Basketball Conditioning Guide

I feel it is not only important, but imperative, that some type of basketball conditioning program be run as the first step in getting your basketball players ready to play basketball when they get into the gym. In basketball you are only as good as your legs and lungs.

I encourage our boys to go out for the cross-country team, but if they feel this might interfere too much with their studies, I have a basketball conditioning program we begin three weeks before practice. In this program I emphasize the slow approach to the boy's physical condition. This program includes a lot of running and various drills that demand emphasis on the legs as basketball does.

When this program is first started, it is important to run the team only on alternate days so that the boys may rest the sore muscles they are certain to have the first week. The second week the basketball conditioning program is used every day.

The basketball conditioning program is run out-of-doors, on the grass, as I have found the boys have fewer sore legs when they have a soft surface to run on.

This program will minimize shin splints, blisters, potential ankle injuries, and get the boys in good physical condition. They will be ready for the first day of practice. I have had a lot of fortunate results from this basketball conditioning program, and hope the information will be of some value to you.

THREE WEEKS PROGRAM

BASKETBALL CONDITIONING LESSON 1—1st Week-Work the Boys on Monday—Wednesday—Friday

I. Four Laps—(Individually)

1. Emphasize

1. Proper Breathing—timing
2. Run on the Balls of the feet
3. Easy relaxed arm carriage

1. Inhale while raising arms and standing on toes.
2. Exhale while lowering arms and coming down off toes.

III. Sprints—Four in a Group—One lap

1. Emphasize

1. Quick Start
2. Low Charge
3. Ten full strides before relaxing.

IV. Ankle Exercise

1. Turn ankle out as far as possible on count of one.
2. Turn ankle in as far as possible on count of two.

V. Change of Pace—One Lap

1. Emphasize

1. Straight line running
2. Slow—Fast—Stops—All   types   of   pace change

 
VI. Change of Direction—One Lap

1. Emphasize

1. Slow approach to left side of track
2. Make good head, shoulder and eye fake
3. Place weight on left foot, lift the right foot and drive off      the left foot.
4. Repeat on the right side.

BASKETBALL CONDITIONING LESSON TWO-Monday-Second Week

1. Laps—Review
2. Quarter Drill—Review Sprints—One Lap
3. Deep Breathing Exercise
4. Change of Pace—Review
5. Ankle Exercise
6. Change of Direction—Review

1. Laps
2. Deep Breathing Exercise
3. Sprints
4. Ankle Exercise
5. Change Pace
6. Change of Direction
7. Leapfrog—One lap around inside of track

1. Laps in a group
   

   1. Small men in front
   2. No Stopping

2. Deep Breathing Exercise
3. Sprints
4. Ankle Exercise
5. Change Pace
6. Change of Direction
7. Leapfrog

1. Laps in a group
2. Deep Breathing Exercise
3. Change of Pace
4. Ankle Exercise
5. Change of Direction
6. Short Sprints
7. Volleyball

1. Laps in a group
2. Race 50 yards (Centers separate)
3. Change Pace
4. Change Direction
5. Volleyball

1. Laps in a group
2. Races
3. Change Pace
4. Change of Direction
5. Volleyball

BASKETBALL CONDITIONING LESSON EIGHT-Tuesday

1. Laps in a group
   
   1. Small men in front
   2. No stopping
      
      
2. Sprints
3. Change Pace
4. Change Direction
5. Leapfrog

1. Laps in a group
2. Change of Pace
3. Change of Direction
4. Short Sprints
5. Volleyball

1. Laps in a group
2. Races—50 yards (Centers separate)
3. Change Pace
4. Change Direction
5. Volleyball

1. Laps in a group
2. Races
3. Change Pace
4. Change Direction
5. Volleyball

The state university of Iowa probably was the first major university to actively use weight lifting in basketball conditioning. The success they had is shown in their Big Ten conference championship in basketball the following year.

We have started using weights in our basketball conditioning program, but we have not used them long enough to accurately forecast their success.

The program that we use is very similar to that used in most basketball conditioning programs. We begin with 15 minutes of rope-skipping to warm up—then we do the following exercises. This program is limited to three days a week. The weight that we use is light enough so that we can do ten repetitions in each set. We do three sets, with rest between each set. We usually use 45 lbs. of weight when we begin. When the boys can do three sets without undue strain we increase the weight and continue the program.

There are several good weight training books on the market.

The weight training program used by my teams is very similar to that used in most basketball conditioning programs.

I have the boys work with the weights three days a week, beginning with the first week of school, and ending with the week preceding the first game. Some coaches use the weights during the entire season, but I am against this. I do have our tall awkward boys wear weighted "spats" during practice for the entire year.

The following is our normal basketball conditioning program.

1. Rope jumping. 15 minutes. This serves as a good warm up, and also helps with the development of coordination.
2. Clean and press, ten repetitions, two sets. 50 lb. weight.
3. Curl, ten repetitions, two sets. 40 lb. weight.
4. Lateral raise, dumbbells, 8-12 repetitions. 25   lb. weight.
5. Forward raise, dumbbells, 8-12 repetitions. 25   lb. weight.
6. Squat, ten repetitions, two sets. 90-100 lbs.
7. Pullover, ten repetitions with 25 lb. weight after each set of squats.
8. Quick partial bends with barbell on shoulders, 100 lb. weight dipping to approximately one-quarter squat. This is the jump ball position, or rebounding position.
9. Jumping to touch as high as possible on a basketball backboard marked off in inches from the floor; ten jumps with each hand. The highest jump progress with each hand should be noted during this part of basketball conditioning program.

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