6. Split squat jumps
The folks at P3 rely on split squat jumps regularly with their basketball clientele. Why? They enhance explosive power off of one leg. That’s something players need to snag rebounds, hit jump shots, and execute 360-backflip dunks… or layups.
“Doing a heavy contraction exercise like the Bulgarian or front squat before a dynamic movement makes the latter move safer,” he explains. “Your muscles are thoroughly warmed up, so it’s much harder to injure yourself. The cool thing is that you also free up something called high-threshold muscle cell motor units that will help you jump higher.”
How to do it:
- Start in a a split stance, and drop into split squat position so your front upper leg is parallel to the floor and your rear knee is almost touching the ground.
- Jump upward and quickly switch the position of your legs so you land in the opposite stance.
- Perform a squat and repeat.
- Perform equal reps on each side.
7. Squat hops to wall squat
“The first thing you do when you’re tired in basketball is start to stand up and lose the position where you are strong and laterally quick,” Edwards says. Beachbody Performance Energize can help with that, but if you can’t sink down into a stance and D up, you might as well wear the other team’s jersey.
This squat hop to wall squat duo will supply your lower body with strength and stamina.
“Go for speed, not distance,” he says. “Move as fast as you can, tapping the feet as quickly as possible. And when you’re done, do a wall squat until failure.”
How to do it:
- Get into a defensive stance (legs bent 90 degrees, back straight, head up), arms out like you’re guarding someone.
- Perform 16 jumps rapidly (4 forward, 4 sideways, 4 to the other side, and 4 backward) and repeat it 4 times.
- Find a wall and get back into your defensive stance with your arms and fingers extended and your back against the wall.
- Stay in that position until failure.
Something to consider: If you sweat worse than a broken spigot and you’re doing wall squats at home, Superman a towel over your back to preserve the paint.
8. Fingertip push-ups
Whether you’re shooting, passing, or giving someone a Dikembe Mutombo finger wag after blocking a shot, your fingers play a crucial role. And they take a serious beating during basketball games.
Fingertip push-ups will toughen your digits and boost strength in your upper body and core, helping to improve your game.
“Work up to 25 reps, but aim for 15 or as many as you can do to start,” Edwards suggests. “Do some of them from your knees to build up strength if you need to.”
How to do it:
- Assume a push-up position (wide- or narrow-grip).
- Support your body weight with your fingertips instead of your palms.
- Keep your head, neck, hips, and torso straight, and your back and shoulders stable as you descend.
- Push up and repeat.
9. Line hops
Proprioception is an internal mechanism that allows us to do cool things like control our limbs without having to look at them while they work. That’s how we can drive without the need to stare at our hands and feet.
Trouble is, that can be a detriment with basketball. We remember how to run, jump, and shoot from balling when we were kids, but if we haven’t played in a while our bodies may not be conditioned to carry out those in-game movements without suffering an injury.
“Line hops help with neuromuscular patterns,” he explains. “Just jumping on the balls of the feet will help get your body used to [those movements] again, as well as help with speed and quickness.”
How to Do It
- Tape an “X” on the floor.
- Hop quickly over a line, changing direction after every 5 jumps.
- After 30 jumps, rest 30 seconds and complete another set.
10. Curl to overhead press
Owning a Bieber-esque physique will get you punished in the paint and leave you out of position when you’re hit with a hard screen. In other words, don’t neglect strengthening your upper body if you want to get better at basketball.
“With this movement, you’re building strength through a squat position, which you spend a lot of time in on the court,” Edwards says.
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and let them hang at your sides.
- Perform a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Return to the standing position and do a biceps curl.
- When the dumbbells reach your shoulders, flip your hands over and press them over your head by thrusting from your hips (called a push-press).
- Reverse the move, slowly, to the starting position, and repeat.