How to get better conditioning 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.

Basketball athleticism determines the level of the game

Have you seen NBA players who only jump to the backboard?

Have you ever flinched, screamed and wondered at a crazy dunk? Or maybe from the incredible finishes of professional players with the flight and shifting the ball from one hand to the other?

You can refer to genetic predispositions, which obviously one player has more and the other one has less, but every player, regardless of the level of talent and gift, constantly and diligently works on his body.

It is the work on basketball athleticism that allows you to remove all restrictions, go beyond the possible and dominate on both sides of the court. The whole game is tied to the capabilities of our body and if it starts to give up, then at best, thanks to skills, understanding of the game and experience, it will be possible to stay at a high level, but we can say with confidence that it will no longer be possible to dominate.

These words about athleticism are not taken from the air, but are a real fact, which is confirmed by examples.

LeBron James dominates his entire career. His approach to keeping the body in shape was ahead of its time in many ways, because no one had done it in such detail before him. James understands that his body is now his main business asset and invests $1.5 million every year to stay in top shape. There wasn't a moment in his career when his opponent was happy to be defending against LeBron. His physical form has always given him a huge advantage in both attack and defense, as evidenced by championship rings and MVP titles.

LeBron, aged 34, hits overhead during the warm-up before his son's game. Nothing unusual.

Vince Carter's Legendary Olympic Dunk

Vince Carter continues to play in the NBA at 43 thanks to his shooting, game understanding, experience and incredible body. He hasn't had a lot of injuries in his career, but that doesn't detract from his incredible fitness. Thanks to his athleticism, he still handles the frantic pace of the best league in the world and will gladly hit the ball from above. It may seem that 43 years old is not 60 years old and it is not very difficult, but this opinion is absolutely wrong, because most players end their careers before the age of 40.

At 43, Vince also tops the NBA

Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first MVP award in the 2018-19 season, although a few years ago he was far from the star level. He came into the league already with a unique body and huge potential, but Giannis really began to open up by adding first in athleticism, and now developing his skills.

Russell Westbrook... Do you think he would be a star now, with two triple-double seasons and a Hall of Fame contender, if not outrageous athleticism?