Basketball Physical Prep: Speed, Strength, Conditioning & Mobility
Build a high-performance body for basketball: sprint speed, vertical jump power, durable joints, and game-ready conditioning.
A staged system: Understanding of the mechanics → workout content → drill database → weekly plans → printable checklists.
Basketball Athletic Development: Build Speed, Power, Durability
Basketball is repeated bursts: sprint, jump, stop, change direction, recover, repeat. Your physical prep should match that reality—high quality when fresh, planned recovery, and simple weekly structure. The content and information provided here was researched on the internet by kids and reviewed by parents and is not authoritative guidance but what we believe represents the best approaches we have found and will be updated as new information or research is found by us. Please consult your doctor to confirm what is right for you.
Training principles (simple & non-negotiable)
- Stretching = reset/activation → short, fast, before high-speed work
- RPR = reset/activation → short, fast, before high-speed work
- Speed & jumping = high-neural → do it when fully rested (usually mornings)
- Strength = major movement patterns → keep it efficient
- Recovery = planned days off & sleep (minimum 8-9 hours) → where gains happen
Stretching & Mobility Routine for Athletes
Two modes: dynamic warm-up (before) and longer holds (after).
Dynamic Warm-Up (8–12 min)
- Leg swings (front/back, side)
- Walking lunges + twist
- A-skips / dribbles / ankling
- Hip openers + groiners
- 3 progressive accelerations (60–80%)
Post-Training (10–15 min)
- Calf + hamstring holds (30–45s)
- Hip flexor couch stretch
- Adductor rock-backs
- T-spine rotations
- Breathing (downshift)
RPR Training for Sprinting: Reflexive Performance Reset (Pre-Sprint Activation)
RPR is a short pre-sprint reset used to improve breathing mechanics and neural readiness before high-speed work. It’s activation—not conditioning—and it stays short (2–4 minutes). SEO: RPR training, reflexive performance reset, pre sprint activation, sprint warm up activation
The Core RPR Sequence (from your transcript)
- Step 1: 3 quiet belly breaths (controlled; no noisy mouth breathing)
- Step 2: Sternum stimulation (firm rub/pressure for ~20–30 seconds)
- Step 3: Bottom rib stimulation (firm rub/pressure for ~20–30 seconds)
- Step 4: 2 more quiet belly breaths
How to use it
- Do this after dynamic warm-up, right before sprints or jumps
- Keep it short—if it becomes a workout, you missed the point
- Goal: “ready to sprint fast,” not sweaty
Picture / Graphic Slots (add your visuals)
- Graphic slot: belly breathing diagram (diaphragm expansion)
- Graphic slot: sternum stimulation placement
- Graphic slot: bottom rib stimulation placement
Suggested file locations:
assets/img/rpr_belly_breathing.pngassets/img/rpr_sternum.pngassets/img/rpr_bottom_rib.png
If you want, we can later add a clean “RPR image strip” (3 images side-by-side) for a premium visual rhythm.
RPR Placement in Your Weekly Plan
Sprinting Workout approach and Important concepts
This is the sprinting “skills page”: mechanics, cues, and measurement rules.
Sprint Mechanics for Athletes: Acceleration vs Top Speed
This is the sprinting “skills page”: mechanics, cues, and measurement rules. Add your graphics in the placeholders below.
Mechanics Checklist
- Posture: stable trunk; avoid collapsing; tall posture at top speed
- Arms: drive back; relaxed shoulders; rhythm matters
- Knees: front-side knee action; avoid reaching/over-striding
- Foot strike: under hips; stiff ankle; quick contacts
- Relaxation: loose face/hands = better speed
Graphic slot: arm and leg positions (angles + front-side mechanics).
Place image at: assets/img/sprint_mechanics_arms_legs.png
Acceleration vs Speed Phase
- Acceleration: push angle, powerful steps, longer ground contacts
- Top speed: tall posture, elastic “bounce”, fast cycle timing
- Speed drop: peak speed is brief—train quality, not fatigue
Graphic slot: “drive phase” vs “max velocity” posture.
Place image at: assets/img/sprint_accel_vs_speed.png
Blocks vs Fly Sprints (Measurement Rules)
- Blocks: best for track starts; measure 10m split (acceleration)
- Flying: best for max velocity; use a lead-in before timed zone
- Lead-in: set your standardized build-up distance for consistent testing
Next stage: we’ll finalize lead-in distances and testing standards using your remaining transcripts.
Weekly Sprint Frequency
Sprint 2–3 days per week when fully rested (preferably mornings). Pair strength later in the day if needed.
- 2 days: Mon/Thu (best recovery)
- 3 days: Mon/Wed/Fri (only if sleep/recovery is excellent)
- Rule: full-body rest on in-between days
Lactate Workouts for Speed Endurance (Use Sparingly)
Lactate workouts = high intensity + incomplete recovery to train tolerance/clearance and delay fatigue. SEO: lactate workouts for speed training, speed endurance workouts, anaerobic capacity training
When to use lactate work
- 1x per week or every 10 days (do not stack with heavy legs)
- Only if sprint mechanics are solid (don’t train bad form under fatigue)
- Keep total volume low (this is stressful)
Examples (from your reference note)
- 3 sets of 2×150m @ ~95% (full recovery between reps; longer between sets)
- 2×(5×30s fast / 30s rest) with 5 min between sets
- Short hill sprints (10–15s) or 200m repeats
- 100–400m intervals at fast pace with 1–3 min rest
These are intentionally “rare tools” — great athletes don’t live tired.
Make this a printable workout (PDF)
Add a checklist PDF for athletes to pull up at the track: Download Lactate Speed Endurance (PDF)
Vertical Jump Training & Plyometrics for Basketball
Jump training is high-neural like sprinting: keep it 2–3 days per week, fresh legs, clean landings. SEO: vertical jump workout, plyometrics for basketball, jump training for athletes
Core Plyos
- Box jumps (low volume)
- Pogo jumps (ankle stiffness)
- Bounds (horizontal power)
- Depth drops (landing skill)
Landing Rules (non-negotiable)
- Quiet landings
- Knees track over toes
- Stop if mechanics break
- More rest > more reps
Schedule Placement
- Pair jump work with sprint days (morning)
- No jump days after heavy fatigue
- Use full-body rest days between
Printable Jump Session (PDF)
General Conditioning: Arms, Chest, Back (3 Days / Week)
Upper conditioning complements speed/jump and keeps athletes durable. Do 3 days/week, often same day as sprinting or evenings only. SEO: upper body workout for basketball players, arms chest back workout athletes, basketball strength routine
Major Grouping Movements
- Push: push-ups / DB press / incline press
- Pull: pull-ups / rows / band pulls
- Carry: farmer carries / suitcase carries
- Core: planks / anti-rotation / dead bug
3-Day Upper Split (Simple)
- Day 1: Push + Row + Core
- Day 2: Pull + Shoulder Health + Carry
- Day 3: Push/Pull circuit + Core
We’ll expand into a drill database in the next stage.
Printable Upper Conditioning (PDF)
Weekly Training Plan: Sprint + Jump (AM) + Upper Conditioning (PM)
Built around your rule: sprint/jump 2–3 days/week when rested (morning), upper conditioning 3 days/week (often same days, evening). Full-body rest on the in-between days.
Option A (2 Sprint/Jump Days — best recovery)
Option B (3 Sprint/Jump Days — only if you recover well)
In-Season Schedule (Light, End-of-Day, Big Movements)
In-season = stay fresh. 2 short lifts/week. Keep volume low, focus on major movement patterns, and prioritize recovery. SEO: in-season basketball training plan, strength maintenance basketball season
The Atomic Workout (Checklist) + Exercise Explanations
High quality speed session (short, crisp, non-fatiguing). Recommended add: RPR reset right before the timed sprints.
Atomic Workout Checklist
Optional upgrade: do RPR (2–4 minutes) after warm-up to feel “on” before max effort.
How this fits your weekly plan
- Use Atomic on sprint/jump mornings (2–3x/week)
- Pair upper conditioning later same day if desired
- Keep next day full-body recovery
X-Factor Checklist: The Add-Ons That Separate Players
This is the “do the small things” list. Make it printable. Make it trackable.
Optional Add-Ons
- Shoulder health: band external rotations, face pulls
- Ankles: calf/soleus work, balance holds
- Core: anti-rotation, carries, breathing
- Extra: light aerobic recovery (Zone 2)
We’ll turn these into a drill database in the next stage.
Reference Sprint Videos (Your Playlist)
These cards exist so the video content becomes drill-database ready. We’ll keep updating these as you upload more transcripts.
Feed the Cats: Speed Training Through a New Lens
Integrated takeaways now on this page
- Added: RPR sequence (belly breaths → sternum → bottom rib → belly breaths)
- Added: Fly sprint concept and practical distances
The Atomic Workout
Integrated takeaways now on this page
- Atomic workout checklist + recommendation to use RPR pre-sprint
Next stage (when you upload more transcripts)
We’ll use your other SRTs to finalize: fly sprint lead-in standards, testing rules, acceleration progressions, and drill database entries.
Printable Checklists (PDF Links)
Add these PDFs to assets/.
Offseason Soccer Add-On: Foot Skill, Juggling, 1v1, Kicking Power
Soccer can sharpen footwork, coordination, and conditioning without feeling like “more lifting.” SEO: soccer foot skills drills, juggling drills for coordination, 1v1 soccer drills, kicking power exercises
Foot Skill (10–15 min)
- Inside/outside touches
- Cone slalom dribble
- Quick toe taps
Juggling (foot-eye coordination)
- Goal: controlled touches
- Progress: move while juggling
- Challenge: alternating feet
1v1 + Kicking Power
- 1v1 moves + changes of pace
- Striking technique (safe volume)
- Short sprints built-in