Workout Plan for Basketball Player

Training Beginners
1

Hey,

First, a bit about myself.

I am 6’1 (shoeless and sockless), 194 pounds, bench 3 sets of 5 reps each @ 225lbs, squat 3 sets of 8 reps @ 255 lbs (No clue what my max is for those exercises.) I am interested in achieving an athletic ‘ripped’ look (like Corey Maggette, for example.)

I’ve managed to achieve maybe 75% of my goal by playing lots of basketball and lifting (I am 6 pounds lighter than I started the summer, and a lot stronger.)

I’m pretty happy with my progress this summer, but I’d really like to approach weight-training in a more systematic way this next semester. I bought some protein powder from Target, and have been tinkering with my workout plan.

My game plan is as follows:

  1. 3 servings of the shakes a day, one in a breakfast smoothie, one for lunch, and one post-workout (each serving has 23 grams of protein.)
  2. Pre-workout, take some type of low-complexity carbs (e.g., fruit.) Immediately after the workout, protein shake.
  3. Follow the workout plan listed at the end of this message.

This seems like it might be effective. One concern I have, though, is that I play basketball for 1.5 hours+ after finishing up my lifting (on average, north of 10 hours a week playing basketball.) Is this a bad idea? Like, might my body consume my broken down muscles for energy during basketball, preventing them from growing? I somehow feel that this isn’t true, because I’ve managed to add a lot of muscle this summer despite basketball after each lift. Any advice and references to research would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, here is my workout plan. I’ve neglected working out my back, so any suggestions for good back exercises would also be appreciated:

Day 1 (Arms):

  1. Curls with freeweights
  2. Curls with bars
  3. Dips
  4. Tricep Extensions

Day 2 (Legs):

  1. Squats
  2. Leg Press
  3. Leg Extensions (Bad for my knees)
  4. Leg Curls

Day 3 (Chest):

  1. Bench Press
  2. Incline Bench Press
  3. Chest Flies
  4. Push Ups

Day 4 (Back and Shoulders):

  1. Shoulder Press
  2. Back Exercises?
2

Google Westside for skinny bastards if you’re going to be training in season. It’s geared primarily to football but is also great for basketball and other sports.

Getting ripped will primarily be dictated by diet. Doing a Push-Pull split or a Total Body Workout will be best for fat loss. If you think you can work out 4 days a week then do 1 upper body day, 1 lower body day, 1 rest day, then start over. If you want a Mon, Wed, Friday workout use a total body workout.

Since you want to lose fat and you aren’t a bodybuilder you really don’t need a day for your arms.

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1474118
Testosterone Nation - The Training Strategy Handbook

This will show you how to build a workout.

Also you shouldn’t do leg lifts that aren’t with free weights. So if Leg extensions have hurt you in the past, don’t worry. You won’t be doing them anymore.

Stick to: Front Squats, Back Squats, Lunges, Bulgarian Split Squats, Romanian Deadlifts, Conventional Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, Snatch-Grip Deadlifts, and Olympic lifts.

Olympic lifts are going to be great for you as a basketball player, will make you faster, will make your back stronger, and will make you jump higher. Unfortunately, Westside for Skinny Bastards doesn’t use Olympic lifts. If you don’t have bumper plates and platforms at your gym, it wont be possible for you to put them in your program. But if you have such stuff available, do Olympic lifts (Clean&Jerk and the Snatch)

Try submitting a post with a workout program you designed from the article I gave you.

3

u should focus on power/explosiveness work outs, clean, jerk, deadlift.

4

Thanks for your advice, guys. I’ll look through that link and post a workout. Also, my school’s gym doesn’t allow Olympic lifts, but I’m sure I can find a reasonable alternative. Again, thanks.