or until you get a certain amount of jumps in.

15. Battle Ropes Battle ropes are a great way to get a great cardio workout while also working your back, chest, lats, and more. There are probably a set of battles ropes at your gym, and if not, you can buy some online. When training with battle ropes, have a few moves that you plan to do during a set amount of time. For example, one battle rope drill is simply moving the ropes up and down as fast as you can. You can also move the ropes side to side, or move the ropes in circles.

The drills above offer you a lot of benefits, and they can help make sure you are not overdoing it on the running. Check out these conditioning drills if you are looking to take a day off of running, but you still want to get in more cardio.

Conditioning Drills with No Running and No Equipment

If you find yourself stuck at home with no equipment, there are still some drills you can do to help you get in better conditioning for basketball. Check out some of these drills right here.

16. Burpees Burpees are a drill to combine strength and aerobic conditioning. To do this drill, you start in a standing position; then you move into a squat with your hands on the ground. Next, you will kick your feet back into a plank position. Then you will jump back up to the squat position and then stand up. This exercise works many muscles in your body, and if you do several in a row, you are also building up your conditioning.

17. Mountain Climbers For this drill, you need to get in the top of a push-up position. Then, you will hold your upper body still as you pump your legs in a running motion. This can help you work on your conditioning as well as your ab strength.

18. Lunges Lunges can build up your leg strength as well as your conditioning. You can simply lunge across the room and back, or you can lunge in place, jumping to switch to the other side, which can add a challenge.

19. Speed Skaters This is another cardio exercise you can do with no equipment and very little space. A speed skater is when you start from a standing position and take a step to the right while moving your left leg behind you. Then, you will take a step to your left with the left foot while moving the right leg behind you. You can continue going back and forth, picking up speed and even hopping from side to side if you can. Do this for 30 or 40 seconds, take a break, and then do it again.

20. Jump Squats Jump squats are another way to build up your strength, endurance and improve your vertical jump. Start in a standing position, and then, bend your knees and push your hips back into a squat. From your squat position, push off and jump up as high as you can. Repeat the drill to work on conditioning and leg strength.

These are great drills to get your blood pumping and your lungs burning without even leaving your living room. These are also quick drills that you can incorporate into your day to get in better shape.

Bonus Tip: Avoid Overtraining

Above, we listed over 20 basketball conditioning drills that you can do. These drills range from just running to drills with a basketball and even drills with no equipment required.

The idea is that you can pick a few of these drills to try out a few times a week to improve your basketball conditioning. However, it is important to avoid overtraining. You should not be doing all of these drills every day of the week. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, but it can also lead to injury, which is something every good athlete wants to avoid.

To avoid overtraining, be sure you are aware of what you are doing to stay in shape and pay attention to how your body feels so that you are not overdoing it. For example, if you play soccer in the off-season from basketball, that is a good workout to help keep you in shape. On days when you are doing soccer workouts, you dont have to overdo it on basketball conditioning. Finding the right balance of challenging yourself, but not pushing yourself too hard is essential.

Breakthrough Basketball is your resource for drills, skill workouts, and athletic training. We have a lot of great resources that can help you step up your game and your teams game. If you are looking to make yourself the best basketball player you can be, you should check out our Athletic Development Workout Program.

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5 Tips to Build Basketball Endurance and NEVER Get Tired on the Court!

As Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards out of us all.”

And at one time you were so tired that you couldn’t do what your team needed you to do when it mattered most.

Let’s be honest… we have ALL been there.

What if I am to tell you the secret to NEVER getting tired on the basketball court.

Would you be willing to do what it takes?

If so, read further…

First, it takes lots and lots of basketball-related conditioning. That’s obvious.

You may think of a basketball conditioning program as your coach making you run sprints in practice or in the offseason. Either you view it as punishment for doing something wrong or a necessary chore just to succeed in the game.

Stop looking at conditioning as a necessity! Look at it as a skill!

You can be GREAT at conditioning in the same way you can become a great shooter or passer. It takes the same level of focus and effort.

In the same way you practice shooting to perfect your jump shot, you can also practice conditioning habits to perfect your physical condition!

Here are five tips to develop your conditioning on the basketball court.

Tip #1: Have a Specific Pregame Meal

If your body functions as a car, then what do you fuel it with?

Have you thought about that?

The best athletes in the world have a diet so regimented that they view eating and drinking more as a science as opposed to just a daily need.

So what do the world’s best athletes eat?

Everyone has their favorite foods.

Scottie Pippen was famous for having a banana and orange juice at halftime.

LeBron James often likes chicken, fruit, a protein shake, and maybe some pasta before games.  

My advice? Stick to your favorite HEALTHY foods! You should WANT to eat the foods that will fuel you for the game.

But generally speaking, you should have a meal with:

• High amounts of carbohydrates, which increases exertion capacity by building up your glycogen levels. High glycogen levels ultimately lead to better on-court performance!

• Medium amounts of protein, which keeps you full (hunger is ONLY good for metaphors, actual hunger is only going to slow you down). Too much will slow you down, so aim for no more than 15-20 grams of protein in your pregame meal.

• Low amounts of fat and sodium before the game. Meals with a high amount of fat and sodium weigh you down considerably.

• Avoid too many sweets or high-sugar energy drinks. Those may give you a short-term increase in energy, but you WILL crash during the game!

Food is important. Whatever you eat will affect your conditioning on the basketball court. If you eat right, you will feel noticeably faster and stronger.

But a pregame meal would not be complete without a drink!  

Tip #2: Drink Water BEFORE the game, Practice, or Training Session

Always start the day with a glass of water. A glass of water to start the day will flush down any of the toxins and sodium accumulated in the previous night’s sleep.

And drink MORE water as the day progresses.

A rule of thumb: if you feel thirsty, you should have gotten a glass of water 30 minutes ago. If sweat is water leaving the body, then you MUST replace those fluids exiting the body.

So the first step is to eat and drink the right way! You will feel much better no matter where your conditioning level is currently.

But what about the tough part? The actual conditioning?

Tip #3: Prioritize Basketball Endurance When Building Muscle

Like passing or shooting, building endurance on the basketball court is a skill to develop. You have to LEARN how to be in great condition in order to be at YOUR best at all times.

And it all starts by building your muscles with the specific intent to play basketball. Not to look like a linebacker in football!  

Football players need as much muscle mass as possible to perform high-impact tasks in a split-second time interval – whether it’s blocking, tackling, or even kicking the football.

It’s the exact opposite in basketball. You have to dribble, pass, shoot, and move your feet CONSTANTLY throughout the game.

Too much muscle mass WILL slow you down! But too little WILL get you pushed around!

In basketball, your muscles must perform several rapid-fire tasks over an extended period of time. In the weight room, you have to think of what muscles you need to prioritize.  

On the basketball court, you will need to have strong glutes, quads, hamstrings, and adductor muscles to make cuts and defensive slides over and over again.

Core work is ESSENTIAL to keep you from suffering ongoing hamstring, hip, and back issues, which will sap your endurance because more exertion is needed to move at the same pace.

A strong core also gives you the body control and balance necessary to withstand contact when you finish at the basket.

My advice: prioritize core strength, then leg strength, then upper body strength. All three are important, but a strong core should be the top priority.

But strength training alone is not going to get you in great condition.

The next step to take is the cardio itself.  

Tip #4: Be Intentional About Cardio

In the offseason between my freshman and sophomore years in high school, I had one goal in mind: to become the starting point guard on my junior varsity team.  

I reached that goal – and lost 25 pounds in the process! Then I got moved up to varsity midway through the season and was a part of a team that made it all the way to the state semifinals!

How did I get there? It all started in the previous offseason!  

I made it a point to do one of these three things daily in the gym:

• 30-45 minutes on the Stairmaster
• Running 8-10 miles a day on the treadmill
• Doing several wind sprints on the basketball courts before I got my shots up.

It was a very intense regimen! My focus was solely to get in the best shape possible.

And that should be your focus too!

But looking back, I would do things differently!

I overextended myself and tore my hip flexor during my sophomore season. As a result, I was unable to build up the same level of conditioning for the next two seasons.

If I had to do it differently, here is how I would have done it:

Warm-up first! Like in practice or in a game, you should ALWAYS warm up before a cardio session. NOT doing this puts you at heightened risk for injury such as basketball shin splints.

Do long-range cardio for 30-45 minutes three times per week.

Long-range cardio is needed to build up the lung capacity and slow twitch muscles needed to stay on the basketball court as long as possible.

Low impact cardio such as swimming and biking is MUCH better than running because running all those miles will eventually impact your joints and cause you to be a further risk of injury.

If you are on an exercise bike or another cardio machine, then I would strongly advise you watch a basketball instructional video in order to learn a new skill.

But what about short-range cardio? The sprints that your coach makes you run?

Run those no more than two times per week. The goal is to alternate between long range and short range cardio.

Don’t just sprint up and down the court! Multi-task your training!

Add a basketball or a defensive component to your workout. Get better at basketball conditioning and your overall skills!

For example, you can:

• Aim to make 10 full-court layups in less than a minute (REALLY TOUGH)
• Sprint down the court 10 times and do a closeout at the end of each sprint

Or better yet, find the nearest hill and sprint up and back 10-12 times! Those hill runs WILL build up your fast twitch muscles which allows you to sprint multiple times during a game.

I guarantee running up hills will build up your endurance for ANY sport, not just basketball.

But what REALLY sets you apart is how you prepare for the NEXT day.

Tip #5: Immediately Stretch & Ice Your Legs After EVERY Workout

Next day soreness always slows you down! You cannot go as hard today as you did yesterday because you pushed yourself too hard! 

So what exactly causes next day soreness?

Next day soreness is your body telling you that you need to rest.

Your body has micro tears in your muscles that have not yet been fully built back up.

So what slows down the recovery process?

Lactic acid! Your body replaces yesterday’s oxygen with today’s lactic acid. Lactic acid causes muscle cramps and soreness throughout the muscles exercised.

So here are three key components to mitigate next day soreness:

1. Drinking plenty of water – water helps flushes out the lactic acid that builds up shortly after a workout

• Stretching after EVERY workout – static stretches will accelerate rebuilding the microtears in the muscles that naturally build up during the workout

• Taking an ice bath or cold shower after you stretch – cold water constricts the blood vessels, flushing out much of the lactic acid inside the affected muscle tissues

Properly recovering from a workout is equally as important as the workout itself.

Conclusion

If you REALLY want to build endurance, no step in this process should be skipped.

You WILL feel tired and discouraged at first. But over time, just like when you became a great shooter or defender, you will also become great at basketball conditioning.

Sports training in basketball | Sports school "Energia"

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Basketball (eng. basket "basket" + ball "ball") is a sports team game with a ball in which the ball is thrown with hands into the opponent's ring. Basketball is played by two teams, each of which consists of five field players (substitutions are not limited).

The goal of each team is to throw the ball into the opponent's net (basket) and prevent the other team from taking possession of the ball and throwing it into their own basket. The basket is located at a height of 3.05 m from the parquet (10 feet). For a ball thrown from near and medium distances, two points are counted, from a far one (because of the three-point line) - three points; A free throw is worth one point. The standard size of a basketball court is 28 meters long and 15 meters wide. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world.

Sports training programs

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Self -preparation

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On the development of the physical qualities of basketball players

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The purpose of writing this work is to summarize the practical experience of developing the physical qualities of high-class basketball players. It is possible that this experience can be in demand by representatives of other sports, as well as become a guideline in the training of young talents striving for the heights of mastery.

You won't find anything new here. From the known, the appropriate one was chosen, lined up in the optimal order and tested in the training process. You should not blindly repeat someone else's experience, but the knowledge gained will probably help you create your own unique pedagogical technology.

“…No man will show you more than what lies half asleep at the dawn of your knowledge. And the teacher, walking in the shadow of the temple, surrounded by students, gives them not his wisdom, but only faith and the ability to love. If he is truly wise, he will not invite you into the house of his wisdom, but will only bring you to the threshold of your own mind. The astronomer can tell you about his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding. A musician may sing to you about the rhythm that surrounds us, but he cannot give you the ear to catch the rhythm, or the voice to repeat it. And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell you about the world of weights and measures, but he cannot lead you there. Because the insight of one person does not spread its wings on another. And each of you stands alone before God, so each of you must be alone in your knowledge of God and understanding of the Earth ”(Khalil Gibran (“Prophet”, “On the Teaching”)).

The physical qualities that the science and practice of sports speak of include flexibility, strength, speed, endurance and agility. We will talk about their importance for a successful basketball game and their effective development.

Sports physiologists and practicing coaches identify a number of the most essential and sustainable requirements that determine the nature and characteristics of a reasonable planning and conduct of the training process, including the development of physical qualities or, in other words, the improvement of physical conditions.

Progress of results can only be ensured by overload. It should be understood as a training effect that exceeds the usual level, in response to which the body receives an incentive to increase the trained function. It must be remembered that the conditional “corridor”, along the lower border of which the threshold of stimulating action passes, and exceeding the upper one is harmful to health, is very, very narrow. For example, this applies to the effort when stretching muscles, the weight of weights in strength training, the length of the cross-country distance, etc.

A coach's knowledge is a prerequisite for an athlete's injury prevention, because a student is completely defenseless against the instructions of a mentor, especially at the beginning of his career.

Any physical quality is both acquired and “fades out” in the absence of training effects or inadequacy of the load. These time periods are known to science and confirmed in practice. It is impossible to get a result quickly, but it can be saved only with the help of regular work.

Under load, only those systems of the body are trained, on which we act strongly enough for the effect to appear. To play basketball, you need very specific qualities in a very specific amount. When choosing the nature and magnitude of the training load, remember the appropriate scale of priorities for a basketball player. Basketball has a wide variety of requirements. Much needs to be taught and developed, and the time for this is catastrophically short. Doing too much, we just lose it.

Knowing a lot of exercises and methods should not be used in order to apply everything, but in order to choose the optimal minimum from the total mass. A great athlete or an "ordinary" person - each of us is a unique biosystem with a set of abilities unlike any other. Some people, according to their data, are more suitable for successful basketball lessons, some are less promising. In any case, the coach must always and in everything take into account the individuality of the ward.

The main task of a mentor, the cornerstone of his work, is to help the pupil reach his "ceiling" in the development of qualities, skills and knowledge, while preserving the athlete's health as much as possible. Trying to encourage the player to “jump over your head”, and even more so someone else’s, is a gross mistake.

Playing basketball and basketball exercises encourage the body to develop physical qualities (do we make an exception for strength?). This important circumstance should be taken into account when planning the work. First, it is necessary not to quantitatively exceed the limit of the permissible load on one or another organ and function. Secondly, the interaction of training effects of loads can be positive, negative or neutral. That is, for a good "soup" you need the right combination of ingredients.

Athletic results in many sports, and basketball is a vivid example of this, depend on skills (technique, dexterity) and the level of development of physical qualities. The proportion is approximately 50:50. Every coach should take care of these components. But the approaches to them are fundamentally different.

The skill is built mainly at the time of work, here it is quite appropriate to use the principle “you can’t spoil porridge with butter”, without going to extremes, of course. In physical training, a combination of load and rest is effective. Reasonable rest is the key to success in improving "physics".

All of the above applies equally to flexibility, and to strength, and to speed, and to endurance. Dexterity is somewhat different, but that's a separate conversation. Perhaps also because basketball dexterity is the main and irreplaceable quality in the game.

1. Injury safety

Do not sacrifice the animal in yourself for the sake of the human (the wisdom of the Taoists)

In any production, and the training process is the real production of the ability to play basketball, paramount attention should be paid to labor protection and safety rules.

In order to change something, it is necessary to act, in our case, to influence a person. Man is a biosystem, always striving for balance. Any onslaught meets opposition: if the body has sufficient resources to fight back, the “attack” will be reflected. When the system is weak, the load brings certain destruction, eliminating which the body will also build up the affected part (function), make it stronger, more resilient, faster, etc.

Overexposure or their cumulative effect will result in harm: injury, illness or death. Sometimes this happens when doing one particular exercise.

Exercises cannot be divided into traumatic and non-traumatic, but, according to statistics, some of them are leading in terms of the number and severity of injuries. Why? Everything that is effective is not safe, and even very dangerous in inept hands. Failure to understand the essence of the exercise leads to the following consequences:

— it is impossible to explain and teach the correct execution of the exercise, which increases the risk;

- untimely application of the exercise;

- the exercise is offered to both the “small”, and the “old”, and the “lame” . ..

All that has been said equally applies not only to means, but also to methods.

Coach's competence is the key to the athlete's health. You cannot offer something that you do not know, do not feel and would not do yourself.

The Parable of Sugar

“Jalaliddin Rumi is one of the pillars of Sufism (a mystical trend in Islam). Many people came to him for advice and words of wisdom. Once a neighbor woman came to Rumi with a boy and said:
— I have already tried all the ways, but the child does not obey me. He eats too much sugar. Please tell him this is not good. He will obey because he respects you very much.
Rumi looked at the child, at the confidence in his eyes, and said:
— Come back in three weeks.
The woman was completely bewildered. It's such a simple thing! It's not clear... People came from distant countries, and Rumi helped them solve big problems right away... But she obediently came in three weeks. Rumi looked at the child again and said:
- Come back in three more weeks.
Here the woman could not stand it and dared to ask what was the matter. But the sage only repeated what he had said.
When they came for the third time, Rumi said to the boy:
- Son, take my advice, don't eat too much sugar, it's bad for your health.
- Since you advise me, I will not do it again, - the boy replied.
After that, the mother asked the child to wait outside for her. When he left, she asked Rumi why he didn't say those words the first time they met, because it's so easy? Jalaliddin confessed to her that he himself liked to eat sugar, and before giving such advice, he had to get rid of this weakness himself. At first he thought that three weeks would be enough, but he was wrong...
One of the signs of a real Master is this: he will never teach what he has not known himself. The master is honest, and first of all - with himself. His words correspond with their realization. The Master's words come from personal experience, the wisdom lives within him, not in the scriptures. Here it is difficult not to recall the Chan saying: “When a good person preaches a false doctrine, it becomes true. When a bad person preaches a true doctrine, it becomes false."

Yes, with one exercise, the problem happens, but more often the total cumulative effect of inadequate quantity, intensity and combinations of individual types of load harms. So there is an injury out of the blue and "it is not known why."

It is possible to avoid this to some extent. A stupid one will step on the same rake twice, and a smart one twice, but on different ones. For a positive result, it is not necessary to do anything, very often something should simply be avoided.

There is no need to train for more than an hour and a half in a row, because science and practice have established that only forty minutes of a lesson can effectively load a student, and devote the rest of the time to warming up, hitting, repeating simple exercises. Try to avoid two workouts a day. Do not work more than six days in a row without a full day off. Do not exercise more than three times a week.

Each team has individual players. The team cannot be injured or tired, but the sum of the weakened functional states of the players may be below the conditional critical level.

Cadres decide everything. Think about a person. An undertrained athlete is helping the team by 80-90% of his potential, and an injured athlete is “zero”, he simply does not exist.

It is very important to monitor the condition of the players: subjectively - your opinion, conversations about sleep, appetite, desire to train; objectively - pulse, orthotest and other functional tests. Do not be afraid to reduce the load up to the release of patients from training. In planning collective loads, you need to focus on the weak. Better let the strong fail.

Recovery and load are connected by one thread. The coach must provide the athlete with the opportunity to recover, but it is equally important that he wants, knows how and can use it.

Sleep is a necessary time and a comfortable place (bed, bed). Nutrition - what, how much and when. Plus sports supplements, sauna, massage…

It's important to understand and remember: there are no restorative loads. They will always delay recovery by slowing it down. Passive rest and empty pastime are sometimes very effective in the struggle for sports results.

We end this chapter with where it all starts, namely, mental health care, which by definition is a state of well-being in which a person is able to realize their own potential, cope with stress, work productively and contribute to life of your community. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that our body is a functionally inseparable extension of the brain, and vice versa.

It is impossible to give advice in every situation, but the bottom line is that all the work of a coach should be, like a sponge, saturated with concern for injury safety and the health of their students.

2. Warm-up

No matter how easy it may seem, you need to prepare for it. Preparation in sports is usually called a warm-up. There is nothing more famous, everyone knows that before physical activity it should be. But the attitude of athletes and coaches to the warm-up is ambiguous. In words, everyone recognizes its necessity, but in reality, many imitate this work or ignore it altogether.

What should be the warm-up if we still want to prepare for classes and competitions? Answer: adequate and safe. After all, most injuries are the result of mistakes during the warm-up period.

In a simplified view, a sports "bio-machine" consists of executive organs, which include bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments, a control apparatus, by which we mean the central nervous system, and "home front workers" - internal organs. First, we prepare the actuator, heat it up and stretch it. At the same time, internal systems - the heart, lungs, and so on, are also activated.

Usually, warming up is monotonous work of low and medium intensity for 4-8 minutes (jogging, cardio, jump rope, etc. ). Some coaches use ball exercises or outdoor games to warm up. However, this comes with a certain risk.

Warm up followed by stretching exercises (6-12 minutes). When the body is warmed up and stretched, it is logical to move on to a special part in which the "general staff" (CNS) remembers how to control the upcoming movements. It is necessary first in small, then in medium, and then at a high pace to do the elements and bundles of elements of those movements that will meet in the main part of the lesson. It is advisable to do it in no smaller amplitudes than during normal execution. As it is correct, it takes from four to six minutes (in the pre-game warm-up - 10-15 minutes).

Thus, you need to plan for preparation from 15 to 30 (before the competition) minutes. For a more efficient use of time, it is possible at the time of stretching exercises to learn in practice the location and purpose of body parts and the muscles that set them in motion. In the special part, emphasis should be placed on the correct technique of techniques, especially when they occur at a slow and medium pace.

We must not forget about the state of mind. It is recognized and proven that emotions seriously affect the pattern of movement. It is in the warm-up that the necessary mood is laid, the prerequisites for courage. From a well-conducted warm-up, game and training discipline follows.

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is a property of the musculoskeletal system that determines the limits of movement of the body's links. Her role for the player is important, but auxiliary. Not a single athlete has stopped playing basketball because of poor flexibility. Everyone has it individually, it is largely an innate quality. However, it is necessary to have a sufficient level of development of flexibility. In basketball, it can be achieved through simple stretching exercises.

They have a number of positive effects. It has been scientifically proven and confirmed in practice that stretching gives the muscles qualities that improve strength and coordination capabilities, protects against injuries, and contributes (especially after exercise) to the fastest recovery.

Various means and methods of muscle stretching are known. All physical culture of the second half of the twentieth century was saturated with jerky-springy movements. At the turn of the century, the so-called static method took over. The muscle is stretched like a tight rubber until a slight discomfort is felt and held in the achieved position for 20-40 seconds. There is also a ballistic method or, for example, PNS (proprioceptive neuromuscular stimulation).

Almost every sport has its own traditional approach to the choice of means and methods of stretching, which takes a certain amount of time and effort. Given the basketball specifics, it is reasonable to stretch from 6 to 12 minutes in the warm-up before training or a game and 4-6 minutes in the cool-down (after the entire load).

For the best organization of this process, it is necessary to choose a set of exercises, determine the methodology for performing these exercises and constantly follow it. It is useful to consider the following tips:

- It is best to teach stretching by example. Here, more than anywhere else, the position that the coach is the player's partner is appropriate. When you yourself perform the exercise and enjoy it, your enthusiasm is easily transferred to the students, and they quickly begin to adopt the same attitude towards this area of ​​\u200b\u200bphysical development.

— Stretching is a purely individual process. Explain to the wards that there is no place for competition in it. There should not be any norms or load limits. Do not force athletes to overexert themselves. Soon they will learn to dose the load in accordance with their own capabilities. The best success is achieved in the most natural way, giving the most pleasure.

— The main thing is for athletes to realize that each of them is a unique creature in its own way with a strictly individual potential of physical capabilities. All that a person can do is show what he is capable of, and nothing more.

4. Strength

Before we decide to do something in the best way, we should ask ourselves: is it necessary?

An exciting game - basketball - has existed for over 100 years. Millions of people around the world have played, are playing and will continue to play with the orange ball. The vast majority of them, especially before the 80s of the twentieth century, did not consider strength training necessary to improve the quality of the game. Such great masters as, for example, Larry Bird, never lifted weights. Some Soviet trainers categorically forbade strength training and even punished those who were seen with dumbbells in their hands.

The game changes rapidly. Remarkable masters Karim Abdul-Jabar, Whit Chamberlain, Larry Bird turned basketball into a real art. But since big guys like Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal came to the fore, there's no going back. Basketball has become a muscular sport. And now most of the players are actively swinging, realizing that in every match they will have to face an opponent who knows firsthand what hard strength training is.

An interesting question: why did this happen? Probably, the answer should be sought in the financial side of the matter. Sports is an industry. Big sport is a big industry. Basketball has become one of the favorites of commercialization. Millions of fans come to the arena, turn on TVs and computers in the hope and desire to see a spectacle where huge and powerful “gladiators” will come together in a fight. Who will create an idol for himself from an athlete whose bones are only covered with leather, and then also buy a T-shirt with his name on it? Today, everything is working to ensure that the game and its participants appear in the most favorable light, and the result would be unpredictable. Even refereeing is loyal with regard to contacts, power struggle. Thus, athleticism has become one of the components of basketball, and every coach, every player should take the development of strength seriously.

Speed, endurance, flexibility, dexterity are somehow trained through game situations, but strength is not. This is explained by the fact that the stimulus for its development are exercises that a person can repeat about 12 times. In game situations, this happens very rarely. Basketball, first of all, is a game of accuracy, timeliness and ingenuity. The path to strength lies only through strength training:

— After exercise with weights, testosterone levels rise, which can accelerate protein synthesis and increase the athlete's aggressiveness.

— The muscular corset, which is formed under the influence of strength training, is a protection against injuries.

- Well-developed muscles are provided with tone, and it gives the whole movement the main "priming", which improves coordination, increases speed and, as a result, basketball agility.

- Strength indicators are improved directly.

Super strength does not provide a tangible advantage, but a certain level of it is required. A high-class player must have a lot of knowledge, skills and abilities. Acquiring everything you need and maintaining it at the proper level requires an enormous amount of time and effort. That is why the training should be guided by the principle of reasonable sufficiency. Otherwise, you will not achieve what you want, there will be no time for recovery and other important components of training.

How to measure the right force? The following opinion deserves attention: an athlete who is able to perform a squat with a barbell on his shoulders or chest with a weight equal to one and a half mass of his own, six or more times, and squeeze a barbell lying on his chest, on which a weight equal to his own, six or more times, can be considered strong enough. An athlete who is able to perform a squat with a barbell on her shoulders or chest with a weight equal to her own, six or more times, and squeeze a barbell lying on her chest, on which a weight equal to 0.7 of her own, six or more times, can also be recognized. strong.

Practice shows that the vast majority of players do not achieve these indicators during their career, but it is important to strive for them. And not jumps, but step by step, taking into account all objective and subjective factors.

Strength training should begin with the first basketball session. At first, these should be very simple exercises to overcome the resistances of your own body. Gymnasts, acrobats and wrestlers have the richest experience in the development of young athletes. Don't reinvent the wheel - borrow what's already there.

Bring a player to the gym and give him the "iron" should not be earlier than 14 years. But after that, for five or more years, you can work on obtaining the indicators mentioned above.

Sports science and practice have long and persistently sought, developed and implemented the most optimal methods and means for the development of physical qualities, including strength. But leading physiologists admit that despite the fact that coaches and athletes find effective exercises and rules for their use to achieve the desired results, in some cases there are no reliable scientific explanations for why this happens.

There are some sports where strength is one of the main winning factors. These are weightlifting, powerlifting, athletics in terms of throwing, pushing, sprinting, jumping, artistic gymnastics, all types of wrestling ... Among the representatives of these disciplines there are outstanding athletes who show the superpowers of a person thanks to genetic data, special training, nutrition and rehabilitation means. Most training methods are designed for people who are predisposed to developing strength.

Basketball is played primarily with the head, and then with the hands and feet. Therefore, it often happens that an athlete gifted with game thinking is, in terms of physical abilities, an ordinary person, or even “below average”.

The development of the strength of sprinters, wrestlers, weightlifters involves preparation for a specific date of the competition. A person climbs a "high mountain" and hopes to be at the top on the day of the competition. And then downstairs: rest, and all over again. ..

Basketball is a completely different matter, here the playing season lasts from six to eight months. Obviously, direct copying of training programs from representatives of strength sports is unacceptable. Learn, choose, adapt, try and apply - that's where the benefits lie.

When designing strength training programs, the principle of an individual approach must be observed. The team works in a single methodological manner, but always taking into account the needs and abilities of each player. From the same principle follows the prohibition to arrange power competitions, especially in overcoming a one-time maximum resistance. You should abandon such exercises that cannot be repeated in one approach less than four times. You should not “try” the maximum weights - except for injuries, this will lead to nothing. When choosing exercises, you need to know and take into account the structure of the body, past and current health problems, and personal preferences.

It is very important to teach the athlete the correct technique, to help him "feel" and love the exercise. Proper technique is the key to progress, which is the key to motivation. Nothing encourages the continuation of work as much as positive dynamics, albeit not too significant.

Conventionally, all athletic exercises are divided into "global", in which almost the entire body is involved, "regional", where muscle masses are involved (several muscles) and "local" - the main movement is performed by one muscle. In our practice, when choosing training means, it is better to focus on “global” and “regional” exercises.

Why? First, we will save time, which is always catastrophically small. Secondly, it has been proven that heavy exercises have a deeper and more effective effect on the body. Some of the exercises are performed in simulators, some with free weights (barbell, dumbbells). Professional athletes prefer to use free weights, except when there is no equal replacement for the simulator, or the load is given for the purpose of rehabilitation and special conditions are needed (angles, amplitude, smoothness, etc. ). Free weights are effective with the right technique.

Choirs of muscles involved in any complex movement can be divided into "stabilizers" and "generators". "Stabilizers" hold the pose, and "generators" produce the movement itself. When working with a barbell and dumbbells, the athlete needs not only to move, but also to maintain the required posture, the torso as a stable platform. Any movement, even if we are not aware of it, starts deep within us. Therefore, it is wise to use exercises with free weights, because they just stimulate the “deep” muscles to develop.

Strength is an almost entirely physical quality. It depends on the volume and quality of muscle mass. Other circumstances play a secondary role.

The main condition for successful strength training is a well-chosen combination of load and recovery. During work, the muscle is destroyed, and is built and acquires new qualities during the rest period, when biological restructuring occurs at the cellular level in response to the proposed load. Rest may require at least 48 hours, and in case of severe exposure up to 96 hours. Practice shows that alternating hard workouts with relatively light ones is very effective.

The key is to understand that strength training is an essential part of a player's preparation. Classes should be regular. If your pupils do push-ups from the floor three times a week, pull up on the horizontal bar, squat (even without weights), train the press and back in at least four sets of 10 to 30 repetitions, depending on the possibilities, this is already quite enough for a great start in becoming an athlete.

5. Quickness

In basketball, there are no moves that need to be done fast. Accuracy, timeliness, advance in martial arts - that's what is important and necessary. To do this, each athlete must have a margin in speed.

Quickness is a complex psychophysical quality that depends on many factors. It can be grouped along three main lines. Firstly, the speed of resourcefulness, when you need to find a way out of the situation in the shortest possible time. Secondly, the decision to take this exit, because we often give ourselves a choice of what to do when there are options. Thirdly, the so-called speed of movements. If speed has already shown itself in correct resourcefulness, if it has led to an instantaneous adoption of a motional decision, then it is also obliged to ensure its implementation without delay. When movements easily and smoothly pass one into another, when muscle impulses do not interfere with each other and are consistent with the play of external forces, when this is done at a high pace, then we say: "The work goes smoothly."

A fast player generally needs to have the knowledge, experience, and flair to anticipate situations so that he can make quick decisions. This largely depends on thoughtful work in training and games, as well as the coach's help in analyzing what is happening. The player needs to be decisive in order not to hesitate with the choice and implementation of the plan. The role of the psycho-emotional state (confidence, courage, aggressiveness) is important here. And again, one cannot do without the interaction of a coach and an athlete, because the listed components are acquired and developed.

Finally, the player must be taught the rational technique of performing tricks.

As noted earlier, the development of speed can and should be worked on, it can be trained. It should be remembered that in the game it is not the speed of individual movements, which is called agility, but the speed of the result that is more important. A fast head is always better than fast legs, but it is desirable to have both.

People are different from each other in terms of psychomotor data. Usually the best pass through the sieve of sports selection, but even among them there are those who stand out.

There are enough situations in game trainings and directly in the game itself in which the athlete trains the speed of movements. It is only necessary to prepare the ward, to give his movements correctness, and the game will teach speed. There is no special need to train speed outside the basketball court, if only for the reasons that in the end, a minimum and not long-term gain will be obtained with a high risk of injury.

You can give a simple advice, which, however, is extremely difficult to implement. In order to become truly fast, you need to accustom yourself to never, under any circumstances, give in to martial arts: in training, matches, life situations.

6. Endurance

An enduring player is able to remain effective in actions regardless of the intensity and duration of the played segments throughout the entire participation in the match.

Unlike some other sports, especially cyclic ones, where endurance can be expressed in specific physical quantities (time, speed, work, power, etc.), in basketball it is determined subjectively and only indirectly by statistical indicators with taking into account the role of the player and the installation for the match. The manifestation of this quality depends on the motor tasks offered by the opponent during the competition. Thus, in some games, the athlete turns out to be hardy, but not in others. The endurance of a basketball player is a relative quality.

Sports science has explored and studied the steady state of the body over long periods of time after a change in input conditions. In basketball, the impact on an athlete changes frequently and quite significantly. Accelerations, decelerations, change of directions of movements, alternation of horizontal and vertical movements... It is appropriate to consider that most of the competitive period the body is in the modes of transition from one state to another.

It is difficult to accurately describe the biochemical, psycho-emotional and other processes, as well as their relationship, occurring at the time of the game of a particular athlete. But, analyzing the competitive activity of basketball teams, one can see that a number of situations are typical, including the presentation of requirements for functional training. Particularly endurance.

Man is a living "machine" with his own characteristics. Nature created it for certain modes of operation, laid down the ability to develop them: the power and capacity of energy sources, the strength of the structure of the whole organism and its individual elements, the speed of the control apparatus and executive organs . .. Coaching wisdom is to know what and to what extent can be changed and what not.

Special endurance should be cultivated on the basketball floor, simulating the conditions of game situations in exercises that, in terms of duration and intensity, take into account competitive realities and the capabilities of the athlete's body. But if game endurance appears and develops only on the court, then you need to prepare for this moment in advance: training in the forest, at the stadium, in the gym, etc. Here you can clearly see the need for creativity, multiplied by knowledge.

Here is what the outstanding Soviet neurophysiologist N.A. Bernshtein said: “The quality of endurance is even more complex or, as they say, complex. It is entirely based on the friendly cooperation of absolutely all organs and systems of the body. For its manifestation, a high degree of well-establishedness is necessary: ​​both metabolism in directly working organs, and transport - the circulatory system that supplies them with food and removes waste from them, and supply organs - the digestive and respiratory systems, and, finally, all organs of supreme control and regulation - the central nervous system. In essence, a hardy organism must satisfy three conditions: it must have rich reserves of energy in order to have something to expend. He must be able to give back at the right moment - to “lay out” them with a wide hand, not allowing a single unit of energy to accumulate. Finally, at the same time, he must be able to spend these resources with rigid, reasonable prudence so that they are enough to cover as much useful work as possible. To put it briefly, being hardy means having a lot, spending generously, paying sparingly. As you can see, this quality characterizes the entire complex economy of the organism as a whole.

7. Movement

When it comes to a player's fitness, the first thing to evaluate is their ability to move adequately.

In basketball, you need to have a lot of skills in terms of movement: moving forward and backward, sideways, stops, turns, jumps and their various combinations. They will be effective if they meet the basic requirements that help solve the problems that arise in the game.

First, it is stability - the ability to resist influences in both static and dynamic positions. Secondly, agility is the ability to change the position of the body or the direction and pace of movement at one's discretion and control. Thirdly, timeliness is the ability to be in the right place at the right time, which implies a margin in speed.

There has always been a concept of "correct technique", including for movements, although ideas have changed along with the transformation and development of the game itself. It is not difficult to assume that the best basketball players demonstrate the most effective forms of movement. But each player has his own unique manner of performing individual elements. N.A. Bernshtein noted: “If we were not afraid of violence against the language, then it would be quite appropriate to say that any athlete should purposefully and systematically develop his own “run”, “jump” and “throw”. The task of the coach is to help in this matter.

We will assume that the executive organs of our body, through a certain training, are strong, flexible, fast and enduring to perform movements. You can get new motor skills by practicing. But what is exercise and how to deal with it?

The longer a person devotes himself to some occupation, the more likely his work goes. A living organism does not deteriorate from it, but, on the contrary, becomes stronger, more enduring, more skillful, more dexterous, especially in relation to the very type of activity that it was engaged in. This property of the body is called exercise capacity.

As elsewhere, in education there are laws and rules that govern this process. To understand them, we must first turn to the history of the emergence of exercise.

In nature, everything makes sense, she does not make mistakes and does not do too much. If something exists, such as the ability of some organisms to acquire new knowledge, then it is extremely necessary and works perfectly. There was a time when all living things were born, lived their lives and died, not having the slightest opportunity to acquire even a modicum of personal experience. But at a certain stage of development, individual organisms had this gift - a chance to acquire new knowledge and skills. At the forefront was natural selection.

Those who went further in the great competition of life differed from others, first of all, in the structure and functionality of the central nervous system (CNS). It is with the help of this “commander-in-chief” that management is carried out (including movements), it is he who receives and processes information to form a new one.

Everything that has ever been born by an irresistible force pushes for survival and procreation. There is a constant competition "who wins whom, he will eat him." Any new knowledge gives its owner an advantage over a hitherto equal opponent. To at least not give in, the opponent must find an effective antidote. In this competition, the process of development, the process of learning, takes place.

Motor skill — mastered ability to solve one or another type of motor task. A motor task is an image of a movement that needs to be performed and in which information about the goal, means and methods is correlated.

The coach can build an athlete's training in the necessary skills, offering a range of motional tasks that are feasible to perform at the moment. It is necessary to indicate what should be done, and how - let the brain figure it out. Directing in the required direction and gradually complicating the condition, you can achieve what you want.

If we consider that a skill is not the form of movement itself, but the sensations that control the progress of its implementation, then it is important to teach the sensations when performed correctly. For effective assistance in the development of technical elements, it is necessary to understand the following:

— New knowledge will not appear in a person without his desire and participation. A skill is not a conditioned reflex that can be developed against the will of the student. The skill is actively built by the CNS. Exercise is active construction.

In all techniques, even at first glance simple, there are many lightning-fast and elusive details. Everyone knows that seeing at least a hundred times how something is done and doing it yourself is not the same thing. The big difference is to establish the type of movement from the outside and feel it from the inside.

— It takes time to learn. The student should feel “full”, and with different options for complications. Reasonable insight can speed up this process. The following law applies to a number of skills: firstly, at some point the skill is comprehended immediately, as if it had found insight, and secondly, once “caught” a skill of this kind is never lost again.

- Mastering any skill does not go smoothly and smoothly. Along with qualitative leaps and climbing steps, the process often includes more or less long stops (hiccups), and sometimes even seemingly temporary deterioration. But they will surely be followed by a leap for the better, if you do not give up and continue to work hard. Unless, it probably makes sense to take a short break in training or add variety to it. Perseverance in classes at those moments when a hitch is clearly felt and the movement does not stick can bring noticeable harm.

- The coach does not need to call, and the athlete does not need to follow the details of the movement, which has already been adjusted and passed into the category of automatisms.

- It is unpromising to show the student his mistake, which he has made or potentially will make, together with calls not to do so.

- After a skill is well mastered, in order to consolidate it, it is necessary to vary the conditions in which it manifests itself (darkness, uneven surface, sounds, etc.).

Summarizing this chapter, I would like to recall the main theses of the above:

- All work on the physical qualities should eventually be realized in improving the movement of the player.

— Basic requirements are imposed on the movements of a basketball player: stability (balance), maneuverability and timeliness (reserve in speed). This must be remembered and taken into account.

— Movements are carried out by muscles, but controlled by the central nervous system, so we prepare the muscles, and it is the system of nerve cells that we exercise.

8. Agility

There are few contenders to compete with basketball for the title of the most agile sport. Dexterity is the main quality that gives a decisive advantage in the competition. According to the definition of N.A. Bernshtein, this is the ability to cope with the motor task that has arisen: correctly, quickly, rationally and resourcefully.

Agility is specific. A great basketball player will certainly look awkward when he takes up exercises with a soccer or volleyball for the first time in his life. Of course, after a short period of training, an athlete will master a new art for him better than many average people in terms of motor abilities. And yet, I think, there is no direct transfer of skills, dexterity from one sport to another.

Dexterity is individual. It largely depends on innate abilities. But each person can improve this quality in relation to one or another type of physical activity. There are two components to success. First, the largest possible accumulated arsenal of various motor skills. Secondly, the experience of solving motor tasks in the maximum amount under various conditions.

For basketball, agility is an irreplaceable and uncompensated quality. The more it is, the better the player. Dexterity is the “queen”, and all other qualities are her “servants”, with the help of which she will present herself in the best possible light or fail, despite her excellent physical shape.

Agility must be distinguished from good coordination. Coordination lies in the movements themselves, and dexterity is manifested in the external environment. A player trained in technical elements, correctly and beautifully performing the entire arsenal of basketball movements, may turn out to be dexterous in this episode, or may not solve the required task. "What's the use of a skillful game when you lose" - says the English proverb.

Based on the foregoing, when selecting children for a team, the first and only thing to pay attention to are the inclinations for the development of dexterity, because the rest can be brought to the desired conditions. It is not easy to determine it, it requires a special talent and a trained eye of a breeder. It is not easy to measure it, because motor resourcefulness, as dexterity is also called, is intellectual.

In this case, it is useful to apply this method. If a person "A" with average psychomotor data can, as a result of a long training, perform this or that automated operation quite successfully, quickly and skillfully, and a person "B" will be able, after looking, to perform the same operation no worse the first or second time, then undoubtedly, it is difficult to indicate a more suitable candidate for the right to be called a dexterous person in a motor sense than a person "B".

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