Home »
Misc »
How to increase arm strength for basketball
How to increase arm strength for basketball
11 Essential Upper Body Exercises & Workouts for Basketball Players
By Cody Roberts
Home > Player > Athletic Development > 11 Essential Upper Body Exercises & Workouts for Basketball Players
The upper body is involved in various movements in basketball. For instance, all areas of the shoulder require strength and coordination to shoot, pass, or dribble. The upper body is further used to block shots, bring down rebounds, drive through traffic, and protect the ball.
Ideally, basketball strength training should focus on developing the legs and the core, as well as the chest, shoulders, and back. So, what are the best upper body exercises for basketball players?
Note: Before beginning any strengthening exercises, ensure you perform a proper warm-up, such as 5-10 minutes of activity to break a light sweat and improve muscle function.
The Barbell Row works the postural muscles of the entire back and shoulders.![]()
This exercise utilizes the posterior chain, improving core strength and posture. It also helps with muscle gain in the upper back and posterior shoulder, which contribute to strength and dominance around the rim.
The Bench Press is the ultimate developer for your chest, shoulders, and triceps. This lift involves the entire body as your feet should be anchored to the floor and the athlete engages their glutes to drive the bar up off the chest. Keep it under control, however, respect the movement and dont worry about how much weight is on the bar. Stay balanced and controlled through your torso and shoulders.
Chin Ups are a great measure of relative strength, as being able to control your bodyweight is important.
Chin ups target the muscles through the back and biceps, as well as develop grip strength. Not to mention, this is a great way to introduce an overhead position, working through a full range of motion at the bottom.
This exercise is essential for shoulder strength and a solid overhead position. Perform it standing or half kneeling to further engage the glute and torso for great posture. This exercise will leave you with more control in your jump shot, as well as helping you go up strong for two hand rebounds.
With Push-Ups, ensure you always lead with the chest. Its all about control and accessing your full range of motion with a flat and stable torso.
When this movement gets easier, start focusing on the eccentric phase. This means going slowly toward the floor, then pushing back up.
Back extension exercises, like this one, focus on engaging that posterior chain. This helps improve core strength and posture. By developing and engaging these muscles, you reduce the risk of injuries to the hip, knee, and lower back.
The Vertical Chest Pass is an explosive medicine ball throw that coordinates the entire body. It not only adds power to your passes but improves your jumping ability as well with a high rate of force development.
This exercise moves in the frontal plane with the shoulder. Also referred to as a lateral raise, it helps isolate the shoulder and upper trap. This exercise adds the size, strength, and stability needed in all areas of basketball.
The bicep curl isolates the bicep muscles. Yet, depending on your grip strength, you can also target the forearms and grip. During the curl, place your palms down, or actively rotate a dumbbell. This will add size and strength to your arm, helping you with ball handling skills.
The arm is made up primarily of the triceps muscle.
Just as we did with the shoulder, isolating it helps to maximize its growth and development. Strengthening this muscle will improve not only the size of the arm but also the strength and control needed in knocking down shots behind the arc.
This exercise targets the shoulders and forearms, all of which are essential for ball handling. This movement pattern creates strength and stability for blocking and rebounding as well. Similar to exercises above, this exercise may reduce your risk of injury and prevent time spent on the sidelines.
The right combination and gradual progression of exercises can significantly improve your basketball game. It comes down to knowing what to do and when. In the 12 Week Athletic Development Program for Basketball Players, you are given a step-by-step plan on how to do this.
Starting with coordination and movement efficiency, you learn the basics before moving onto more complex movements involving force production and strength, and speed and explosiveness.
Train Your Upper Body With an At-Home Basketball Workout
Skip to content
Even without access to a gym, you can improve your lower-body and upper-body strength. Strength is the missing link preventing many from becoming better basketball players. Upper-body strength allows you to stand your ground under the boards, fend off defenders as you drive to the basket, make your passes quicker and faster and increase your shooting range. Elevate your game by performing this at-home basketball workout for the upper body.
At-Home Basketball Workout Guidelines
Perform one exercise block at a time in superset fashion. Start with Block 1 and do one set of the first exercise, then a set of the second exercise, rest and repeat. Perform each exercise three times, then move on to Block 2.
[youtube video=”kMsF437D-JI” /]
Block 1
T-Shoulder Raises
This shoulder exercise helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Lie on stomach
- Straighten arms out to sides to form T with body
- Raise thumbs toward ceiling and squeeze shoulder blades
- Lower to start and repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×15
Push-Ups
This exercise improves strength in the arms, shoulders, core and chest, which will help with rebounding box-out, offensive post-up and engaging an opponent while dribbling.
- Assume plank position with hands slightly wider than and underneath shoulders
- Form straight line from head to heels
- Move feet to about shoulder-width apart
- Lower chest toward ground, keeping abdominals engaged
- Return to starting position
- Repeat for specified sets
Sets/Reps: 3×10-15
Block 2
Y-Shoulder Raises
A middle trap exercise that helps you keep proper upper body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, close out, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Lie on stomach
- Straighten arms above head to form Y shape with body
- Point thumbs toward sky
- Raise hands towards sky, hold for a beat and return hands to starting position
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×15
Prone Towel Pull Down
A back exercise that helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot and vertical jump.
- Lie on stomach
- Slightly raise chest
- Grab a towel with both hands above head
- Pull towel apart and extend arms out straight
- Pull towel towards chest while bending elbows
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×12-15
Block 3
Towel Y-Wall Slides
A middle trap exercise that helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, close out, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Assume tall kneeling position near wall
- Grab towel with hands about shoulder-width apart
- While pulling towel apart, slide hands up wall by straightening arms
- Lower towel to start by bending elbows
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×12-15
Shoulder (Tricep) Dips
Improves shoulder stability and strength; improves arm strength to help you fight off defenders while rebounding and posting up.
- Place hands on chair behind you about shoulder-width apart
- Lower butt toward ground by bending elbows
- Adjust legs for more or less resistance
- Push up to starting position by straightening arms
- Lower to ground and repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×10-15
Share This Story!
MOST POPULAR
Even without access to a gym, you can improve your lower-body and upper-body strength.
Strength is the missing link preventing many from becoming better basketball players. Upper-body strength allows you to stand your ground under the boards, fend off defenders as you drive to the basket, make your passes quicker and faster and increase your shooting range. Elevate your game by performing this at-home basketball workout for the upper body.
At-Home Basketball Workout Guidelines
Perform one exercise block at a time in superset fashion. Start with Block 1 and do one set of the first exercise, then a set of the second exercise, rest and repeat. Perform each exercise three times, then move on to Block 2.
[youtube video=”kMsF437D-JI” /]
Block 1
T-Shoulder Raises
This shoulder exercise helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Lie on stomach
- Straighten arms out to sides to form T with body
- Raise thumbs toward ceiling and squeeze shoulder blades
- Lower to start and repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×15
Push-Ups
This exercise improves strength in the arms, shoulders, core and chest, which will help with rebounding box-out, offensive post-up and engaging an opponent while dribbling.
- Assume plank position with hands slightly wider than and underneath shoulders
- Form straight line from head to heels
- Move feet to about shoulder-width apart
- Lower chest toward ground, keeping abdominals engaged
- Return to starting position
- Repeat for specified sets
Sets/Reps: 3×10-15
Block 2
Y-Shoulder Raises
A middle trap exercise that helps you keep proper upper body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, close out, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Lie on stomach
- Straighten arms above head to form Y shape with body
- Point thumbs toward sky
- Raise hands towards sky, hold for a beat and return hands to starting position
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×15
Prone Towel Pull Down
A back exercise that helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot and vertical jump.
- Lie on stomach
- Slightly raise chest
- Grab a towel with both hands above head
- Pull towel apart and extend arms out straight
- Pull towel towards chest while bending elbows
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×12-15
Block 3
Towel Y-Wall Slides
A middle trap exercise that helps you keep proper upper-body posture and strength while in your defensive stance, jump shot, vertical jump, close out, rebound box-out and offensive post-up.
- Assume tall kneeling position near wall
- Grab towel with hands about shoulder-width apart
- While pulling towel apart, slide hands up wall by straightening arms
- Lower towel to start by bending elbows
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×12-15
Shoulder (Tricep) Dips
Improves shoulder stability and strength; improves arm strength to help you fight off defenders while rebounding and posting up.
- Place hands on chair behind you about shoulder-width apart
- Lower butt toward ground by bending elbows
- Adjust legs for more or less resistance
- Push up to starting position by straightening arms
- Lower to ground and repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×10-15
Share This Story!
Page load link
Hand strength and flexibility exercises
GROW HANDS STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY!
hand exercises
...There is a basketball game. Here one player quickly breaks under the enemy's shield, but the defender blocks his way. The player sharply, on the run, passes the ball to a partner. He meets a rapidly flying ball with his fingers extended forward, takes his hand back somewhat, softening the force of the blow. Another moment - and the ball is in the opponent's basket...
...A stubborn struggle flared up on the volleyball court. Accurate pass, and the striker jumps to hit.
But the enemy managed to put a double block. It seemed to the audience that the attack had already been repulsed. Suddenly, the attacker, sharply turning the brush, slightly hit the ball in the bypass of the block. The defender tries to get the ball, falls, but all in vain. Point lost...
...The goal seemed inevitable. Already some of the fans clutched their heads in despair. And then the annoyance was replaced by joy. The goalkeeper, stretching out like a string, in a jump manages to knock the ball over the front line with his hands. The attack was repulsed...
We have seen such episodes a thousand times at competitions. They talk about how important it is for a volleyball player, football goalkeeper, handball player, and especially a basketball player to have well-developed hands.
We recommend special exercises that can strengthen the hands and fingers and make them more flexible.
EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPING STRENGTH OF THE MUSCLE OF THE HAND
1.
Arms extended forward, hands clenched into fists. Unbend your fingers as slowly as possible and bend quickly. It is important that the arms are as straight as possible and do not bend at the wrist.
2. Arms extended forward with palms down. The brushes are clenched into fists and maximally retracted up and back. Alternately bend and unbend your fingers.
3. Maximally extend the index, middle and ring (2nd, 3rd, 4th) fingers in the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. Secure the main middle phalanges of these fingers with the second hand. Bend and unbend only the terminal phalanges (picture 1).
EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPING STRENGTH of the muscles of the hand
4. Lying down, rest against the floor with the ends of the straightened and spread fingers of both hands (picture 2). Lower and raise the body, bending and unbending the arms at the shoulder and elbow joints.
EXERCISES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRENGTH OF THE MUSCLE OF THE HAND
5.
Starting position is the same as in exercise 4. Go to the emphasis on the whole palm (picture 3) and return to the starting position. For relief, you can additionally lean on one knee or perform the exercise, resting your palms on the wall or on the gymnastic bench.
EXERCISES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRENGTH of the muscles of the hand
At first, perform only inferior work (slowly descend on the entire palm), and when the muscles get stronger, proceed to the alternation of inferior and overcoming work (push-ups on the fingers).
6. Arms extended forward, palms inward, fingers extended. Maximally bend the brushes up and down in a vertical plane.
7. Grasp the back of the chair with your hands and put your hands through the rubber loop, as shown in the picture. 4. Unbend your fingers in the metacarpophalangeal joints, overcoming the resistance of the rubber.
8. Exercise with a tennis ball and foam rubber. Grasp the ball or rubber with the whole brush.
Squeeze and unclench the brushes (picture 5).
In order to prevent muscle shortening from strength work, exercises with rubber bands should be combined with exercises for muscle relaxation and for the development of speed, which are given
EXERCISES FOR INDIVIDUAL JOINTS
. Fingers are together. Maximally spread and reduce straightened fingers ..
2. Starting position is the same. Alternately make circular movements with your fingers, starting with the thumb. First, you can perform the exercise with the other hand.
3. Same starting position. Alternately bend and unbend each finger, starting with the little finger.
4. Same starting position. Perform circular movements with brushes. The fingers are relaxed.
5. Arms extended forward, palms facing each other. The hands are connected, the fingers are interlaced. Make circular movements with the connected brushes in the carpal joints.
STRETCHING EXERCISES
1. The wrist joint is fixed in a straight or bent position.
Maximally extend the fingers in the metacarpophalangeal joints with the help of the other hand.
2. Leaning with the fingers of both hands on a flat surface, unbend and bend the hands in the metacarpophalangeal joints.
3. Leaning on the palms, unbend and bend the wrist joints.
4. The arm (for example, the right one) is bent at the elbow joint. The hand is at shoulder level and turned with the thumb inward. The palm is turned up. Holding the ends of the fingers with the left hand, try to straighten the right hand as much as possible (picture 6). Then release your fingers. The hand bends sharply (picture 7). Repeat the same with the left hand.
EXERCISES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEED
1. Arms extended forward, up or to the sides, fingers apart. Bend and unbend your fingers as quickly as possible. Bending - fingers reduce, unbending - spread.
2. The starting position is the same, only the hands are on a flat surface. Tap with brushes on the surface of the support, gradually accelerating the rhythm.
3. Same starting position. Tap alternately with the fingers of both hands.
4. Hands together, fingers interlaced. Bend the right hand at the wrist joint while simultaneously extending the left hand, and vice versa. Gradually speed up the movement.
5. Palms together, fingers crossed with middle phalanges. The fingers of the left hand are straightened, and the fingers of the right hand are bent (picture 8). Straighten the fingers of the right hand while bending the fingers of the left. Gradually increase the speed of movements.
6. The arm is bent at the elbow joint. The hand is relaxed and turned with the thumb inward. The palm is turned up. Sharply bend the hand without straining
To develop speed, you can take some exercises from other groups, but perform them at a higher pace.
EXERCISES TO RELAX THE MUSCLES OF THE HAND
1. Hands down. Shake with relaxed brushes.
2. Arms bent at the elbows, hands relaxed. Shake relaxed hands with rotational movements in the elbow joints.
3. Hands up. Having completely relaxed the muscles of the arms, successively bend them in the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.
4. Hands down. The muscles of the hands are relaxed. Swinging movements of the arms up and down - first forward, and then through the sides.
EXERCISES WITH TENNIS AND FOOD BALLS
1. Throw a tennis ball at a target and at a distance (mainly with the movement of the hand).
2. Juggle several tennis balls, mostly with the hands.
3. Throw a medicine ball with one hand, competing in accuracy or distance. The exercise can be complicated by changing the starting position - throwing while sitting, lying down, kneeling.
4. Juggle small stuffed balls, tossing them with the movement of the hands.
5. Raise and lower small medicine balls by holding them on top with your fingers.
6. Throwing and catching medicine balls in various ways, similar to receiving and passing the ball in the game.
EXERCISES FOR THE BASKETBALL PLAYER
1.
Grasp the basketball with the fingers of both hands wide apart from below, from the side or from above (picture 9). Push (“squeeze”) the ball, sharply reducing the flexors of the fingers (picture 10).
2. Do the same with one hand from below, from the side and from above (pictures 11 and 12).
3. Catching, dribbling and passing heavy basketballs. To make a basketball heavier, several defective (worn out) rubber chambers are used, which are threaded one into the other.
4. Double-sided play with a weighted ball.
5. In a semi-squat, alternately with the fingers of the right and left hands, push the ball from top to bottom (“dribbling in place”),
6. The same with two balls. Pushing the fingers of the right and left hands at the same time.
7. Alternately push the ball from top to bottom with the fingers of one hand (first with the index, then with the middle, etc.). You need to try not to hit the ball, but push it down, accompanying the moving ball with your fingers for some time.
8. Send the ball to the backboard. When the ball bounces off the shield, take it on the fingers of both hands and again send it to the shield with the movement of the fingers. The exercise is similar to receiving and passing in volleyball.
9. Do the same while jumping.
10. While jumping, try to throw the ball into the basket with the ends of your fingers.
11. Throw the ball at the backboard, while jumping with both hands, catch it after the rebound and throw it into the basket.
12. Perform the same exercise with one hand.
13. The same exercise, but made more difficult by partner's opposition.
14. Two people grasp one ball (each with both hands) at waist level, overhead or below. At the signal of the coach, they try to snatch the ball from each other.
15. The coach throws the ball between two trainees, each of them tries to catch it in a jump.
GUIDELINES
All of these general and specific exercises are recommended for daily self-study.
When doing exercises, it is best to follow this sequence:
1. Exercises for individual joints.
2. Exercises for developing the strength of the muscles of the hand, combined with exercises for stretching and relaxing the muscles.
3. Exercises for the development of speed. Perform them, gradually increasing the pace.
It is impossible to strictly divide exercises into groups, because each of them affects not one muscle group, but several at once and, moreover, in different ways, that is, it develops different qualities. Each exercise is performed on average 10 to 20 times. In one lesson, include 2-3 exercises from each group. After four sessions, the exercises need to be changed.
The coach and players need to systematically monitor the development of the hand and fingers.
The development of hand and finger strength can be monitored using the Dynamometer. You need to squeeze it with the whole brush or just the ends of your fingers.
The development of the speed of finger and hand movements can be controlled by counting the number of movements (tapping) in a certain period of time.
E. GEVLICH, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Anatomy of the Belarusian Institute of Physical Culture
A. KHARAZYANTS, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sports Games, Institute
9 ways to increase the effectiveness of shots without changing their structure — All about basketball
9 ways to increase the effectiveness of shots without changing their structure.
Jay Wolf
(Basketball Shot Specialist)
To be honest, it's not a good idea to change the mechanics of shooting during the season, if only because it entails a decrease in performance. What can be done to prevent this from happening? Here are a few tried and tested recommendations.
Improving short distance and basket shots
1. Require all short distance shots to the right and left of the basket to have a bounce and point of aim.
This forces the striker into position to use the shield when throwing. The upper half of the vertical line to the right and left of the basket is the aiming point for these types of shots.
The ball should touch the line softly and bounce straight into the basket. Misses that occur when throwing from these positions are the result of insufficient concentration. To increase attention to the aiming point during training, draw a dollar sign - $, or some other sign, on a piece of adhesive tape, and attach it to the line.
2. Practice CLEAN basket shots and CLEAN bounce shots from the second mustache.
CLEAR throws require the ball to drop into the basket without touching the metal hoop. To achieve this, the ball must touch the backboard very gently. This requires a much greater concentration of attention and calculation of the trajectory. To achieve consistency, make 5 throws from under the hoop (or rebound jump) in a row, 3 of which must be CLEAR. Make it harder if you feel the need to.
NOTE: It is important to match the mission to the abilities of each player. The mission should challenge the player's sense of pride, requiring greater focus, but should not be unattainable.
Perfecting Medium Range and 3-Point Shots
3. Practice CLEAN throws - make 5 shots in a row from the same spot.
This task develops stable accuracy as it requires great concentration and persistence. Five throws in a row from the same point improve accuracy, since all the components of the throw - form, effort, trajectory - must be the same each time and repeated over and over again, over and over again from the same distance. CLEAN throws automatically force the player to choose a high trajectory. High trajectory shots are harder for a defender to block, and the ball is more likely to go into the basket if it hits the metal hoop. In the game, due to the excess of adrenaline, there is a tendency to apply a little more effort when throwing. If CLEAN throws are habitually improved in practice, in play the ball may lightly touch the back of the hoop BUT the higher trajectory increases the chances of hitting the basket. In addition, on a miss, a higher trajectory generates a shorter bounce, which increases the chances of hitting the ball into the basket.
IMPORTANT: If 5 NET rolls in a row is too difficult, lower this requirement.
Coach's note: Players who consistently hit the back of the basket when shooting are overexcited. To correct this error, explain it, and start practicing CLEAN throws right away, encouraging them to be used throughout the season.
4. Make several free throws in a row before leaving the court after practice.
This requires repetition of all throw elements and builds confidence. Each batter must pick up the ball himself after his throw. Emphasize the importance of repeating the same set-up routine before each throw. Taking a deep breath and exhaling before the throw relieves excess tension. Modify this exercise by adding more playful tension due to time constraints. Those who do not fit in the given time must make jerks, etc.
5. Make 200 free throws per day for 5 days, or 500 free throws on one day, and 200 on the next four days. Target: 25/25 of which 15 rolls are CLEAR.
This develops confidence and exceptional consistency in shot form, ball release and trajectory. In addition, it improves the accuracy of 3-point shots. Reward the player for: 25/25, the most hits in a row, and the most CLEAR hits in a row. NOTE: 100 throws require approximately 15 minutes of time.
6. Determine the spots from which you regularly shoot in the game, and practice shooting at least 5 consecutive shots from each of these spots.
This develops confidence and coordination in throwing. When a player shoots from one of these positions in a game, they feel comfortable and confident because they have been successful shooting from these positions so often in practice.
7. Perform all throws on a correctly marked area using a correctly marked backboard. The court must have a line for 3-point shots.
Court markings are an important factor in reducing misses as it is easier for the player to judge the distance to the basket. For the same reason, additional confidence develops.
