Individual Workout Tips!

Basketball training is like weight training in that you must be strategic about what drills/exercises you do to achieve maximum results. A body builder doesn't goto the gym and lift random weights. They have a plan for which muscle groups to train, how many reps and sets per exercise, a warmup and cool down, etc.  If basketball players want to be serious about improving their game, they need to step on the court with a similar approach.

Tip 1: Preparation

The most important thing when structuring your workout is to have a game plan for the skill you want to improve.  This should be determined before you step on the court.   For example, do you want to be more consistent at pull-up jumpers, or work on increasing your 3pt range, or you want to get better at attacking the basket?

Tip 2: Drills, Drills, Drills

Now that you've determined what skills you want to improve, it's time to figure out which drills to incorporate.  If you don't know which drills to do you can always search for drills in an app like HOOPr, social media, or YouTube.  I'm a huge fan of breaking down drills and building back up. For example, if you want to increase your range, start with form shooting drills then gradually move back until you can shoot from the 3pt line.

Tip 3: Workout Time!

You have a game plan, it's time to clock in to work!  Start off with doing some exercises to get loose and get a good stretch. The first few drills should focus on fundamentals.  Focus on repetitions to build muscle memory.  As you progress through drills the intensity should pick up. By the time you get the last few drills you should be able move at game speed.  One thing I like to do after I've finished my last drill is to go back to the first drill I started with and do it again.  If I've had a good workout, the first drill will be easier and feel more natural.  

Tip 4: Post Workout

It’s a good idea to create a chart and track the drills you did, the time you spent on each drill, and the number of reps you took. This helps you monitor your progress.  It’s also a good time reflect on the drills that you excelled or struggled at.  For the next workout you might want to focus on the drills that were more challenging and spend less time on the drills that were easy.  

Remember, you have control over what type of player you want to be.  Having a solid workout plan is a great start but you have to put in the work!  

“Remind yourself, nobody’s built like you, you design yourself” - JAY Z

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