If you are interested in basketball strength training then it probably means that you are trying to either bring your game to the next level or get yourself back into shape from the off-season. Whatever the reason, you must understand that strength training for basketball has different end goals than strength training for other sports. You don't develop your basketball strength so you can lift heavier weights or get bigger muscles, you develop your basketball strength so you can improve (and maintain) your acceleration and speed on the court, your range of shots and your passing ability and, of course, your vertical leap distance.
There are three main components you should focus on when starting a basketball strength training program. First, is "muscle strength." In simplest terms, this is the amount of force a group of muscles can exert in a single contraction. This is really important for many other sports but is the least significant to the basketball player. A weight lifter can spend 20-30 seconds lifting weights just one inch. Basketball requires much faster activity than that. Just know that focusing on muscle strength is important only because it is the cornerstone to the other two components of strength.
The second component of strength is, in my opinion, the most important thing to focus on in your basketball strength training regimen and that is "muscle power." Muscle power is how much strength can you exert over a period of time. By increasing the speed in your arms, you increase your explosive power and are able to shoot and pass further. Also, by increasing the speed of your legs, you are able to jump higher. This is, without a doubt, the most critical aspect to focus on in your training. Plyometrics is a good program to use to improve your power.
The final piece of your training program is "muscle endurance." This is the ability to perform high power movements repeatedly over time without significant fatigue. This will give you the juice to "go the distance." A good cardio workout will get your heart pumping and blood flowing through your muscles to keep them saturated with the oxygen they need to do their jobs for the length of the game.
I've put together a squidoo lens on what I think is one of the best, easiest to follow basketball strength training programs available today. Take a look at the lens by clicking here.
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