STRENGTH

Table of Contents
PROGRAMS FOR SPORTS

General Weight
Training Program for
Basketball
By Paul Rogers Updated on July 07, 2021

Medically reviewed by Michael Lau, PT, DPT

Yuttadanai Mongkonpun / EyeEm / Getty Images

Table of Contents
Overview

Basic Training Program

Role-SpeciCc Training

Phase 1 - Early Pre-Season

Phase 2 - Mid-Preseason

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Comprehensive training programs for individual

sports are “periodized.” That is, they are broken
into three or four phases in the year with each
phase concentrating on a particular Ctness
development. Periodized programs provide a
progressive buildup to peak Ctness and
performance. [1]

Overview
For professional sports that utilize weights in
their training, which is most these days, each
phase has diHerent objectives and each
successive phase builds on the previous one.

Important Note
Basketball also requires a lot of "running"
training in any comprehensive program. The
part of the program outlined here is conCned
mostly to the weights and strength
development part of the program. You will
need to do cardio training to develop aerobic
Ctness early in the preseason and then build
up anaerobic Ctness with wind sprints,
shuttles, sprints, and intervals to be fully
prepared for the season start.

Aerobic Ctness means you can jog or run for a

long time at a moderate pace without getting too
tired. Anaerobic Ctness means you can keep
going longer at high intensities before your legs
and body slow down. Both are important in
basketball, especially if you are likely to play the
whole game. [2] When you optimize all elements
of basketball Ctness—running Ctness, strength,
and power—it is considered peak Ctness.

Basic Training Program

A year-long basketball weight training program
could look similar to the program that's outlined
below.

Early Preseason
Follow these guidelines in early preseason:

Players are preparing for the season and

starting to build up after the oH season.

Emphasis is on building aerobic Ctness,

functional strength, and hypertrophy.

Late Preseason
Follow these guidelines in late preseason:

Players are working up to the start of the

season and preseason trials are imminent.

Emphasis is on building anaerobic Ctness

and maximum strength and power.

In Season
During the season, training shifts the following:

Competition is underway and players are

expected to be fully functional for
competition.

Maintenance of speed, aerobic, and

anaerobic Ctness and strength and power is
emphasized.

Off Season
After the season, follow this schedule:

The season is over; time to relax for a while,

but you still need to keep active.

Emphasis is on rest and recovery with

maintenance of light activity—cross
training, light gym work. Several weeks
break from serious Ctness and strength
training is helpful.

As pre-season approaches, more regular

work can resume with an emphasis on
building aerobic Ctness once again for the
pre-season training.

Role-Speci>c Training
Within a generic training program for a
particular sport, further specialty programs may
be useful, especially in teams where members
have speciCc roles and certain advantageous
physical attributes apply. For example, in
football, a quarterback and a defensive lineman
will probably have a diHerent program in the
gym. One emphasizing speed and agility and the
other bulk, strength, and power.

In basketball, guards are likely to require more

agility and speed and less strength and bulk than
centers and power forwards, although all of the
above would be nice for every player if it was
possible.

Building strength while minimizing bulk

and thus maintaining speed and agility is an
essential technique in mobility training for
those for whom these attributes are
essential. [3]

For example, guards might lift heavy, with low

repetitions and plenty of rest in between sets in
order to build strength without excessive bulk.
On the other hand, the bigger players would
require a program that builds strength and bulk,
which means more repetitions and less rest in
between sets.

Consider the program presented here to be an

all-round program, best suited to beginners or
casual weight trainers without a history of
weight training for basketball. The best
programs are always speciCc to an individual's
current Ctness, role in the team, access to
resources, and, no less important, the team
coaches' essential philosophy.

You will be best served by using the following

program in conjunction with a trainer or coach.
If you're new to weight training, brush up on
principles and practices with the beginner
resources.

Always warm up and cool down before and after

a training session. [4] A medical clearance for
exercise is always a good idea at the start of the
season.

Phase 1 - Early Pre-

Season
Foundation Strength and Muscle

How this phase is approached will depend on

whether a player is new to weight training or is
coming oH a season of weights. Building
foundation strength means utilizing a program
that works all the major muscle groups of the
body.

Less experienced weight trainers will need

to start with lighter weights and fewer sets
and work up to heavier weights with more
sets. Start early in the season buildup to get
used to this phase if you have not utilized
weights previously.

Repetitive sports activities can strengthen one

side of the body at the expense of the other, or
emphasize one or two major muscle groups with
similar eHect. Inevitably, weak areas can be
susceptible to injury and can perform poorly. [5]
This is not to say that your non-dominant arm
or side has to be as good as your skill-dominant
side.

But it does mean that you need to allocate

su^cient training resources so that you achieve
functional foundation strength in all areas
including opposing muscles and left and right
sides of all major muscle group areas—back,
buttocks, legs, arms, shoulders, chest, and
abdominals.

In the early preseason, the foundation program

encompasses a mix of endurance, strength and
hypertrophy objectives, which means that the
weights are not too heavy and the sets and
repetitions are in the range 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 15
repetitions.

In this phase, you build some strength, and some

muscle size and endurance. Guards and perhaps
small forwards need to be careful not to
exchange agility and speed for bulk and muscle,
although in all cases, strength will be important.

Duration: 4 to 6 weeks

Days per week: 2 to 3, with at least one

rest day between sessions and a lighter
week in week 4 to promote recovery and
progression.

Reps: 12 to 15

Sets: 2 to 4

Rest between sets: 30 to 60 seconds

Phase 1 Exercises:

Barbell squat, dumbbell squat or sled hack

squat

Dumbbell incline bench press

Romanian deadlift

Dumbbell biceps arm curl

Dumbbell triceps extension or machine

pushdown

Seated cable row

Lat pulldown to the front with a wide grip

Reverse crunch

Points to Note

By trial and error, Cnd a weight that

represents a taxing lift for the last few reps
of each set. If you're unsure, start with a
light weight and increase it as you get
stronger within the training period so that
the perceived eHort remains similar.

Don't lift too heavy in this phase. The last

few reps in a set should be taxing yet
without extreme eHort to "failure,"
especially for the arm and shoulder
exercises. [6] You want the arm and shoulder
prepared for work but not overtaxed.

Do front squats or dumbbell or sled hack

squats if the rotation required to position a
barbell on the shoulders for the traditional
back squat stresses the shoulder joint to the
point of discomfort.

Shoulder joint protection is important at

this and subsequent stages.

Circuit training, running training and

plyometrics such as bounds and jumps
should be added to this gym program to suit
your schedule. [3]

Stop immediately if acute pain is noticed

during or after an exercise, and seek
medical and training advice if it persists.

Phase 2 - Mid-
Preseason
Strength Development

In this phase, you will build up strength and

muscle. The fast and agile players should be
careful not to bulk up too much. "Long, lean,
strong and quick" is the prescription. You have a
good foundation from early preseason workouts,
and now the emphasis is on lifting heavier
weights in order to train the nervous system in
conjunction with the muscle Cbers to move
bigger loads.

Hypertrophy, which is building muscle size, does

not necessarily imply strength. However, in the
foundation phase and in this phase, hypertrophy
will serve you well for strength development. [7]

Strength will be the foundation for the next

phase, which is power development. Power is the
ability to move the heaviest loads in the shortest
time. Power is essentially a product of strength
and speed.

Time of year: Mid preseason

Duration: 4 to 6 weeks

Days per week: 2 to 3, with at least one

day between sessions

Reps: 3 to 6. The players relying most on

speed and agility should do the lowest
number of reps.

Sets: 3 to 5

Rest in between sets: 3 to 4 minutes

Phase 2 Exercises:

Barbell squat or sled hack squat

Barbell bench press

Romanian deadlift

Lat pulldown to front with a wide grip

Pull-ups - 3x6 repetitions - adjust to suit

ability.

Points to Note

Adjust the weight so that the Cnal few

repetitions are taxing but not to complete
failure. [6] The fewer reps mean that you
will be lifting heavier in this phase.

Get su^cient rest between sets. You need

your muscles recovered so that you can
complete a heavy lifting session.

If you are unable to recover from a session

with only one rest day in between,
reschedule this program to two sessions
each week rather than three. Strength
training can be physically and mentally
demanding.

You will be sore in the muscles after these

sessions. Muscle soreness or delayed onset
muscle soreness (DOMS) is normal; joint
pain is not. [8] Be sure to monitor your arm
and shoulder reactions to this phase. Back
oH when you feel any joint pain or
discomfort.

Phase 3 - Late
Preseason to In Season
Conversion to Power

In this phase, you build on the strength

developed in phase 2 with training that will
increase your ability to move a load at high
velocity. Power is a combination of strength and
speed. Power training requires that you lift
lighter weights than you did in the strength
phase, yet with explosive intent.

You need to rest adequately between repetitions

and sets so that each movement is done as fast
as possible. The number of sets can be less.
There is no beneCt to training like this when
you're fatigued.

Time of year: late pre-season

Duration: 4 weeks ongoing

Days per week: 2 to 3

Reps: 8 to 10

Sets: 2 to 3

Rest between repetitions: 10 to 15

seconds

Rest between sets: at least 1 minute or

until recovery

Phase 3 Exercises:

Barbell or dumbbell hang clean

Seated calf raises

Cable push pull

One arm cable raises each arm

Barbell or dumbbell push press

Medicine ball standing twist with partner

(6x15 repetitions fast, recover between sets)
(or alone)

Box jump march (6x20 repetitions fast,

recover between sets)

Vertical jump (both sides)

Plyometrics - Jumping, Bounding

Additional plyometric exercises that emphasize

bounding, jumping and hopping can be
performed outside of the gym, on the court, or at
a suitable venue. Take care with plyometric
exercises because an injury can result from
injudicious training. [9] An on-site trainer or
coach with experience in plyometrics is good
insurance.

Points to Note

In power training, it's important that you're

relatively recovered for each repetition and
set so that you can maximize the velocity of
the movement. The weights should not be
too heavy and the rest periods su^cient.

At the same time, you need to push or pull

reasonably heavy loads to develop power
against reasonable resistance. Lift heavier
than phase 1 but lighter than phase 2.

With the marches and the medicine ball

twists, do a full set at maximum and then
rest su^ciently before the next one.

Rest brieoy between each vertical jump so

that you can maximize each one.

Phase 4 - In-Season
Maintenance of Strength and Power

Alternate phase 2 (Strength) and phase 3 (Power)

for a total of two sessions each week. Every Cfth
week, do no weight training at all to assist
recovery.

Points to Note

Try to allow at least two days between any

strength session and a game.

Try not to do strength training on the same

day as you work out on the court or at least
separate workouts between the morning
and the afternoon.

Rest completely from strength training one

week in Cve. Light gym work is Cne.

Use your judgment. Don't sacriCce court

skills training for weight work during the
season.

Phase 5 - Off-Season
Now it's time to rest up. You need this time for
emotional and physical renewal. For several
weeks, forget about basketball and do other
things. Staying Ct and active with cross-training
or other activities is still a good idea.

Give yourself plenty of time to do it all again

next year.

Related: An Overview of Cross-Training

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