By Drew Griffiths (BSc, MSc)

Get hench, jump higher, and move quicker on the basketball court, with this weight training program for basketball.

Ideally, you’re strength and conditioning should be periodised, with a different pre-season training program, for example, compared to in-season. The program shown here is a general one and should be modified according to other activity levels and your own strengths and weaknesses.

Warm Up

Try and increase your body temperature to avoid injuries. Start with 5 to 10 minutes of steady state, low-impact cardio and then add some dynamic stretches and mobility exercises.

Before each set, perform 2 or 3 warm-up sets with a light weight before working up to your “working sets”.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics are an excellent form of exercise for sports like basketball. They do however carry a relatively high risk of injury. So make sure your body is warm and you are well rested the day before, before attempting this type of explosive exercise.

Olympic Lifts

Along with plyometrics, Olympic lifts such as clean and presses and snatches are excellent for developing power. They are highly technical however and also carry a high risk of injury. Instead, hex bar/trap bar jump and high pulls have been included as they are relatively simple to perform, yet highly effective.

Rotator Cuff Exercises

Rotator cuff exercises can help prevent shoulder injuries by strengthening the muscles that help keep the shoulder joint in place. This is important for injury prevention when playing basketball and when lifting weights.

Individual Basketball Workouts .pdf [2022] (Power, Strength, Speed)

Day 1

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Dumbbell Floor Press	10 (per arm)	2
Plyometric Press Ups	6	3
Medicine Ball Overhead Throws	6	3
Medicine Ball Slams	6	2
Chin Ups	10 (or max)	2
Multi-directional Lunges	12 (total)	2
Rotating Plyo Jumps	6	2
Band resisted backward walks	20 seconds	3

Day 3

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Front Squat	8	4
Depth Jumps	6	2
One arm Row	10 per arm	2
Cable wood chops	10 per side	2
Hanging Leg Raises	Max	2
Plank hold	1 minute
Tib Raises	10	2
Band Assisted Lunges	10 (total)	2

Day 5

Exercise	Reps	Sets
Hex Bar Jumps	6	3
High Pulls	6	3
Barbell Glute Bridges	6	2
Lateral Bounds	10	2
Cable crunches	12	2
Nordic Hamstring Curls	Max	2

Look to change the volume up during the off-season and reduce it slightly, perhaps training just 2 days a week during the season.

You can easily vary the exercises by using kettlebells for high pulls, adding some resistance band exercises and changing up the reps and weights. I like to keep the first exercise the same for extended periods, to monitor progression and have some kind of progressive resistance.

Stretching

I would also suggest, stretching every day.

If you are stuck for time, “The World’s Greatest” stretch is a good all-rounder

Program Exercises

Some of the exercises in the program, are shown in the videos below:

Dumbell Floor Press

If you prefer barbell and barbell or dumbbell bench press, then feel free to replace the floor press. The only thing I don’t like about full or normal bench press, is the stress is can place on your shoulders, especially if your form is a bit off. I personally like kettlebell floor press, because it’s easier to grap the handle, which is already elevated off the floor slightly – it can be tricky with a dumbbell.

Medicine Ball Slams

Rotational Jumps

Backwards Walks

Nordic Curls

Band Assisted Lunges

This is for improving deceleration – you’re ability to slow down quickly and change direction.
I can’t find a video, but you want to attach a band to a point in front of you so that the band pulls you in the direction of the lunge, and you have to control the descent before pushing back to the starting position.

Tib Raises

Another great exercise for deceleration and change of direction speed.

Vertical Overhead Medicine Ball Throw

If you can do this standing next to a wall, it’s easier to catch it. This is what I do (my weird functional workout on Instagram is shown here)

High Pulls

This exercise wants to be done at speed. Drive with the legs and then drive again with the hips and pull up with the arms/hands.

Basketball Workout Plan PDF

Download Weight Training Program as a pdf:

Click to access basketball-weight-training-program.pdf

Google Doc:

Other Basketball Workout FAQs

What is the best workout for basketball players?

If you were to choose 1 workout, or type of workout, a circuit training session including plyometrics would be optimal for basketball. A circuit involving burpees, depth jumps, lateral bounds, press ups, rope climbs or chin ups, planks, lunges, plyometric press ups and sprints would be efficient and highly effective.

How many days a week should a basketball player workout?

In addition to basketball training sessions, 2 or 3 gym sessions is optimal. Usually 3 sessions in the off-season and 2 gym sessions during the basketball season.