Will Lifting Weights Effect My Shot In Basketball?

Many players fear that lifting weights will effect their shooting form and have a negative impact on there shooting overall. The truth is this all depends on what type of shooting form you have and how quickly you put on muscle.

So in truth putting on upper body mass slowly and progressively will not effect your shooting as long as you still practice your shooting on a consistent basis.

Two Motion Shooting

If you have this type of shooting form lifting weights will not hinder your shot and in fact it can even help your shot.

This is because shooting with this form takes a lot of upper body strength. So in fact having more strength and power will actually allow you to better perform this type of shooting method.

If you do not already know a two motion shot is when you jump first and use your upper body strength for power instead of your legs as your main source of power.

This is an old school type of shooting form. Examples of guys who shoot like this would be guys like Ray Allen and Micheal Jordan.

One Motion Shot

A one motion shot is a style of shooting where you have one fluid motion from the start to the end of your realse. Think of guys like Steph Curry or Trae Young.

Lifting weights could effect your shooting form if you have this type of shot. This is because the stronger you get the harder it will become to control your upward momentum on this shot.

How To Combat This

The best way to combat this problem is too make sure you put on muscle slowly and consistatantly practice your shot while doing so.

Gaining muscle too quickly can cause you to mess up your muscle memory which is important when it comes too shooting the basketball.

For a great video which explains this problem perfectly and how to combat this check out the video below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is it bad to lift weights during a basketball season?

Answer: You can lift weights during a basketball season and in fact you should. Lifting weights during a season does not have to be as intense as it is in the off season.

A good protocol would be to lift 1-2 times a week with a full body routine just to ensure you keep your muscle gains for when the season ends.

You also want to lift to ensure you do not lose to much muscle as the season goes by. With the increase in cardio and lack of lifting this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to your overall athletesim and strength.

So make sure you keep all those weight room gains as the season goes a long.

Question: Do pushups mess up your jump shot?

Answer: Pushups like any exercise can effect your shot imideiatley after doing the pushups. But like any exercise if you notice your pushups causing a quick gain in strength you might see your shot effected by this.

But with a steady routine, slow progression along with constant practice, doing pushups should not effect your shot negatively and can even help your overall game as a whole.

Question: Should I lift before a basketball game?

Answer: I usually recommend athletes to not workout before a game. This is because working out can sometimes cause your muscles to have some fatigue and tightness, which can mess up your whole muscle memory regarding your shooting form.

Now with anything there are exceptions. For example, if working out is something you consider your routine and this can help you get into the zone then go ahead. Also if it is at least a couple hours before the game and your very experienced in the weight room then working out before a game shouldn't effect you too much. But as a general rule of thumb I do not recommend this for most players.

Question: Is body building bad for basketball?

Answer: Body building can be a great routine for players who need general strength gains early in there playing career. And at first it should not have any negative effects on your shooting. But as time goes by and you become more advanced in the game of basketball your going to want to perform more sport specific exercises for the game of basketball like pylometrics and agility training.

Question: Should I lift before or after a basketball practice?

Answer: The simple answer to this depends on what your goals are. If Gaining strength is of great emphasis to you that day then you should lift before practice, if cardio is more important then lift after you workout.

This is because since most basketball practices have so much cardio in it if you lift after you workout your not going to get as good of a lift in in terms of effort and fatigue as you would if you worked out before practice.

The truth of the matter is you probably want to find a day to do your strength and lifting on days where you do not have any practice or games.

For a great video explaining this concept check out the video below.

Conclusion

We all know how stigmatized the gym can be for hoopers. But at the end of the day if you have a solid plan organized around your player type then lifting weights will not only not effect your shot but make you a better player as a whole.

Please comment below and ask me any questions you might have.

Thank you for reading and as always keep hooping my friends.