Basketball

Basketball Strength and Performance Training

Basketball is an alactic aerobic sport. This means that a basketball player has to use his or her anaerobic system in short powerful bursts while simultaneously moving for the entire game. This requires the use of the aerobic system. Despite what some people believe, basketball is not an anaerobic dominant sport.

The reason this is important information to know when practicing basketball skills (shooting, dribbling, passing, defense, and rebounding) or developing athletic qualities (power, speed, agility, strength, and energy system development) for basketball is that there is a right way to prepare and a wrong way.

By pursuing the right way to grow the biological power of a hooper, the athlete will be able to perform his or her skills faster and longer than the opponent without getting injured. To reach this goal it takes planning, testing, and programming.

The Perfect Plan for You

Planning starts even before the testing of a basketball athlete. A strength and conditioning coach has to decide which qualities the athlete needs in order to excel in the game of basketball. Tests are then designed to expose the ability of each individual athlete in these specific athletic qualities. From the data discovered through testing, a program can be designed and planned. Other areas considered when planning a program are the gender, age, experience, position, time of season, energy requirements, and the athletic strengths and weaknesses of the basketball athlete.

How Do You Know You Are Getting Better? Testing.

Testing is critical to determine what a basketball athlete’s strengths and weaknesses are so that a program can be developed to improve the athlete’s strengths as well as to improve upon weaknesses before the athlete is back in season. Testing also shows the basketball athlete his or her improvement over an off season and pre- season strength and conditioning program. In order to provide this positive reinforcement to the athlete, testing should be used in the beginning of a strength and conditioning cycle and then again at the end of the cycle at a minimum. The testing format that I utilize is the same or very close to the same format as the NBA combine. I also have the benefit of working with the same company that does the NBA combine testing, BAM Testing, which is located right here in Seattle.

Get A Proven Customized Program for Basketball

Programming is the science of designing a strength and conditioning program that develops and enhances the specific adaptations a basketball athlete needs in order to dominate his or her opponent. These adaptations relate specifically to the individual athlete and are discovered by understanding the energy system requirements of the game of basketball as well as the test results of the basketball athlete. In order to promote and enhance a specific adaptation, like increasing a basketball player’s vertical jump or first step, careful program design will enhance these specific athletic qualities. In order to accomplish this goal, the strength and conditioning coach has to have a deep understanding of the science that goes into growing these adaptations. This takes specific programming of exercises over a series of weeks in order to obtain the desired adaptation.

Workouts like boot camp or cross fit will not accomplish this specificity because they are too general, try to cover too many athletic qualities within one workout, and often result in injury. In order to rise above the competition, a basketball athlete needs specific scientific programming. Ekstasis can give each basketball player the ability to perform his or her best on the athletic side of the game.