“Basketball players are lazy- they don’t want to work hard.”

 

“Lifting weights will ruin my shot.”

 

“I just stick with high reps with lower weights- I just want to get cut.”

 

“I eat everything and I can’t gain weight!”

 

“I want to increase my vertical so I just do a plyometric and agility program as my training”

 

“I can hardly even lift anything, I’d rather just go gets some shots up than lift.”

I could go on and on. All these statements I’ve heard from many hoopers and even some coaches! Seriously, what type of coach would discourage a player in a proper lifting and training program? Many of these statements look familiar- not just said by basketball players, but a variety of athletes.

 

I’ve worked with high school and college basketball players in the gym. I played the game for many years, and not just silly rec leagues or weekend pick-up games (nobody believes me when I tell them I played tons of hoops and I don’t understand why ;)). Just like in any sport, if two players possess the same skill level, the stronger and better trained athlete will win EVERY TIME!

 

We had some high school basketball athletes train with us this fall to prepare for their upcoming season. These guys were ready to get better and put in the work.. They trained 3x per week and never missed for 10-weeks straight. Needless to say they all put on 8-10lbs of body weight WHILE increasing their vertical and getting about a million times stronger (100% increases on their max chin-ups and push-ups!). Yes, a lot of these increases had to do with “newbie gains” as it’s sometimes called, but it doesn’t matter, they put in the work and the results came… and they came fast! Newbie gains or not, proper programming, progressions, and instruction leads to fast gains as well. (Newbie gains means that if someone is new to training, anything will work for a short period of time as they adapt to the training stimulus; provided the regiment wasn’t designed by an ignoramus.)

Actually playing basketball and practicing the fundamentals are the only ways to “functionally” train for basketball. This is done in a gymnasium…not a gym filled with training equipment. The gym filled with training equipment is used to increase your capacity for physical and athletic development. Combine the physical/athletic increases with plenty of skill practice and you have a better player. No gimmicks, gadgets, or fluffy programming (or silly jump shoes- do they still make Jump Soles??). Oh, and having rubber bands strapped to your arms while you shoot doesn’t make you stronger…it just makes your shot less accurate…

We train basketball players to get more mobile and flexible. Constant playing with little regards to a warm-up hasn’t helped their athleticism or health. Instead it has made them feel like crap and open themselves up to a greater risk of injury. (Any coaches reading this, implement a 5-8 minute warm-up before practice and thank me later…or contact me and I’ll gladly coach your athletes through it!) We also pay close attention to their soft tissue and movement patterns that cause dysfunction throughout the rest of the body.

We train them to get strong before we implement taxing/demanding explosive drills. Weak points are made stronger and muscle is added in the right places. How much more confident do you think a player will be if he gets to show off some chiseled shoulders and triceps in his jersey? As a bonus, every girl in the stands will notice once warm-ups begin…

 

So, let’s quickly dispel these myths….

 

“Basketball players are lazy- they don’t want to work hard.”

– This is also true for some football, lacrosse, baseball, soccer, hockey, and volleyball players. Work ethic is based on the individual. If the athlete wants to improve, they’ll work hard. If their program doesn’t emphasize athletic development or don’t have the resources- they’ll seek out those who do

 

“Lifting weights will ruin my shot.”

– Not shooting or shooting incorrectly will ruin your shot. Not touching a ball for months at a time will ruin your shot. Lifting and getting stronger will allow you to shoot more often without having fatigue slow you down. It will probably also increase your range that you can fire from while still being under control (if you practice enough of course).

 

“I just stick with high reps with lower weights- I just want to get cut.”

–Go for it. Our athletes will be stronger and more powerful than you and you can watch them from the bench…or the stands. You’ll also be able to tell that we actually train…better not come down low to bang with us! All kidding aside, once the foundation has been formed, heavy to moderate weights must be used for low to moderate reps to create a lasting adaptation.

 

“I eat everything and I can’t gain weight!”

–Not buying it. You’re skinny because you don’t eat enough, don’t eat at the proper time, and/or don’t eat the right types of foods. You also aren’t familiar with what eating a lot even is until you’ve been educated on the above.

 

“I want to increase my vertical so I just do a plyometric and agility program as my training.”

– Don’t you play basketball all the time? Does simply playing more basketball and jumping constantly make your vertical go up? Obviously not, otherwise every pick-up game player on the planet will have 40” verticals! You must add horsepower to your engine by getting stronger and increasing your potential for power. Until then, we’ll keep getting stronger and carefully planning our jumping program while putting inches on our athletes verticals (the same can be said for increasing one’s speed!). The last thing we have our basketball athletes do is jump more. When they do it’s for low volume and maximum effort.

 

“I can hardly even lift anything, I’d rather just go gets some shots up than lift .”

–This makes no sense and just tells me you’re afraid to look weak or afraid of the hard work that lies ahead of you. You have to start somewhere so it might as well be around guys who were once in your shoes. They’ll encourage your progress and won’t make you feel like you don’t belong. Anyone trying to get better belongs. Plus, neglecting your weaknesses will eventually catch up with you.

 

*It must be said that anyone who thinks that gaining 10-20lbs of useful body weight will totally destroy their game is misinformed. Putting on that weight the right way is hard to do. It also won’t make you look like the Hulk. I love when a 160lb athlete tells me he doesn’t want to get “too big”. Like training a couple hours a week will blow him up to bodybuilder status and he’ll be smashing backboards when he shoots. Not the case!

 

In the next few weeks we’ll have the opportunity to share our program with a number of youth AAU basketball teams from the Grand Rapids Storm. This organization has recognized the need for a proper program to help develop young athletes and get them on the right path of athletic success. They took action! It will be exciting to start them off in the right direction!

 

Every basketball coach wants players that are confident, physical, tough, disciplined, and healthy. Proper training in the right environment develops all of these traits. Disregard the myths and get to work! Make it happen!

 

Good luck to all the ballers this season and you know where to find us if you need help to improve!

 

 

-Mark