Do You Need To Lift Weights For Basketball?
Lifting weights should be a part of your training regimen as a basketball player. This is because lifting weights allows players to develop strength and power, which ultimately leads to you becoming a more explosive better athlete overall.
However since you are training specifically for basketball you need to get a good understanding of the type of workouts you should do and the benefits this will entail.
In this article, I will be going over some of the benefits of lifting weights and the exercises that will help develop these skills to get you a more sport-specific approach to lifting weights.
Benefits Of Lifting Weights For Basketball
1. Vertical Jump
While there is some truth in the saying that strength is not directly correlated to your vertical jump the truth of the matter is to get the most out of your genetic potential when it comes to your vertical Jump you're going to need a certain amount of strength in order to jump your highest.
While there is not a direct science on this certain studies and research indicates that strength relative to your bodyweight does have a great impact on your vertical jump.
For great exercises, you can do at home to improve your vertical and explosiveness check out the link here.
2. Body Composition
Like anything in sports being leaner will naturally improve your athletic ability as a whole.
Lifting weights is great for getting and staying lean because it promotes muscle growth throughout the body with the right program.
By building muscle your naturally shift your body composition into more muscle and less fat. Which will not only help you jump higher and run faster, but also make you more durable and healthier overall.
For a great video explaining the effects weight lifting can have on your body composition check out the video below.
3. Shooting The Midrange
While this might confuse some players a big reason lifting weights can help you shoot in the mid-range is because shooting a typical jump shot at the top of your release can take a lot of strength.
The midrange of pull up jumpers often requires you to shoot on the move and elevate in the air. This takes a lot of strength and weight lifting can greatly help you shoot this shot easier and more effectively.
For a great video explaining this concept check this video out below.
Also to learn more on how to shoot a typical jump shot or two motion shots check out the link here.
4. Rebounding
A huge part of rebounding is being able to get proper position and holding your opponent away from your body.
Lifting weights and getting stronger will inevitably make things like boxing out and moving your opponent around much easier, which will, in turn, lead to more rebounds for you and your team.
A great example of this would be a player like Charles Barkley. Even though he was not the tallest player on the court he was able to get a lot of rebounds due to his strength and ability to hold back and move his opponents.
5. Driving To The Basket
By getting stronger you will have an easier time pushing through defenders and getting closer to the basket. A bigger reason guys like Lebron James and Zion Williamson are so good at driving to the basket is their ability to outmuscle their defenders.
Being stronger also allows you to be able to finish through contact better and take the hits it requires to make certain layups and shots around the basket.
6. Defense
Being stronger will greatly improve your defense because it will allow you to make contact with players trying to drive through you.
Not to mention being strong will also allow you to defend bigger and taller players because it will allow you to move your opponents and force them away from the basket.
Pro Tip: A big reason guys like Isiah Thomas can defend bigger guards in the nba has a lot to do with their strength. By being strong they can then push their opponents out of the paint and away from the basket when they try to post them up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Lift Weights In Season?
Yes, you should lift weights during the season. A big reason for this is due to the increase in cardio between games in practice this will inevitably lead to loss of muscle mass as the season progresses.
To combat this and maintain your strength gains try and workout at least 1-2 times per week on all of your body parts.
Should I Lift Weights Before Playing Basketball?
The truth of the matter is you should always have your first workout be the thing you are trying to focus on that say. This is because whatever you do first will always have more intensity behind it since your body will not be as fatigued.
So if your goal is to put on strength for that day then you should lift before you play basketball.
Conclusion
As you can see lifting weights can have many benefits for a basketball player from your shooting to your ability to guard multiple positions on the floor. Just make sure you incorporate the right exercises and programs into your training routine to get the most out of your strength and athleticism in your game.
For links on upper and lower body exercises check out the articles below.
Upper Body Exercises
Leg Exercises
Thank you for reading and as always keep hooping my friends.