Basketball athletes must be strong, powerful, fast and skillful in order to be successful on the court. The best way for players to achieve a high level of well-rounded athleticism is to take advantage of plyometric exercises. Basketball plyos are essential because they help develop the stretch-shortening cycle—i.e., where the muscles store energy before releasing it in an explosive manner. Since plyometric exercises are specific to the movements basketball players make, they increase overall leg strength and power, vertical jump, acceleration and agility—and hence athletic performance.

Develop your game by adding these two basketball plyo routines to your training arsenal. You can do them before your workout or at the end for extra conditioning. To get the best results, make sure that your technique is optimal throughout each exercise.

Basketball Plyo Routine 1

Medicine Ball Squat to Toss

Sets/Reps: 2×20

• Stand 10 feet away from partner holding med ball in front of chest
• Perform Squat
• As you stand back up, forcefully pass ball to partner
• Partner catches and tosses ball back
• Catch it, squat and repeat

Squat Jump

Sets/Reps: 2×10

• Get into squat position
• Immediately jump up and land softly back in squat position
• Repeat rapidly for reps or for time

Squat to Lateral Jump

Sets/Reps: 2×10 yards

• Stand tall with heels off floor and arms stretched up toward ceiling
• Drop back into a Squat and jump to right side, landing nice and soft
• Keep jumping in the same direction until you’ve covered 10 yards
• Repeat squats/lateral jumps to left side for 10 yards

Basketball Plyo Routine 2

Medicine Ball Squat Toss to Sprint

Sets/Distance: 2×10 yards

• Partner tosses medicine ball to you
• Catch ball, perform squat and as you stand up toss ball in front
• Immediately sprint to ball and pick it up
• Repeat for specified distance

Box Jump

Sets/Reps: 2×10

• Stand in athletic position, feet shoulder-width apart, a comfortable distance from box
• Sit back into a quarter squat, extend hips, swing arms and jump onto box
• Land softly in squat position
• Step down; repeat for specified reps

Squat to Lateral Jump to Sprint

Sets/Reps: 2×10 yards

• Stand tall with heels off floor and arms stretched up toward ceiling
• Drop back into Squat and jump to right side, landing nice and soft
• Keep jumping in the same direction until you’ve covered 10 yards
• Sprint to right for another 10 yards
• Repeat to left side