7 common mistakes with off-season training:
1. Players get caught up in the latest fads. While there are a ton of valuable tools you can use to get stronger and more powerful, you don’t need any goofy shoes or gizmos and gadgets to get better. You need to intensely and progressively work the muscles of your entire body through every plane of movement and angle of motion. This can be done with a combination of fundamental exercises (squats, pull-ups, deadlifts, etc.) as well as a variety of modalities (med balls, bands, etc.). However, if you spend your entire workout standing on one foot on a BOSU ball; you are not getting stronger (and you look ridiculous).
2. Players pay little attention to proper footwork and technique. Your footwork is critical in shooting as well as in your agility training. Proper landing, planting and cutting is important for injury prevention as well as efficiency on the court. Don’t reinforce bad habits when you are training.
3. Players who casually follow a workout program. There is nothing magical about a program that comes from a famous player, coach or team. This includes my programs! Following a program does not guarantee success. It’s not what you do; it’s how you do it! Effort, consistency and progression are the key to success for any training program.
4. Players follow a program not specific to their needs. Strength & conditioning for basketball is a means to an end, not an end itself. You are not a bodybuilder, football player, marathon runner, or Olympic lifter; so you should not train like one! There are valuable exercises and concepts from each of those domains, but you need to follow a program specific to you as a basketball player. Are the resistances you are using appropriate? Are you working the right movement patterns (defensive slides, jumping, back pedaling, etc.)? Are you working within appropriate work/rest ratios?
5. Players constantly over train. Basketball is already very plyometric in nature, no need to overdo it with excessive amounts of plyos. If you played in a few AAU games over the weekend, you don’t need to do 4,000 reps of depth jumps on Monday. Not getting enough rest in between workouts is another problem. You don’t need to lift every day of the week to make progress.
6. Players have poor nutritional habits. I will make this simple - eat like crap, play like crap.
7. Players don’t work on their fundamentals. No matter how fit or strong you are, if you can’t shoot, pass, defend or handle the ball you will never be a good basketball player! Basketball fundamentals are only improved through task specific repetition. Thousands and thousands of repetitions at game speed!
Workouts don’t have to be long. Short, intense workouts done consistently and progressively will get the job done.
“If you only work hard on the days you feel like it, nothing will ever get done!”
Commit yourself to excellence every workout. One day at a time. Build your success brick by brick. Over the course of the entire off-season you will make great progress.
Next season’s success is determined by what you do today!
Here are three resources to help guide you past these common mistakes:
http://shop.strongerteam.com/p-30-12-week-off-season-strength-and-power-program-for-basketball-players.aspx
http://shop.strongerteam.com/p-31-12-week-off-season-agility-and-conditioning-program-for-basketball-players.aspx
http://shop.strongerteam.com/p-14-nutrition-guidelines-for-basketball-players.aspx
“Champions do not become champions on the court. They become recognized on the court. They become champions because of their daily routine and commitment to excellence. Players do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.”
This is my last blog of the month. My wife and I will be enjoying quality time in Aruba next week. I will be back in April in full force with new videos, blogs… and coming very soon… the Stronger Team Podcast on iTunes.
Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy the journey.
Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein
www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam