There isn’t a basketball player alive who wouldn’t like to be stronger, faster and jump higher. Even NBA stars work on these goals in their off-season training. (See Dwyane Wade’s Workout Overview.) The problem with many youth basketball workouts is that they lack a comprehensive plan.

Young athletes who work out with their local teams perform a certain type of training; then, once the season is over, they may change teams and work out under a completely different method. For example, your select AAU team may use barbells, plyometrics and sprinting for workouts, while your high school’s summer program and the two elite camps you attend employ a totally different set of training methods and directions. The only clear solution is to develop a year-long, systematic training program. (See also How to Train Basketball Players for Strength, Speed and Power.)

The Organization of the Training Process, by Yuri Verkhoshansky, states, “Examples of the organization of training means according to the successive-contiguous method: jumps and bounces, exercises with a barbell, jumps with overloads, and depth jumps. ”

To produce desired results from your basketball off-season workouts, you must create a detailed, annual program based on the following. Complete the program and assess the results before moving on. This is one path to consistent, systematic results from your off-season workouts.

Examples of exercises in each category include:

Jumps and Bounces

1. Missile Jumps
2. Skater Jumps
3. Zigzag runs
4. Power Skips

Exercises With a Barbell

1. Deadlift
2. Overhead Squat
3. Back Squat

Jumps With Overloads

1. Jump Squats
2. Box Jumps

Depth Jumps

1. Horizontal Jump
2. Vertical Jump