How to train your body for basketball

10 Best Exercises for Basketball Players at Home to become Fit

Well, the outspread of COVID 19 has certainly brought things into perspective, with the world is faced with a dilemma of sorts- to maintain distance and hold on. We have proved our merit in terms of persistence and solidarity, as we moulded ourselves to the “new normal”. Yet, remaining in a standstill is not always a favourable option, and for athletes like basketball players, this time frame has been a massive struggle. Especially with all the sports centres and gyms closed, maintaining dexterity has become a task- but fret not! We are here for your aid!

For basketball, the plan is two-pronged- with a focus on skills and muscle flexibility. Stamina and flexibility play an important role- so you have got to switch the game with both exercises focused on agility, as well as basketball drills focused on sharpening your skills. Good thing – both can be done at home, with the presence of right basketball accessories and fitness equipment.

In respect to exercises, here are a few that can help:

Perhaps more than any other sport, basketball is seen as a contest of physical prowess. However, speed, lateral movement, and explosive power are all essential in basketball. If they lack strength in certain areas, even the physically endowed players will find it challenging to keep up with and respond fast on the court. 

Here are ten easy basketball exercises that can increase your explosive power and lateral speed while lowering your chance of injury.

1. Lateral lunge

This is your best friend as lateral lunge mimics basketball’s standard defensive shuffle while opening up the muscles of the groin and hips. Here, step to the right, from a standing position. Remember to keep toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat and then, proceed to squat onto your right leg. For this, you need to keep the left leg straight and the weight on the right leg’s midfoot to heel. Squat as low as possible, keeping the left leg straight. Hold the position for 2 seconds and return to the standing position. Repeat this for 10 reps and then, switch sides.

The quality of your glute empowers your game- hence this is one of the best exercises to train them. Here, the firing and muscle-recruitment patterns of the glutes are utilized, as you start by lying face-up on the floor. Keep knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor, with a rolled-up towel between your knees. Form a bridge with hips toward the ceiling, which in turn squeezes your glutes. With your shoulders and heels remaining on the ground, hold the top position. Lower the hips to the ground without touching. Repeat this for 10 reps.

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Want to ace the fast cuts and side-to-side movements? Increase the lateral power of your legs, with lateral bound. Here you need to stand balanced on your right leg, with your left foot on the ground. Crouching slightly with the right leg, and then jump to the left, using the leg and glutes. Land on your left leg, using your ankle, knee, and hip. Remember to maintain balance- you don’t want to hurt yourself. Hold this for a count of three, then jump to your right- repeat this 10 times, per side.

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Medicine ball is a boon that every athlete needs to have by their side. For basketball athletes, you mimic jumping, as you do this special squat. Here you need to stand holding a medicine ball at chest level. Lower yourself into a squat, and extending through the hips, launch the ball and your body into the air.

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Pullups are like brothers of jump shots- requiring the same efforts and working out the same muscles. To improves the performance of your lats, back, shoulders, and wrist, pepper your workout with pullups. Hanging from a bar with overhand/ reverse grip, pull your shoulder blades back and down, lifting your body up. Return to the fully extended position after each rep- this helps improve your jump shot.

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Touted as the “power squat”, goblet squats help strengthen the lower body. For this, you need some help from the good old kettlebell. Hold the kettlebell with two hands against your chest, mimicking the motion of drinking from it like a goblet. Squat by sitting your hips, while shifting the weight to your heels without lifting the toes. Maintain contact between the kettlebell and your chest, while your elbows should gently touch your knees. Rise and extend powerfully through the hips- repeat the same for 10 times.  

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Basketball is a contact sport, with its set of unpredictable injuries. You need to prepare yourself for the worst and the single-leg hurdle hop prepares your body to land and absorbs force. Arrange a few low hurdles and stand in front of them, on one leg. Hop over all hurdles, holding the landing on the same leg. Make a point to control your landing to a softer level, absorbing the force through the hip and glute. Change sides and repeat on opposite leg.

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Basketball is a play of jumps, with explosive motions being an accent. Hence, the ability to hinge from the hips, rather than jumping from the knees, is required. To condition the hamstrings, glutes, and back, Romanian deadlifts are just what the doctor ordered. For this, you need to stand, having your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell at each side, keeping the weight should be on the back half of your feet. Shifting the hips back, lower the dumbbells as far as you can, keeping your back straight. This will fire the hamstrings and glutes as your return to standing position- a continuous set of 10 reps should do

This is one of the best basketball workouts where you lay face-up on a bench with your hands towards your thighs and dumbbells at your outer shoulders. Raise the two dumbbells to your chest. Lower the other dumbbell till it touches the outside of your shoulder while maintaining a straight arm, then press it back up. Push harder with both hands at the peak of the action, as if you were attempting to punch through the roof. Similarly, move the opposite arm. 

Last on our list of exercises for basketball players is a physioball leg curl, where on a physioball, you lie face-up with your legs straight and heels up. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips and bring them closer to your body. As the ball approaches you, resist the urge to sag your hips. Leg curl for ten reps while extending your legs. Make sure your hips never touch the ground.

While your muscles are all fired up and raring to go, it is time for skill training to take place. How- you wonder? Simple- purchase indoor basketball hoop, a basketball and you are set. Practice the drills that were familiar to you, as a warm-up. Then, take up some challenging drills, to push yourself to the limit. It is important to go beyond your comfort zone, to get optimal results. Finally, time your moves well- it’s speed and accuracy that put you in an advantage.

We advise three full-body basketball workouts each week throughout the offseason. It would be challenging to do more than three lifting sessions each week of these exercises for basketball players.

Remember that while the above mentioned activities are excellent, they are not the be-all and end-all. Don't forget to perform single-leg exercises (variations of lunges) and focused core training (ab wheel rollouts, reverse crunches, etc.).

We advise that, as a professional, you switch up your set/rep schedule for your basketball workouts. Possibly like this:

On that particular day, perform four sets of 4-6 repetitions for each basketball exercise.

For each basketball workout on that specific day, perform three sets of 8–10 repetitions.

Perform four sets of six to eight repetitions for each basketball workout that day.

The weather outdoors may make playing basketball in the driveway or outside at the park a little more difficult as the winter months progress. Here are four basketball drills to do at home, even while watching television.

Standing with your feet together, move the ball around your body from right to left, starting with your head to practise your ball handling techniques and mimic a behind-the-back dribble motion. After circling your head with the basketball, continue to your waist, legs, and ankles. 

Go left hand to the right again after climbing back up to your head. Keep your eyes up the entire practice to ensure you gain a feel for the ball without viewing it. Watch the clock to see how soon you can do this basketball drill at home.

With the help of this workout, you may hone your ball handling abilities and replicate a between-the-legs dribble. Start assuming a standing position with your legs spread apart and your knees slightly bent. Put the ball in your right hand through your legs from the front to the rear, then transfer it to your left hand. 

Then, while holding the ball in your left hand, wrap it around the outside of your left knee before passing it to your right hand via your front legs. Once you've repeated this several times, turn to do a reverse figure eight, placing the ball in your right hand behind your right leg and moving it from back to front with your left hand.

This is an amazing basketball drill to do at home where by lying on your back and shooting the basketball into the air, you may develop your shooting muscles and improve your shooting technique. Repeat after catching the ball. As you extend your arm and release the basketball, pay close attention to your follow-through to achieve appropriate backspin.

With the help of this defensive posture workout, you can strengthen and extend your lower body. Your body should be in a squat position while you spread your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and bend your knees. 

This helps you practise good defensive positioning by simulating a defensive position. As long as you can, maintain this posture. Try timing yourself while doing this basketball drill at home to see if you can maintain the posture longer each time.

So, these were the 10 best exercises for basketball players. Include warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your training regimen to observe continuous improvement and increase body strength. Your capacity to effectively recuperate from your exercises will ultimately determine your results. Before working out the same muscle groups again, rest for twenty-four to forty-eight hours to give your body enough time to heal.

The above mentioned are the most effective basketball exercises to be practised by individuals. These include-

1. Lateral lunge
2. Glute bridge
3. Physioball leg curls
4. Lateral bound
5. Romanian deadlift (RDL)
6. Alternating dumbbell press
7. Goblet squat
8. Pullups
9. Single leg hurdle hop
10. Medicine ball squat to press

Players can choose any of the above-mentioned 10 basketball exercises. All these exercises are equally benefitting and effective. Just ensure to train your body from head to toe basis.

Our experts recommend players be religious towards their training schedules and workout schemas. You'll need to perform a lot of conditioning work to build the strength and power in your legs and glutes necessary to have the body of an NBA basketball player.

Consume meals high in carbs and drink a lot of electrolyte-containing drinks to replenish your energy. Ensure you are drinking lots of water as well. Get enough water before, during, and after your basketball game since dehydration causes weariness. Before the game, warm up.

Basketball is an outdoor sport and it is very difficult to practise it inside and at home. However, you can practise certain exercises to keep yourself fit for basketball and develop certain particular postures by practising them regularly at home.  

So, there you have it- a comprehensive set of tricks to get your move back! To shop for indoor basketball hoops and basketball accessories, head here.

10 Best Workouts for Basketball Players

Basketball, perhaps more than any other sport, is perceived as a game of natural physical gifts. Being tall helps, of course. Having long arms—what broadcasters these days call “length”—makes for good defense. And some players seem like they were born able to jump through the roof.

So yes, all those traits play a role. But basketball also demands quickness, lateral movement, and explosive power—all of which a player can develop and improve. Even the most physically gifted athletes will struggle to keep up and react quickly on the court if they lack strength in these areas.

Plus, focused training can help reduce the potential of getting hurt. Basketball produces injuries such as sprained ankles, sprained ACLs or MCLs, and chronic back issues that come from playing a physical sport on hard surfaces. “You have to get the lower body stronger so it can absorb force,” says trainer Ken Croner, a former Butler University basketball player and owner of Munster Sports Performance in Munster, Indiana.

Here are 10 basic basketball workouts that will improve your lateral quickness and explosive power while reducing risk of injury.

Pete Williams is a NASM-certified personal trainer and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.

1. Lateral lunge

Why you should do it: The lateral lunge mimics basketball’s standard defensive shuffling motion. More importantly, it opens up the muscles of the groin and hips.

How to do it: From a standing position, step to the right, keeping toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat. Squat onto your right leg, keeping the left leg straight and the weight on the right leg’s midfoot to heel. Squatting as low as possible, keep the left leg straight and hold the position for 2 seconds. Return to standing position and repeat for 10 reps, then switch sides.

2. Glute bridge

Why you should do it: To improve the firing and muscle-recruitment patterns of the glutes, which are important for jumping and explosive movements.

How to do it: Lie face-up on the floor, with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Squeeze a rolled-up towel between your knees. Bridge hips toward the ceiling by firing (squeezing) your glutes. Only your shoulders and heels remain on the ground. Hold the top position, then lower the hips to the ground without touching. Repeat for 10 reps.

3. Physio ball leg curl

Why you should do it: Like the glute bridge, this keeps the hips extended and forces the hamstrings to work, ultimately improving leaping ability and posterior strength.

How to do it: Lie face-up with legs straight and heels on a physio ball. Squeeze glutes to raise the hips and pull your hips toward you. Don’t drop your hips as the ball comes toward you. Extend your legs, then repeat the leg curl for 10 reps. Make sure your hips never touch the ground.

4. Lateral bound

Why you should do it: To build explosive lateral power in your legs, which primes players for fast cuts and side-to-side movements.

How to do it: Stand balanced on your right leg, with your left foot on the ground. Squat slightly with the right leg, then use the leg and glutes to jump to the left. Extend your ankle, knee, and hip, and land on the left leg only, making sure to maintain your  balance. Hold for a count of three, then bound to your right. Do 10 reps per side.

5. Romanian deadlift (RDL)

Why you should do it: Jumping higher and being more explosive comes from the ability to hinge from the hips, rather than jumping from the knees. RDLs build strength in the hamstrings, glutes, and back.

How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell at each side. The weight should be on the back half of your feet. Shift the hips back and lower the dummbells as far as you can while keeping your back straight. Fire the hamstrings and glutes as your return to standing position. Do 10 reps.

6. Alternating dumbbell press

Why you should do it: A jump shot requires full extension through the lats and back along with shoulder stability. This lift improves all of those areas.

How to do it: Lie face-up on a bench, holding dumbbells at the outside of your shoulders and with palms facing your thighs. Lift both dumbbells over your chest. Keeping one arm straight, lower the other dumbbell, touch the outside of your shoulder, and push it back up. At the top of the movement, push farther with both hands, as if trying to punch the ceiling. Do the same with the other arm. Repeat for 10 reps.

7. Goblet squat

Why you should do it: To develop power in the lower body.

How to do it: Hold a kettlebell with two hands against your chest as if preparing to drink from it like goblet. Squat by sitting your hips back and down, keeping the weight in the heels of your feet without lifting your toes. Maintain contact between the kettlebell and your chest. Your elbows should gently touch your knees. Rise and extend powerfully through the hips. Repeat for 10 reps.

8. Pullups

Why you should do it: An effective jumpshot creates full extension through the lats, back, shoulders, and wrist. A pullup, done properly, mimics such movement, and builds essential all-around back strength.

How to do it: Hanging from a bar with either an overhand or reverse (underhand) grip, pull your shoulder blades back and down to lift your body up. Finish by pulling with your arms. The key is to return to the fully extended position after each rep—otherwise, you’re not reaching full extension, the movement you want on your jumpshot.

9. Single-leg hurdle hop

Why you should do it: By extending through the hip on one foot and landing on that same leg, you’re improving your ability to land and absorb force, reducing the possibility of common basketball injuries.

How to do it: Stand on one leg in front of a line of low hurdles. Hop over one hurdle, sticking and holding the landing on the same leg. Repeat over remaining hurdles. Land softly, absorbing the force through the hip and glute. Change sides and repeat on opposite leg.

10. Medicine ball squat to press

Why you should do it: By bending at the hips and exploding up, you mimic the proper jumping motion for basketball.

How to do it: Stand holding a medicine ball at chest level. Lower yourself into a squat, keeping ball at chest level. Extending through the hips, launch the ball and your body into the air, throwing the ball straight up and as high as possible.

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How to improve dribbling at home?

6 tips that will help every basketball player

Sometimes you look at Irving's highlights, you want to practice dribbling, but they don't let you into the gym. It's winter outside and you can't knock the ball either. What to do at this moment and how to be, we analyze in this article.

Often players say dribbling but don't know what it means. Let's take a broader view and break down possession in general, because basketball isn't just about hitting on the spot and crossovers. Our main goal is to score more than the opponent, and for this we need to be able to move around the court from one point to another with the ball under pressure from the defender and bring the ball into a comfortable position for a shot or pass. It's all ball possession.

Can ball possession be improved at home? Yes, but the effectiveness depends on the level of your training. Work at home is very limited, so if you have no other choice - it is better to try to do at least something than just sit.

What to do? Hold 6 points:

1. If you have a couple of square meters and no neighbors below, or they are not disturbed by your hitting the ball, then you can fully train.

For example, you can work on these things:

All this and more, we are working on the LVL UP course in the online school. A couple of square meters and 15 minutes a day is enough to progress.

2. If you can't hit the ball, you can work on your hand speed and ball feel.
Do various rotations around the head, legs and body. You can do the same in the lunge and other basketball positions. Try different combinations and stance changes.

3. In continuation to the second point, the ball is thrown with straight arms.
Start simply with your arms outstretched in front of you, then try with up and down movements, and in the most difficult variation, add a chest rotation.

4. Visualization.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself moving around the court with the ball. It is important to fully immerse yourself in the moment and live it, and not be an outside observer.

5. Visualization in life, or I don't know what else to call it.
Start repeating the movements as if you were hitting a ball and making transfers. Take a video and see how it looks from the outside. It probably won't look like cool dribbling. Try to fix it.

6. Work on the body.
By developing your body, you will open up opportunities for skill development. Regular dribbling requires a mobile hip, strong glutes, a mobile chest, and a strong core to better deal with defensive pressure. You can work on this at home too.

Examples of the importance of the body in possession of the ball.

You can always work on yourself and become better. Everything depends on your desire. Hope this article helps you.

Nikita of coachmen

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