Women's Basketball Weight Training Tips

A women's basketball weight training program should build the fitness components necessary to boost competitive performance. Explosive exercises can also promote skill development, if correctly selected and executed.

To be a great basketball player you to have enough stamina to run up and down court for the entire game. Plus, you need speed, agility and explosive strength for shooting, rebounding, passing, faking, dribbling, and blocking out opponents. And to win, you must be able to execute all those skills even when you're tired!

Your weight training program should contribute your whole basketball conditioning regimen. As a player, all of your workouts should be designed to improve your own position play and help you achieve your own personal goals.

Your Basketball Weight Training Program

For most athletes, the best combination of exercises for basketball includes both strength building and explosive exercises using mainly free weights throughout every phase of training.

Power Clean Animation

Power Clean

These exercises are great for jumping and sprinting. The power clean and split jerk, are very effective for increasing the vertical jump, accelerating down the court, and moving rapidly to deceive opponents. If coaches are not familiar with these lifting techniques, a good alternative is the explosive squat--the back squat performed explosively with light weights (slow down, fast up).

Full Back Squat Graphic

Back squats are essential for lower body strength. Be sure to perform them correctly--flat back and heels on the floor throughout the lift. Be sure to do a parallel squat--upper leg parallel to the floor. If not, your lower body strength and power suffer.

Priority arm exercises for women are key to building upper body strength while balancing muscles. (The overhead press and lunges can be substituted for the split jerk, although this eliminates the explosive, coordinated component). Adding pullovers for the shoulders and triceps simulates overhead passing.

Pullover Graphic

Core strength exercises make your trunk strong and solid for better body control, balance, and coordination. They can also help prevent various trunk and lower body injuries.

You can also add or substitute similar multi-joint exercises (such as those performed with dumbbells, medicine balls, and elastic tubing), isolation exercises (such as tricep extensions) and include other training methods that you trust.

For detailed instruction for designing and performing explosive and non-explosive exercises, check out Strategic Weight Training for High Performance Athletes.

Track your progress on your fitness and skill tests so you can tell what is working as your strength and playing skill levels improve over time.

Play the game as you progress through your weight training program, and coordinate your weekly weight routines with other training activities.

For a free sample of a basketball weight training program:

Basketball Weight Training Program

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