Basketball is a sport that requires a tremendous amount of technical and tactical skill to be successful. Athletes are often working on their skillset and playing year-round at a competitive level from an early age.

While training and developing this skillset is a necessity, and players in today’s game are expected to be versatile on the floor, it is also important to devote time throughout the year to work on the physical preparation for the sport.

The athlete’s age and training experience will help guide the training process. Younger athletes should be encouraged to train in a more general focus, building a base for future training adaptations, and encouraged to play multiple sports to develop a broader base of athletic abilities. Then as athletes get older, the more they can begin to specialize in training for basketball, assuming that the base of general abilities has been built.

There are five things all basketball players need to include in their physical preparation

In no particular order, they are the following:

1. Isometric Holds
2. Single Leg Strength
3. Foot & Ankle Development
4. Relative Body Strength
5. Sled Drags

Isometric Holds

Isometric holds should be performed at all levels and frequently. The best part about these exercises is that they can require zero equipment! One of the main benefits of including isometric holds in training is to improve tissue quality and increase capacity. The holds can be performed at specific angles and positions, which will help athletes make the connection to the court.

When beginning with the holds, start around 10-20 seconds per hold and gradually increase the time once the athlete has demonstrated control for that time period. These holds can be performed for longer periods of time as well, 90-120 seconds and beyond. Working them into a team competition is a positive way to implement these longer durations.

Perform a variety of holds, including double leg and single leg lower body positions, as well as upper body press and pull positions. The ankle spring series is especially beneficial for basketball athletes as it is directly strengthening the feet and ankles, which will help with not only jumping ability but also durability for the long season.

Single Leg Strength

Unilateral training is a must for basketball players. Basketball is a chaotic sport that involves athletes jumping, landing, and changing direction, often on a single leg. Training unilaterally can also help lessen any major muscular imbalances and strengthen some areas we forget, such as the adductors.

Ensure to perform the exercises with correct execution and start by working in moderate intensity and volume range; 3-5 sets of 5-10 repetitions each leg is a solid starting spot, but it is situational.

There are countless single-leg exercise options that you should utilize. From split squats, lateral squats, lunges, and single-leg squat options, just to consider a few.

Foot and Ankle Development

Training the foot and ankle complex for basketball players is something we know we should be doing more but can often find neglected. Ankle injuries are one of the most frequent and common injuries of basketball, and that in and of itself should cause players to dedicate time to strengthen this weak link.

This goes much deeper, though than just taping the ankles. There are so many players can do while on the court to prepare for the practice ahead. Soft tissue massage and preparation, mobility, and focused strength training should all be included in a complete program to develop the feet and ankles.

Movements such as heel and toe walk raises and performing a wide variety of extensive plyometrics through multiple planes and intensities will do so much to better ensure the health of this commonly injured area.

Relative Body Strength

All sports require a high amount of relative body strength to be successful. Just being strong in relation to your size will carry you a long way in early development. I find this to be especially important in basketball because many players on all levels lack this strength due to limited exposure to a structured, well-organized physical preparation program.

Relative body strength aids in the overall development and durability of an athlete, and this can be easily trained. Performing exercises such as chin-ups, push-ups, crawls, inverted rows, lunges, and other movements can help better prepare athletes for the demand of the sport and place them in a better position when they start to train in the weight room if they already haven’t.

Ensure that athletes are performing the exercises with the correct technique and intention to gain the most out of the movements.

Sled Drags

Sled dragging is a fantastic exercise for basketball players that has a high return on investment rate. The sled is simple to teach and will not beat up their body in comparison to other exercises; in fact, it could do the opposite and promote recovery and restoration, allowing for better court practices. All while strengthening the muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and hips.

Focus on four specific drags; forward drags, backward drags, lateral shuffle drags, and lateral crossover drags.

Each provides its own benefit and will help develop a different target area of the lower body. For instance, dragging the sled forward will help develop strong hamstrings as you pull with the heel driving into the ground with each step. Backward dragging is one of the best knee extension exercises that can be performed and help build durability in the lower body. And dragging the sled laterally, either by shuffling or crossing over, will help strengthen the hips and help athletes make connections with strength training and the court, seeing how basketball involves a great amount of lateral movement.

Perform these drags for a total volume of yards, starting around 100 yards per drag, with a lightweight before progressing over time by either increasing the yardage or weight.

Basketball players commit so much time to improve their game on the court. Their physical preparation should match and is a key piece of the puzzle for long-term success. Implement these five things into their programming and help take their game to the next level.