Basketball is a fast paced game. Up and down action on the court, defensive positioning down low under the basket combined with pure hustle for loose balls on the floor make the sport of basketball one of the most exciting sports to watch. For the strength and conditioning coach working with basketball players, the responsibility of designing a program that will make them better athletes for their sport is rewarding. Flexibility, conditioning, speed, quickness and agility along with strength and power are the areas of emphasis when designing a Basketball strength and conditioning program.

Follow a basketball-specific strength training program and you will improve every aspect of your game.

  • Your acceleration and speed around the court.
  • Your range of shots and passes.
  • Your explosive power – in particular your vertical jump.
  • Prepare the team for the practice volume.
  • Improve sport specific speed and conditioning.
  • Improve flexibility.
  • Improve core strength.
  • Improve total body strength and power.

Other than strength, speed and power, basketball players must possess excellent endurance. Whereas a distance runner or cyclist requires excellent low-intensity aerobic endurance, basketball players are expected to repeat multiple high-intensity activities with minimal rest periods.

With the right training techniques you can increase vertical jump performance significantly. While it may be true that genetics plays a considerable role in an individual’s capacity for peak power, the fact is. Very few of your competitors or team mates will train specifically to increase vertical jump power. So with a bit of commitment it is possible to out jump most of your peers!