Basketball is a game that unites a number of different virtues in a single package. You have to have speed, agility, precision, and timing, among other things. When you’ve got so many skills to develop, it pays to have an efficient training routine that will allow you to get maximum benefit with a little less time.
The 5 Best Exercises For Basketball Players
Coaches may have told you that there are no shortcuts, and this is true in terms of effort. However, there are ways to make your workouts more time-efficient. One of these ways is to use only the best exercises, and that’s why we present our picks for the top five best exercises for basketball players.
1. Romanian Deadlift
There is no doubt that jumping ability is highly important for a basketball player. Not only does it help you to get those big dunks, but it also impresses the crowd and separates you from the pack. The Romanian deadlift is a deadlift variation that isolates the hamstrings and glutes, which are two of the most important muscles for jumping.
To do this, start with a barbell on the floor in front of you. Stand in front of the bar with your toes slightly underneath it, and then grab it with both hands. When you bend down, keep your knees slightly bent and thrust your hips backward to avoid bending your spine. Pull the bar all the way up to a standing position, then lower it again until it’s about two inches below your knee. Bring it back up to the start position and repeat.
2. Lateral Lunges
When you are guarding someone, or otherwise shuffling around the court, you will often be doing so with a lateral movement. This movement doesn’t tend to be used much in everyday life, so it needs to be trained specifically. Fast movement on the court can be a powerful advantage, especially if your opponents have neglected this kind of training. Some people also refer to these as “side lunges.”
Start in a normal stance and then take a big lateral step to one side. After the foot lands, continue bending the knee until you find yourself in a side-crouch. For many people, it is hard to avoid falling forward, but that’s why you want to bend at the hips: so that you can control your center of gravity.
3. Pull-Ups
While the lower body is more important for a basketball player, the upper body should not be neglected. Since you don’t have a lot of time to spend on this part, you need an exercise that works the entire upper body at one time. For this purpose, pull-ups are ideal. A lot of people can’t do it, but virtually anyone can learn.
You should start with the “Australian pull-up.” This involves hanging under a low bar with your heels touching the ground. The body should make a straight diagonal line, and you use your arms to lift and lower your body. These are much easier than conventional pull-ups and can be used as preparation for the real thing.
4. Cone Drills
Being able to dribble on the move is one of the most important skills in the game. You have to be able to switch direction quickly without losing speed, and that takes some specific training. You can use a few plastic cones or some other kind of obstacle so as to create a kind of obstacle course. It might be as simple as weaving in and out of a line, or a complex circuit that involves all kinds of directional changes.
Cone drills have the advantage of being very versatile, as they can be used for an almost endless array of training exercises. However, you will probably want to find a few that work well for you and stick with those. We would recommend asking your coach for a few pointers on this one.
5. Elevated Leg Raises
Leg raises are one of the best exercises for your core, and they offer a lower risk of injury than most sit-up variations. This is one of many variations on the seated leg raise, in which you sit down on the floor (or in a chair) and raise your legs into the air.
The specific variation that we recommend is an elevated leg raise, in which you sit on top of a table and grab the sides of the table with your hands. Raise your legs until they are at a 90-degree angle to the rest of your body, and then lower them until they almost touch the ground. Your feet should not touch the ground until the set is done. This one is just a little bit more strenuous than other leg lift variations and will force your core to become nice and strong.
The Dangers Of Overtraining
Although you are probably hungry to be the best and to win, you need to be careful not to go too far. Overtraining is one of the easiest ways to hurt yourself, which will only result in your losing out on game time. There is a middle ground between pushing yourself and hurting yourself, and that is where you need to stay.
Conclusion
Of course, there are tons of other great exercises out there, and your coach can probably show you at least a few more. However, we feel that these five are the best exercises for teaching a beginner the ropes and giving them the basic physical qualities they need. You may have noticed that none of these are isolation exercises, as all of them will work on multiple muscle groups at the same time. That is deliberate and is meant to save you some time. If we have helped you to get a better understanding of this subject, we ask that you support our work by following us on Facebook.
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