In-Season Basketball Training

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

Basketball season starts in a month and I am getting more and more nervous about losing strength and muscle as the season approaches. Last year I overtrained like crazy, felt like shit all the time, played like shit, and my conditioning was very bad. This was all very disconcerting, but after the season I went on DeFranco’s WSB4SB.

I am not worried about upper body strength, but after playing in summer league’s this summer, I found it hard to even get in one max-effort lower body workout a week without my legs and back feeling like complete shit. I know this question is a little vague, but I am wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions for lower body in season training, preferably for basketball.

Deadlift-370x2
Box Squat-265x3
5’11, 175, 10-12% bf, any input is appreciated

2

Why not use one of the in-season training templates that Joe DeFranco has provided in WS4SB3 or in some of his Q&A’s?

He specifically addressed in-season basketball training in one of his Q&A’s on his web site a while back. I don’t remember what date it’s posted, but you could easily skim through all of them and find a few of them.

Here are two in-seaons plans he has posted before:

In-Season Workout 1

Day 1 - Day after a game
A. Barbell Squats 2 sets of 8-10
B. Flat Dumbell Bench Press 2 sets of 8-10
C. Chin-ups 2 sets of max reps
D. Standing lateral raises 2 sets of 8-10
E. Dumbell Curls 2 sets of 8-10
F. Swiss ball crunches 2 sets of 25
*After you warm-up, this workout shouldn’t take you longer than 35 min.

You would perform your “explosive” lift(s) during the second workout of the week. This is the day you can also work on your “weak links” (usually upper back/external rotators). Here’s a sample workout for Tuesday or Wednesday:

Day 2 - Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
A. Hang Cleans 3 sets of 3
OR
A. Box Squats with chains (50-60% of 1RM) 6 sets of 2
B. Reverse Hyperextensions 2 sets of 10
C. Bent-over Dumbell Rows 2 sets of 8 each arm
D. Cable external rotation 2 sets of 12 each arm
E. Abs (choice)

In-Season Workout 2
The best way to go about this is to lift the day after the game and then again mid-week. The day after the game I would focus mostly on muscle mass maintenance. Warm-up and then perform 2-3 work sets of 6-15 reps, using a controlled tempo, for all of the major muscle groups of the upper body. Then, I would do some light running/jogging. This workout will help you recover from your game as well as prevent muscle mass loss.

Day 1
A. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, palms in 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps
B. Chin-ups or Lat Pulldowns 2-3 sets of 6-15 reps
C. Standing dumbbell shrugs 2 sets of 10-15 reps
D. Rope pushdowns 2 sets of 10-15 reps
E. Standing hammer curls 2 sets of 10-15 reps
F. Seated external rotation, elbow on knee 2 sets of 15 reps
G. Ground-based abdominal circuit
H. 6-8 40-yard striders (easy tempo)

*After you warm-up, this workout shouldn’t take you longer than 55 min.

You would perform your “explosive” lift(s) during the second workout of the week. This is the day you can also work on your “weak links” (usually upper back, lower back, external rotators). Here’s a sample workout:

Day 2
A. Box Squats (straight weight or weight + chains) 6 sets of 2 reps using 50% of 1RM
B. Reverse Hyperextensions 2 sets of 10-15 reps
C. Dynamic bench press (straight weight) 6 sets of 3 reps using 50% of 1RM (You can perform 2-3 heavy singles after your speed sets every 3 weeks.)
D. Cable or dumbbell external rotation, elbow at side 2 sets of 15 reps each arm
E. Abs (choice)

3

How old are you?
What are your goals? What position do you play? and what does your coach have you doing?

Technically 1) you really shouldn’t be aiming to gain weight in season. 2) You shouldn’t be aiming to blast through strength plateaus. 3) If you care to be a great basketball player, theres where your concentration should be. You’ll maintain the strength neccessary to play.

Unless you recently gained a ton of powerlifting strength, your not going to lose your strength from playing basketball for a few months.

If your in shape not trying to lose weight, up the carbs when the season comes.

4

there are a few problems. one is that my coaches literally have no idea about how to lift or to condition players, i mean no idea. We go 100% every day in practice, even in the middle of the season when we have games every other day. People constantly injure their knees, ankles, and groin. It’s a punitive mindset; anytime we do one little thing wrong in game or practice we run, run, run.

This makes it extremely hard to have any energy to lift. I would like to be able to do Squats the day after a game, but that day might be a terribly hard practice and then the day after that will probably be really hard, so no matter what I do I’m bound to have sore legs about ninety percent of the time.

5

I realize that I should devote my time and energy to basketball, but it’s really depressing knowing that I’m going to lose a good portion of the strength and muscle that I worked my ass off of to get in the off-season. It just seems that when I try to do heavy compound lifts like squats or deads I just don’t have the energy or the musclepower to play at a high level.

6

If your under 21 your not going to lose a ton of muscle just fat. The strength you lose if any, will come back extremely quick. If your planning on going D1 you might as well plan on running.

If people are getting hurt that much, then you should’ve prepared yourself in the offseason for that torture.

If you work out at home, do your squats in the morning. Don’t go extremely heavy, maintenance is more important than massive gains. If your in a gym your better off with lunges, and or step ups. It will keep muscles and ligaments that you use pliable, also try the 6 way lunge(google it).

Lower your current weight a little and up the reps (no more than 15 though), and remember up the carbs and other food long as your not overweight. DO NOT WORK OUT ON YOUR DAY OFF. Your going to need at least one day to recover from your basketball workouts.

Try posting in one of CT’s threads see what he says.