Foreword
This free vertical jump program is different from most programs that you will find scattered across the internet. First of all it is not meant to be a quick fix. It will offer you an insight into how professional basketball players prepare themselves for a gruelling 8-month season. What you have found is more than a collection of plyometric drills to deliver a magical 40-inch vertical jump. This is a complete program for dedicated individuals who are serious about their basketball, and want to improve their speed, athleticism, reaction times and of course vertical leap.

Topic Index
The never ending quest for perfection
Shifting your focus
Setting the right goals
Avoiding Injuries
Find yourself a training buddy
Fitting a vertical jump program into a busy schedule
Becoming an athlete takes more than plyometrics
So what is the recipe for success then?
-Strength Training
-Plyometrics
-Basketball Drills
Phases
-Basic Strength Training
-Hypertrophy
-Maximum Strength Training
-Conversion Training / Muscular Endurance Training
-Maintenance
-Active Recovery
Diet & Rest
-Drinks
-5 a day
-Food before training
-Rest
Tip to prevent knee injuries
Tip to avoid shin splints
Strength Training
-Squats
-Bench Press
-Deadlifts (Light Weight)
-Calf Raises
-Back extensions
-Seated dumbbell shoulder presses
-Biceps curls
-Lat Pull Downs
-Burpees
-Push-Ups
-Lunges
-Pull-Ups
-Tricep Dipps
Upper Body Plyometrics
-Plyometric Push-Ups
-Squat Throws
-Explosive Start Throws
-Over Back Toss
-Side Throws
Lower Body Plyometrics
-Squat Jumps
-Jump onto a box
-Lateral jump onto a box
-Split Squat Jumps
-Tuck Jumps
-Lateral Box Push Offs
-Bounding
-Box Drill
-Lateral Hurdle Jumps
-Zigzag Hops
-Single Leg Truck Jump
-Single Leg Lateral Hops
-180° Jumps
-Depth Jumps
Basketball Drills
-Backboard Jumps
-Backboard Tipping
-Line Drills
-Jump Shoot Drill
-Dribbling Line Drills
-Figure 8
-Under Pressure
-Free Throws
-The Mosh Pit
Core Exercises
-The Plank
-Side Plank
-The Gluteal Bridge
-Superman
-Straight leg raise
-Oblique Crunch
-Medicine Ball Aided Sit-Ups
-Catch and Pass
-Kneeling Twist Pass
-Catch and pass on one leg
Training Program
-Basic Strength Training
-Hypertrophy
-Maximum Strength Training
-Conversion Training
-Maintenance Training
Conclusion

The never ending quest for perfection
This is a step-by-step guide on how to optimally prepare yourself for the coming basketball season, including tips on maintaining your results. Tuning your body into the most effective basketball machine that it can be will take more than one summer. This does not mean you will have to wait years to see improvement. You will likely experience changes after the first few weeks of training. I merely want to communicate the type of mindset that you need in order to become a successful basketball player. If you are the kind of person who gives up after not experiencing progress over night then this program isn’t for you. However, if you are encouraged by small gains, and use these gains to motivate yourself and work harder, then you are in the right place. There are no shortcuts to success. Some individuals may respond to training faster than other, thanks to their genetic makeup, but in the end it all comes down to hard work and dedication.

Shifting your focus
Unfortunately most individuals who look up vertical dunk programs are merely seeking the ability to show off during layup line drills. There are so many areas within the game of basketball for players to make use of their athleticism that I suggest you forget about dunking in relation to this vertical jump program. Subjecting your body to the unnecessary strain resulting from fancy dunks will only hinder your progress. The best time to take of for a dunk is on a fast break, during the course of a game, with your body fully warmed up and your muscles prepared to deal with the strain. Plus injuries such as shin splints, and general muscular fatigue start to develop when you attempt one dunk attempt after the next. The game of basketball consists of more than merely jumping up at a basketball rim. Especially young players are often put under the wrong impression that a 40-inch vertical will solve all their basketball problems. Think about this for a moment, how often do you see Steve Nash or Chris Paul drive down the lane for a thunderous dunk? Now compare that number with how often they still manage to drive down the lane for layups. Being able to shoot, dribble, pass and read the game will always be of greater value than athleticism. Although you probably have the opposite in mind reading this program learn to play the game on the ground. It will pay off for you in the long run.

Setting the right goals
You are probably now asking yourself what kind of goals you should be setting. Start visualizing yourself breaking free to intercept a sloppy pass. Think about battling your way to a rebound with your increased leg strength, and exploding up through a herd of defenders for a put back. Think about how you can be the player coming over from the weak side to reject some poor guy’s layup attempt into the stands. How you can use your quick feet to hound guys on defence. Using your increased core strength to control your body for fadeaway jumpshots. Sport Psychologists have for years known about the power of imagery, and I suggest you start using this tool to your advantage.

Avoiding Injuries
Playing on the ground is also a good way to avoid stupid injuries. Most ankle injuries happen as a result of jumping at the most ill-advised of times. Don’t mess up all your hard work and disrupt your training regime through stupid injures. Always make sure you have a clear landing path.

Find yourself a training buddy
The biggest leaps in individual fitness and athleticism usually come about in extremely competitive training environments where each player is fighting for a spot in the starting 5, and no one wants to be seen among the group of players to finish a drill last. Teams with this kind of attitude are rare, as most coaches are too forgiving. To push yourself through such conditions alone is harder still. Fact is we can get more out of ourselves when we have someone to compete with. This type of training will force your body to move in new ways, and you will therefore experience discomfort. A healthy competitive environment will be a good way of taking the focus off that discomfort and allow you to pay more attention towards your performance.

When choosing a training buddy I recommend you find someone with a professional mindset. Ideally you should hold each other accountable for any slacking off. Don’t chose someone who will get sidetracked into a game of one-on-one after the first 10 minutes of training. By the time you are finished with your drills you should not have any energy left for games of one-on-one, which is a game I recommend you stay away from. Playing one-on-one gets you accustomed to having to much space through which to manuver. Try to seek out games of five-on-five instead. The more you play five-on-five, the more prepared you will be when the season tips off.

Fitting a vertical jump program into a busy schedule
This is the type of program professional athletes absolve throughout the summer, when their whole focus is set on improving their athleticism. The question I guess most readers will be asking themselves is how on earth should I fit all this training around work, school, girlfriend, wives, friends, going out, my team, etc? I cannot answer that question. To become good at something you have to make sacrifices. You will have to spend a lot of your spare time training in order to make progress. As for your basketball team, the best time to absolve the intensive training phases of this program is during the off-season. Throughout the season itself you should focus on maintenance training, making sure your body doesn’t regress after all the hard work you put in throughout the summer months.

Becoming an athlete takes more than plyometrics
Most vertical jump programs not only make unrealistic promises with their advertising campaigns, such as ‘Add 12-inches to your vertical jump within 10 weeks’, they are also overly simplistic in their design. Plyometrics should be an integral component of any program to help basketball players reach new athletic heights. However, other components are needed. Unfortunately most programs out there hail 30 minutes of plyometric training a day as the cure for all vertically challenged basketball players. If only it were that simple! To experience real results you need a combination of strength and plyometric training, split into specific phases.

So what is the recipe for success then?
A successful vertical jump system, or rather basketball training regime, includes a variety of components.

Strength Training
Explosiveness is a result of strength and speed. This is the reason why plyometrics alone won’t be sufficient to help you increase your vertical jumping ability. Plus as a basketball player you should be interested in more than merely increasing your vertical leap. Strength training will help you improve numerous aspects of your game, such as defending, boxing other players out for rebounds and holding your position in the post.

Plyometrics
If you are new to the world of vertical jump training you are probably asking yourself by now what on earth plyometrics are. Exercises that fall into the plyometric category are specifically designed to increase speed and explosiveness. This outcome is accomplished by subjecting muscles to rapid sequences of movements, causing fibres to become more elastic and resulting in an athlete being able to jump higher and run faster. More specifically plyometric exercises toughen the targeted tissues and train nerve cells to stimulate a specific pattern of muscle contraction, enabling stronger contractions in shorter amounts of time.

Basketball Drills
Due to the nature of the game a lot of basketball drills are plyometric in nature. Since basketball isn’t merely a track and field meeting I strongly believe in developing both skill and athletic ability at the same time. The closer you get to the basketball season, the more basketball drills you will find included in the program.

Phases
Basic Strength Training
The goal of basic strenght training is to prepar yourself for the more strenuous phases that follow, including Hypertrophy and Maximum Strength Training. If you are over eager or already consider yourself to be a supreme athlete you will likely scoff at the word Basic, and I’m guessing you’ve probably stopped reading and have already moved onto the Hypertrophy paragraph. If you haven’t, well done. Just because it says basic does not mean you won’t experience a great deal of progress throughout this phase. In fact your body will make even faster progress than if you had immediately confronted it with the Hypertrophy or Maximum Strength Training phases. It is also an important part of your recovery phase after a long strenuous season where your body has experienced uneven stresses, thus reducing the chance of you injuring tendons, ligaments and joints later on. The aim is to develop balanced strength on both sides of your body, especially including your jumping foot and shooting arm.

Hypertrophy
This phase is optional for basketball players, and depends a lot on how happy you are with your current frame. If you consider yourself to be on the skinny side, you might want to include the Hypertrophy phase into your workout plan. If however you already have a normal to large frame, you can skip this section. Increasing your muscle mass is known in the field as Hypertrohpy. This form of training however does not adapt your nervous system as during Maximum Strenght Training, it merely facilitates the recruitment of body mass. It is important therefore that the Hypertrophy phase, lasting six weeks, is followed by maxium strength training in order for athletic gains to take place.

Maximum Strength Training
A lot of sports require athletes to be strong while at the same time not gaining too much mass and training them into the incredible hulk. Basketball is one of these sports. Continues Hypertrophy is generally only used by bodybuilders. While Hypertrophy focuses on increasing your lean body mass, Maximum Strength Training aims to increase the highest level of force that your body can generate. For basketball this is a combination of explosive power (needed to increase your vertical jump, first step, post game, etc) and muscular endurance (being able to find enough lift in overtime to drain that jump shot over a defender’s outstretched arms). Unlike during Hypertrophy training, Maximum Strength Training helps activate a large number of fast twitch motor units and improves muscle synchronization. Plus this form of strength training can help you gain 3x the strength gains experienced with Hypertrophy.

Conversion Training / Muscular Endurance Training
By the time you reach this phase your body will have made huge strides athletically, and this will be the point in time to learn how to apply these gains to the game of basketball. Drills used at this point will be very basketball relevant, focusing on individual situations that you will be confronted with during the course of a game. These drills should also help you see the game in new ways and help you make the most out of your improvements, further developing your basketball instincts.

Maintenance
Ideally your conversion training should end just before the start of the season. Unfortunately without regular training your gains will quickly disappear. The good news is that maintenance does not take as much effort, and can be planed around your team’s training games and schedule.

Active Recovery
After a strenuous season it is wise to let your body and mind recover for 3 to 4 weeks by staying away from any structured training. More than 4 weeks however and you will experience a significant decrease in strength and power.

Diet & Rest
Learning to help your body recover after each training session is important. You should get to the stage where you can wake up the next day without feeling overly achy. You should feel ready to go. This is only achieved through proper rest, a good night’s sleep, and a healthy diet to provide your body with a supply of building blocks. Although diet & recovery is a huge subject by itself, here are a few tips.
Drinks
As an athlete you should be drinking at least 2 liters of water a day. The emphasice being on water, not soft drinks containing huge amounts of sugar. Throughout the day you should stick to water, and only drinks sports drinks before, during, and shortly after competitions. Drinking 3 – 5 dl after your warmup is recommended, and throughout the activity about 1-2 dl every 20 mins, 0,8L per hour. You can mix up your own sport drink by adding 80 gramms of carbahydrates per liter of water (ideally glucose combined with fruitsugar. Fruitsugar alone can reulst in stomach problems). After 1 to 2 hours of sport 1 to 2 gramms of cooking salt (NaCI) should be added into the drink mix. Improves taste, bowl absorption, amount of water the body can hold, and helps prevent water poisioning throughout long events.

5 a day
You should be eating 5 portions of fruit or vegtables a day, one portion consisting of 120 Gramms. Each should be of a different color, and ideally 3 of the 5 should be vegtables.

Food before training
3 – 4 hourse before training
Meals containing high levels of egg white.

Just before training
Avoid fast food and foods with a high fat content. Healthy alternatives are bread with honey, cornflakes with müssly or fatless energy bars.

Carbahydrates
5 – 6 carbahydrate rich meals should be taken in between training sessions.

Rest
It is important that you understand the term ‘Rest’. By rest I do not mean hanging around in front of the TV watching your favourite soap opera while eating fast food. Resting means eating healthy meals, and supplying your body with the building blocks that it requires to recover between sessions. The worst thing you can do is starve your body, or provide it with the wrong foods. You can be active during your rest periods as long as the muscles that you have previously trained aren’t aggravated during their recovery process. Along with proper food it is important that you get some good quality sleep, at least 8 hours worth. Don’t stay up till two in the morning surfing the internet or watching TV.

Tip to prevent knee injuries
This exercise takes a bit of practice, but once mastered will help prevent knee injuries along with helping you develop a great sense of balance. It specifically targets small little used and therefore underdeveloped muscle groups within your knees. This in turn affects your explosiveness. The exercise itself is easy enough. Just stand on a ball. You might want to do it in front of a wall at first, so you can balance yourself properly and gain a feel for it. Over time no wall should be necessary. When you can stay on the ball without any support and for as long as you want, you might want to give yourself some challenges. Like passing another ball around your body in a ring motion.

Tip to avoid shin splints
This is a stretch/exercise to help prevent shin splints. Some people are more susceptible to them than others. Shin splints are caused by a muscle imbalance in your calf. This exercise can help prevent them from occurring. Just spend a few minutes every couple of hours walking around on your heals. If you do them correctly you will feel the muscles behind your shins working and the pain caused by frequent jumping should start to ease off over time.

Drills
This section will describe each of the drills that this program consists of. For most of the strength training drills you will require equipment that is available at gyms, as lifting weights has become a large part of a successful basketball-training regime.

Strength Training
Squats
Required Equipment: Barbell
This exercise targets muscles that can result in a steady increase in the production of hormons related to strength and muscle development. However, perfect form is vital. Ideally you should have an expert present to correct any mistakes while you perform the following movements. If you do not have a spotter, try to use safety rails, which are available at most gyms. If you are new to this exercise you will want to purely focus on using correct form at first, use the bar without weights. The bar should be positioned behind your neck on the trapezius muscle. With your feet positioned shoulder width apart, and facing outward at an angle of 25 degrees, you will then slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Once this position is attained you will smoothly move back up to the starting position using your thighs and hips. Make sure your back remains straight throughout the exercise and your eyes look straight ahead. Don’t lock your knees at any time, and try to keep them behind your toes throughout. If you either find your knees looking over your toes, or feel yourself falling backwards, reduce the amount of weight on the bar until you can perform the movement smoothly.

Bench Press
Required Equipment: Bench
For this exercise you will need a bench, which is another piece of equipment that can be found at most gyms. During this exercise you will lift a bar of it’s rack, and lower it down to chest level, then push it back upwards, being careful not to lock elbows. To reduce the chance of injury keep both feet solidly planted on the floor at the end of the bench, while maintaining both your shoulder blaeds pinched together. Make sure you don’t arch your back by keeping both your buttocks and back in contact with the bench at all times. Avoid bouncing the bar of your chest to gain momentum for the upward movement. A narrow grip will work your chest, while a broad grip will aid the development of your triceps.

Deadlifts (Light Weight)
Required Equipment: Barbell
This is another exercise where pilling on heavy weights at the cost of proper form will result in a back injury. Needless to say having an expert watch you and give advice on your form is recommended. Position yourself with your feet shoulder width apart,with an olympic barbell over the tops of your feet at the midpoint. Keeping your back straight, bend down and grasp the bar using an underhand grip with your left and an overhand grip with your right hand. As with the squat make sure your knees do not shoot out over your toes. Bend further down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then contract your shoulder blades, look straight ahead and explode upwards. Your quadriceps, buttocks and hamstrings should be providing most of the power behind this movement. Then under control lower the weight back down to it’s original position, keeping your back straight and eyes aimed straight ahead. Do not bend your back at any point during the exercise, and don’t use heavy weights at the cost of perfect form!

Calf Raises
Required Equipment: Dumbbell
Stand on one foot at the edge of a slightly levatated platform. Only the ball of your foot should be making contact with it. Holding a dumbbell on the same side (right hand for right foot, left hand for left foot) start raising yourself up and back down on the platform only using your ankle joint. Use lighter weight if you can’t maintain balance, and keep your leg straight throughout.

Back extensions
Required Equipment: back extention machine
To reduce risk of injury I would recommend that you use a back extention machine available at most gyms. Position your thighs on the large pad and make sure your lower legs are fixed under the padded brace. Then procede to lower your body by bending your waist untill fully flexed. Then raise yourself back up untill your body is in a straight line. Do not bounce back up once you reach the bottom. To increase difficulty level you can hold a weight disk to your chest or behind your neck. Again this should not be at the expense of form.

Seated dumbbell shoulder presses
Required Equipment: Dumbbell
Sit on a bench and keep your back straight. If the bench is ajdustable set it into an upright sitting to position to support your back. Start with a weight each side of your body, positioned at ear hight with your triceps parallel to the floor. Inhale and slowly bring the dumbbels up, by straightening your arms and bringing the dumbbells together above your body. Then exhale and bring them back down again. Keep both your feet solidly planeted on the floor to add to your stability. Do not arch your back at any time! Look forward throughout and keep your chin up, and shoulders square.

Biceps curls
Required Equipment: Dumbbell
Position yourself with your feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell at each side, palms facing in, both arms straight. Raise both arms and rotate your forearm untill it is vertical and your palms face your shoulders. Then slowly lower both back down to their original position. Make sure your elbow only moves forward slightly, allowing your forarm and biceps to do most of the work. You can also alternate between arms, not using both simultaniously.

Lat Pull Downs
Required Equipment: Lat Pull Down Machine
The lat pull down is another piece of equipment found at most gyms. Make sure you have both legs solidly planted on the ground, and your thighs are fixed bellow the pads. Grasp the bar and slowly pull it down towards your chest, keeping your abdominal muscles tight and maintaing good posture.

Burpees
Required Equipment: None
The burpee is used to enhance both strength and explosiveness along with cardio-vascular fitness. Start of in the push up poisition, do one push up and then quickly move your feet forward so that you are squating. From there jump up high into the air and bring your knees up to your chest while raising your hands above your head. Land with both your feet hip width apart, softly on to the balls of your feet. Then Drop back down to a squat, and then release your feet back into a push up position.

Push-Ups
Required Equipment: None
Push-Ups consist of raising and lowering your body whilst facing the ground, with back and legs straight, while only your hands and feet are planted on the ground. To reduce the difficulty level you can use your knees as the rear point of contact with the ground instead of your feet.

Lunges
Required Equipment: None
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and step forward with your right foot, landing heel first. Both your knees should end up at a 90 degree angle, your right knee not looking over your toes. The back knee should nearly be touching the ground. Go back up into the starting position and repeat the motion this time driving forward with your left leg.

Pull-Ups
Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
For a pull-up or chin-up you will need a bar that is located at a height that makes it possible for you to raise your body without supporting yourself on the ground. The difference between a pull and chin-up is the selection of either an underhand or overhand grip. One rep is completed once you have pulled your body up so that your head is above the bar.

Tricep Dipps
Required Equipment: Sturdy Chair
Balance your arms on a sturdy chair, and move yourself forward till your buttocks is clear from the chair. Then use your elbows to lower your body a few inches. Don’t hunch, keep your back straight and your shoudlers away from your ears. Both elbows should be kept parallel to one another at a 90 degree angle. Then push yourself back up to the starting position.

Upper Body Plyometrics
Plyometric Push-Ups
Required Equipment: None
Push-Ups consist of raising and lowering your body whilst facing the ground, with back and legs straight, while only your hands and feet make contact with the ground. To reduce the difficulty level you can use your knees as the rear point of contact with the ground instead of your feet.

For Plyometric Push-Ups you will start in the lower position, before explosively pushing yourself off the ground. The goal is for your hands to leave the ground. Logically you will then want to catch your fall, so that you don’t end up falling flat on your face. After a while you should develop the strength and speed to clap your hands. If clapping your hands once becomes too easy for you and you feel like showing off try going for two claps.

There is a second version of this type of Push-Up using two platforms. Starting off with one on each side to balance your hands on, drop yourself towards the ground, catch your fall, and explosively push yourself back up onto the platforms. Use some common sense here by not using platforms that are too high.

Squat Throws
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
If not executed correctly squats can be harmful. Make sure you have a training buddy to check your form while you are performing this exercise. Start of with a light medicine ball accordingly. Positioning your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, while your knees are bent, held in a parallel to the floor position. Hold the medicine ball at chest level. Once you have reached this position explode upwards, jumping as high as you can, while at the same time shoulder pressing the ball up until your arms are fully extended. Throw the ball as high as possible, and try to aim so that it lands in front of you and not on your head, or any other unlucky individuals who happen to be present within your proximity. Then try to catch the ball off the bounce and repeat the whole process according to the number of repetitions. Note that you will want to spend as little time as possible in the squat position; it should be a quick motion. To help keep you motivated imagine yourself positioned underneath the backboard surrounded by defenders. Passing is out of the question and your only option is to explode upwards and draw the foul whilst making the basket.

Explosive Start Throws
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Start by positioning your feet parallel, slightly wider than hip-width apart, while your knees are slightly bent. Gather up the medicine ball and raise it to chest level. Then explode up and press the ball out as far and fast as possible, using your legs to sprint forward a few steps. Throw the ball as if you were executing a two-handed chest pass to an open team-mate. If you have a training buddy to pass the ball to even better. Use this exercise not only to develop your explosiveness, but also to develop strong pinpoint passing skills.

Over Back Toss
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
As with the Squat Throws you will want to position your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, while your knees are bent, held in a parallel to the floor position. Instead off jumping and throwing the ball upwards you will want to explode up extending your entire body while throwing the ball over the top of you so that it lands as far behind you as possible. Try to generate as much power as you can in your legs. Ideally you will want a training buddy for this exercise who can pass the ball back to you so you can complete the next rep.

Side Throws
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Stand sideways towards either a wall or training partner, with your feet hip-width apart, and the wall side foot placed about one foot in front of the other. Swing towards the wall or training partner and forcefully underhand toss the ball towards them. To maximse your muscle usage you will want to keep your stomach drawn in. Catch the ball as it comes back to you either via training partner or wall and repeat.

Lower Body Plyometrics
Squat Jumps
Required Equipment: None
Stand with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart, keeping your trunk slightly flexed forward and maintaining your back straight in a neutral position. Your arms should be raised slightly parallel to your thighs, with your elbows flexed at a 90-degree angle. Lower yourself so that your thighs are parallel to the ground and then, without holding the squat position, explode up vertically driving your arms up to help you jump as high as possible. Your ankles should be using their maximum range of motion during takeoff. After landing on both feet give yourself one to two seconds before executing the next rep.

Jump onto a box
Required Equipment: Box
For this exercise position yourself in front of a box (or another sturdy object that can take your weight, and won’t be damaged through repeatedly experiencing you land on it) with your feet hip-width apart. Enter a semi squat position and immediately launch yourself onto the box. This should be one fluid movement, with little time spent dipping down. Aim for a soft landing, and step back down from the box afterwards. Do not jump back down.

Lateral jump onto a box
Required Equipment: Box
This exercise is performed similar to the last one, only difference being that you position yourself sideways onto the box, feet remaining slightly wider than hip-width apart. Remember not to hold the squat position, and to step back down from the box after each landing.

Split Squat Jumps
Required Equipment: None
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step one foot approximately two feet back. Maintain your head and back in straight neutral position. Bend your leading foot until your thigh is parallel to the floor before exploding up vertically, switching feet in the air and landing with your leading foot in a trailing position and wise versa. Your ankles should be extended to their maximum range during takeoff.

Tuck Jumps
Required Equipment: None
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent and your arms at your side. Jump up vertically and draw your knees up to your chest. Try to land smoothly on both feet, reducing ground contact to a minimum before exploding back up for the next repetition.

Lateral Box Push Offs
Required Equipment: Box
Stand to the side of the box with one foot placed on top of the box and one planted on the ground. Push yourself up vertically as high as possible using only the box-foot, driving arms forward and up. Land on the other side of the box so that your box-foot becomes the ground foot and vice-versa.

Bounding
Required Equipment: None
This drill starts with you jogging to gain some forward momentum. After you have gained this momentum push yourself off the ground explosively with your left foot and bring the left leg forward. While you do this drive your right arm forward. Use your right foot for the next rep. During this exaggerated running motion place specific focus on your push-offs and air-time. Imagine yourself running back on defence to swat an opponent’s layup attempt out of bounds.

An extended version of this drill involves rings placed between 3 and 4 feet apart in a manageable track course. Jump off using your right foot first, then land with your left inside the nearest ring. Focus your energies by pushing off your left foot to propel yourself into the next ring, landing on your right foot. Arm and leg coordination is vital in order to complete this drills successfully.

Box Drill
Required Equipment: Rings
Position four rings in a square formation. Position yourself inside the first ring with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Using both feet hop forward into the first ring, both feet remaining hip-width apart. Next jump into the ring on your left-hand side. Limiting the amount of ground contact to a minimum jump backwards into the ring behind you, and then to your right into the first ring.

Lateral Hurdle Jumps
Required Equipment: Object to be used as hurdle
Position yourself sideways next to the object to be used as a hurdle. Next jump both vertically and laterally off the ground bringing your knees up to clear the object. Land smoothly on both feet and boost yourself back over to the other side as quickly as possible, minimising ground contact. Restrain yourself from sinking down into a squat position.

Zigzag Hops
Required Equipment: Agility ladder, or similar object
Position yourself approximately one to two feet to the left of the agility ladder, with feet hip-width apart. Push yourself explosively off both feet and jump to the other side. Continue leaping from side to side along the ladder, keeping your time on the ground to a minimum and avoiding double hopping.

Single Leg Truck Jump
Required Equipment: None
This exercise is a one legged version of the Tuck Jumps. The difference being that it requires more strength and balance. After landing another jump is performed immediately with the same leg. After a rest period the same exercise is performed with the other leg. This drill is very useful for basketball since jumping of one leg is often a requirement during the course of a game.

Single Leg Lateral Hops
Required Equipment: Object to clear, ideally a rope
This exercise is a one legged version of the lateral hurdle jump. Difference being that you will only want a small object to clear, since you will have less power with which to push yourself off the ground and reduced balance. Start off by standing on one leg with your hands either at your sides or on your waist. Stand to the side of your object and then with one leg off the ground continuously hope from side to side over the object. Then rest, and perform exercise using your other leg.

180° Jumps
Required Equipment: None
Position yourself so you have enough room to complete 30 jumps where you change direction each time. While you complete these jumps keep your feet shoulder-width apart. As you can guess along with quickness and all the other usual benefits this plyometric exercise will help also improve your coordination.

Depth Jumps
Required Equipment: Box
Position yourself at the edge of a box, with your feet shoulder width apart. Step forward off the box without jumping, and land softly on both feet. As soon as your hit the ground jump as high as you can vertically, reaching up with both hands. There should be no horizontal movement when you jump up, make sure you land in the same spot. Ideally you should start with a 30cm high box, only progressing to a higher level once you gain both strength and experience with this exercise. This exercise simulates the conditions that our legs endure whilst running at your fastest speed.

Basketball Drills
Backboard Jumps
Required Equipment: Basketball
During this drill you will hold a ball with both hands, jump up, and touch the backboard with the ball. In this version the ball never leaves your hands. Try to complete twenty reps with a one-minute brake before the next set. If you cannot reach the backboard, or do not have one available, try using a marked wall instead. Also, instead of increasing the number of reps, try to increase the height of the point that the ball is making contact with.

Backboard Tipping
Required Equipment: Basketball
By jumping and tipping the ball against the backboard you will not only be working on your explosiveness. You might be confronted with a situation during a game where you can’t get to a rebound but can keep the ball alive by tipping it against the backboard. With a bit of practice you should be able to control that tip to the extent where you can tip it so it comes down in a location where you can grab the rebound, or if on offence, can tip the ball into the basket.

Line Drills
Required Equipment: None
Coaches make their players do line drills over and over for a reason. If you do them regularly you will find a huge increase in the speed of your first step and sprinting ability. This will naturally also help your vertical leap. Sprint from baseline to the first free throw line, then back to the baseline, then halfway line and back, then second free throw line and back, then full court and back. If you are doing this alone, get someone to time you and work towards setting up a personal best. If there is a group of you make it more interesting by saying the losers have to do 20 push-ups.

Jump Shoot Drill
Required Equipment: None
For the drill itself you will need at least two people, one shooter and one or more rebounders. As displayed in the image bellow the shooter will run back and forth between two spots that are located next to each other. Ideally the shooter should take 10 shots from each spot. That way even when launching the 20th shot the shooter will be approaching the final spot with some pace much like during a game. To keep this exercise focused on power and explosiveness focus on sharp runs to each spot, and an explosive lift from the ground before unleashing your shot.


Dribbling Line Drills
Required Equipment: None
This drill is basically a line drill with a ball. Starting at the baseline, sprint-dribble to the first free throw line and execute 30 low and quick crossover dribbles, before dribbling back to the baseline. Then head to the halfway line and dribble 30 times low between your legs, and again head back to the baseline. When you reach the second free throw line execute 30 low behind the back dribbles, sprint back to baseline, then dribble all the way up court again for a lay-up, grab the rebound, and head back to baseline.

Figure 8
Required Equipment: Basketball
The figure 8 is one of the oldest drills out there in regard to developing close ball control. Just dribble the ball in a low 8 around and between your legs. Just tapping the ball, never letting it bounce much higher than 4 inches above the ground, and only 2-3 inches if possible. Also mix things up by bouncing the ball in front of you with two taps, and then behind your back with two low taps.

Under Pressure Required Equipment: Basketball The goal of this drill is to dribble up court against a defender, dribbling from the right side of the court, half way to the middle of the court, then back to the right hand side. Once you reach the opposing three point line you can try to pull of a quick move and shoot against the defender. Then the roles switch, the defender becomes the dribbler, and the dribbler becomes the defender as you head back the other way.

Free Throws
Required Equipment: Basketball
Your team should have no excuses for giving up offensive rebounds from missed free throws if you use this drill regularly. Everyone should get to know each spot and be interchangeable more or less. Split your team up into two teams, and go into the rebounding situation as during games. Have the guards now and then stand in the positions marked out for centres, just so they can get a feel for it and be called upon if necessary. The offensive team gets to stay on offence if a player from their team snags the rebound, or if the free throw actually hits the bottom of the net.

The Mosh Pit Required Equipment: Basketball Put up to 6 players (any more and it could get dangerous), underneath the basket, and have one shooter at about the free throw line. Don’t have the shooter at the 3 point line because of the ‘long shot, long rebound’ philosophy. Once you got everyone in position the shooter shoots and the rebounders fight for the rebound. First person to score with a post-move earns the right to become the shooter. Core Exercises
The Plank
Required Equipment: none
The plank is one of the simplest core muscle exercises. Hold your body in a straight line while supporting its weight on your elbows and toes. As you do so, your abdominal muscles should be braced while your lower back muscles are set in a neutral position. How long you can hold this position for will depend on the level of your current core strength. With training your times will go up. Try to perform two to three sets.

Side Plank
Required Equipment: none
As with the plank you will be required to keep a straight bodyline from feet through the hips and up to your head. The difference is that you will have one hip stacked vertically above the other, keeping one elbow positioned directly under your shoulder to hold the weight. Your lower (supporting) arm should be pointing forward. Again you will want to train to improve your times and perform two to three sets per workout.

The Gluteal Bridge
Required Equipment: none
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Once positioned squeeze your gluteals and push your hips upwards until you form a straight line from knees through the hips and upper body. Try not to push yourself up too high as you will be pushing your back into hyperextension. Hold the position for up to one minute, and perform two to three sets.

Superman
Required Equipment: none
Position yourself as you would for the plank. Now move one of your legs back, lifting your toes off the ground. At the same time lift your opposing arm (if you lift your left leg, lift your right arm) off the ground, and have it hover in front of you in a superman like pose. Hold this position for up to 20 seconds and then switch arm and leg. Perform between five and ten sets.

Straight leg raise
Required Equipment: none
Again you will position yourself on your back with your knees slightly bent. Make sure your lumbar spine is in a neutral position, and that your abdominal muscles are braced. The next step is to slowly move one of your legs straight up in the air. Your back is not allowed to move. You will want to lift it up at between a 45 and 70-degree angle. Only go as far as you can before your spine starts to move. You can test this by placing your fingers under your back to feel when it happens. When your first leg is in place start lifting your other leg up to join it, all while keeping your back in place. Once both are positioned at the same level you will want to move the second leg slowly back down to the floor. Once it’s on the floor you will want to slowly lift it back up again. Try to perform two to three sets each consisting of five to ten repetitions, alternating legs. Keep your abdominal muscles braced.

Oblique Crunch
Required Equipment: none
Lie down on your back with your left knee slightly bent. Rest your right ankle on your left knee while your right arm is placed on the floor out to the side. While keeping your right shoulder on the floor curl your body up towards your right knee. Perform a crunch at the top and then slowly manoeuvre yourself back down towards the floor. It is important that you look straight ahead during this exercise resisting the temptation to either have your head make contact with the floor or to nod. You will want to perform between two and three sets consisting of fifteen to thirty repetitions each. Naturally you will also want to switch sides after each set.

Medicine Ball Aided Sit-Ups
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Ideally you will want a partner for this exercise, or a medicine ball capable of bouncing from a wall. Start off in the sit-up position, hands out ready to catch the ball. After you’ve caught it slowly lower yourself back down. Try not to collapse back down. If you can’t control your abdominal muscles you might need to use a lighter ball. Hold the ball above your head as you lower yourself back down. Once your shoulders touch the floor you can explode forward and pass the ball at the same time. This should be an explosive movement. Try to complete two to three sets each consisting of ten to twenty repetitions.

Catch and Pass
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Sit yourself down with your knees bent and your back at a 45° angle. Your posture is vital for this exercise. Hold a lengthened spine, maintaining the lumbar spine in neutral, with your shoulders back and neck relaxed. Holding this posture alone can take a fair amount of practice. Do not attempt the catch and pass part before you have mastered it. Once you have try receiving a pass and holding your position as you catch it. Do not slouch. Then try passing it back to your partner. Try using a lighter ball to start with.

Kneeling Twist Pass
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Kneel down with a ball in your hands. Focus on good posture, as with all the exercises, and twist you shoulders and head as far to the left as possible. Then turn yourself round to the other side while controlling your movement and keeping yourself as steady as possible. Once you have turned round as far as possible hand the ball to a partner, and then turn back to your original position to receive the ball again. A large shoulder rotation is the goal of this exercise. You should feel a stretch in your sides as you execute this exercise at the end of each twist. A certain amount of hip movement is acceptable. You should experience a great increase of flexibility and stability in the pelvic region. Try to perform ten reps.

Catch and pass on one leg
Required Equipment: Medicine Ball
Again aiming for good posture stand on one leg with your hips square. Prepare yourself to catch the ball and maintain your balance and posture. Passes should be varied to keep this exercise challenging. Only move your arms and shoulders to catch the ball. Pelvis and lower limbs should remain stable. Ideally a small ball weighing two to three kilograms should be used for this exercise.

Training Program
By now you should have a good understanding of all the individual components that make up a successful basketball training regime. Now it’s time to draw all individual components together and turn them into an effective program. We will start of by looking at a table demonstrating how the basketball year should be split into different phases. Of course the length of you basketball season may differ, and accordingly you will need to make adjustments.



Basic Strength Training
As mentioned previously the basic strenght training phase is there to help prepare your body for the more strenuous resistance training of the following phases. It also helps rebalance your body after a long season. This is accomplished by a combination of exercises targeting all the relevant muscle groups, tendons, ligaments and joints. As a result you will build up a greater resistance towards injuries. Depending on your athletic background and experiences you will want to put aside three to five weeks for this phase of training. An inexperianced athlete might need to spend up to eight weeks on basic strength trianing. Try to be realistic here when judging your own capabilities. And for the above listed reasons do not skip this phase, as it may slow down your progress once you move on to Hypertrophy or Maximum Strength Training. If you feel the jump from basic strenght training to Hypertrophy or Maximum Strenght Training is to big then spend more time on Basic Strength Training. Do not however think that if you can already handle the other two phases you have a free pass to skip Basic Strength Training.

A variety of equipment can be used during this phase including resistance bands, medicine balls, dumbbells, barbells or just simply your own bodyweight. You can decide between organising your exercises into sets, or complete them in a circuit format. If you do chose the circuit format however I recommend you leave the last four exercises, which are all core exercises, out till you have completed all the sets for the other exercies. Reason being that you will need your core to keep yourself stable during a lot of movments that require perfect form, such as squats and deadlifts. Again, exectuing these exercises with a fatigued core could lead to injury. The core is an important component, as all the signals for arm and leg movements originate from your brain and travel along your spine. Having your spine stabilised through your core will therefore speed up your reactions.

If you are new to strength training I would recommend you start with exercises that only make use of your own bodyweight, before moving onto using dumbbells and barbells. Once you start using weights start of with low resistance and slowly move on towards moderate resistance at the end of the program.

As you can tell plyometrics do not enter the equation at this point in time. Add 3 x 20-30 minute runs into your regime per week. Ideally as a warm-up for your strength training, giving your body a maximal rest time between sessions. Remember to do stretching!





Hypertrophy
As explained previously Hypertrophy should only be of interest to you if you strongly believe you need to put on some bulk. Be aware that your explosiveness will not make any during this phase. Not until you move onto maximal strength training and turn your added bulk into something strong and explosive. Hypertrophy is merely focused on increasing mass, and it could take 4-6 weeks before you experience any noticable gains. Ask yourself whether you would rather be strong, or look strong.

To promote a substantial increase of fibre size you will be required to lift moderate to heavy loads with moderate to high volume. The 1-RM loads should be in the 67% - 85% range, allowing failure to occur between 6 and 12 repetitions. More specifically each set should be performed until failure, resulting in the stimulation of a chemical reaction allowing muscle growth to occur. Execute each rep with a slow to medium speed. As you will read in the next section using loads heavier than 85% 1-RM while performing less than 6 repetitions to failure will result in maximum strength rather than increased muscle mass.

Again I would recommend a 20-30 minute warm-up run, as the endorphins released allow you to push yourself harder. Running will of course also help your conditioning. And as with Basic Strength Training leave the core exercises till last, as you do not want to be lifting weights with an unstable core.





Maximum Strength Training
While Hypertrophy training focuses on acquiring lean muscle mass Maximum Strength Training is all about increasing the highest level of force that you can generate. Explosive power is the keyword here, this is where your vertical jump shoots up, and your speed and explosiveness are turned into something to be reckoned with. Since explosive power is a combination of strength and speed this phase consists of two parts. Weight training sets specifically designed to increase your strength, and plyometric drills to increase your speed.

Maximum Strength Training can increase your strength by three times the amount of Hypertrophy. You will need to use heavy loads for your weight training, greater than 85% 1-RM, which permits only a small number of repetitions (between 1 and 5). Long rest intervals will probably be necessary, as each lift should require maximal effort, aiming for an explosive (but controlled) movement. This results in the recruitment of fast twitch muscle units. A circuit style design can be used for the weigh training component of this phase.





Plyometrics exercises focus on exerting your maximul force over the shortest possible time. This will load the targeted muscle with an eccentric (lengthening) action, follwed immediately by a concentric (shortening action). It is this stretching and concentric contracting that over time will allow your muscles to contract more forcefully and rapidly. Phisiology aside all that you need to be interested in is how to perform plyometric exercises effectively. Throughout each exercise make sure your form is true, and keep ground contact time to a minimum. Exert the same amount of effort for upper and lower body plyometrics, as your arms contribute a large amount to your takeoff velocity.



Basketball requires you to be more than just a good athlete. Indeed a lot of athletic players get beaten daily by players who are less athletic than them, just because the other player knows how to play the game better. At this stage I recommend you perform the following drills directly after your plyometric training, as they are of a similar ilk. Either perform them directly after the above plyometric drills, or don’t perform them at all, as your body will need its resting periods in order to make the required progress after each plyometric session. During the jump shot drill take 50 shots from each spot as displayed on the image bellow the description of this drill, and make sure you release your shot at the highest point of your jump. Don’t turn this drill into a series of set shots. As for the line drills try to run one before each of the other drills.



Conversion Training
During conversion training the strength and plyometric programs are stepped up a notch, while team drills are introduced to the basketball program. This is the time of the year where you should start learning how to use your newfound athleticism. Try to stay grounded throughout the free throw and mosh pit drills. Over eagerness often only ends in a twisted ankle. Instead focus all your efforts on boxing out and good positioning.









Maintenance Training
The maintenance training phase outlined here merely makes recommendations as to weight training. Your basketball team training sessions should be enough to keep plyometric results maintained as long as they are intense and competitive. The goal here is to keep your strength at its current level without losing anything. Two weight sessions per week lifting 60-70% 1-RM weight loads 12-15 reps should do the job. You might be tempted to further increase your strength, but some players do complain that this kind of training affects their jump shot. Making shooting adjustments throughout the season is far more difficult than during the summer. To help keep your jumps hot sharp though I would recommend shooting at least 1000 jump shots per week.



Conclusion
I hope that this article will help you on your way to becoming a successful basketball player. If you work towards a well rounded game consisting of both athletiscism and solid fundamentals you should be well on your way towards causing defenders nightmares. One last tip: use ur athleticism as a secret weapon!

Good luck

James Francis