The Basic Physical Qualities of Basketball Athletes (and how to achieve them) – Part 2
This is a series. In this article, Strength will be the main point of focus
In the first article of this series, the importance of Strength for an athlete was detailed. To reiterate, Strength is the foundation of whatever you are building on, and in two athletes of the same capability, the stronger athlete will prevail over prolonged periods of time.
In the first article, exercises to achieve strength of the lower extremities was explained in detail (The lower extremity includes the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and the bones of the thigh, leg, and foot).
In this article, we will focus on the Lower Back and Core. Eight exercises will be explained in detail.
Lower Back and Core: The Centre of Stability
When it comes to increasing strength when it comes to the basketball court, the core is best considered as a part of the body that connects to the force generated by the lower body and transfers that force to the upper body. If the legs are the foundation of the building, the core is the building itself.
Two basic categories the core can be broken down into are the inner core and the outer core. While the inner core provides stability, the outer core allows for the spine to move in various directions, on different planes. The inner core provides the stability to the torso, to ensure proper posture and provide a stable platform while running, jumping and landing. The outer core gives you the strength to extend the spine and hips to produce force while twisting to snatch a ball away or change direction while dribbling.
To fully develop the strong and stable core necessary to play basketball, you must strengthen all the muscles responsible for producing force or resisting movements in various planes.
Four of the most basketball-specific core movements will be detailed in this chapter, with two exercises under each movement.
Core Flexion
Banana
Set-up
Lie on your back on the floor (commonly known as a supine position), with your legs together, and arms extended overhead. Your navel must be pulled in, towards your spine.
Execution
- Slowly raise your upper body and legs off the floor, to form a gentle bananalike curve. Your head must be positioned in between your arms. Do not hold your breath! Breathe steady and evenly. The most important part of this drill is to tighten the abdominal muscles, and not letting your back arch away from the floor.
- Return to a flat, supine position with your arms, head and legs resting comfortably on the floor.
- Perform the prescribed number of repetitions (to a point where you perform the exercise without losing form throughout)
Variation
A challenging variation of this exercise is one where you gently rock back and forth from head to toe.
Basketball Focus
This is one of the most underestimated exercises of the core. This is especially essential when rebounding throughout a game, when contact is made, and you hold your own and grab that rebound!
Supine Basketball Core Pass
Set-up
Lie supine on the floor, with your legs straight out and together, and arms extended overhead. Your navel must be pulled in toward the spine. Hold a basketball in both hands.
Execution
- Sit up, keeping your arms straight overhead and pass the ball from your hands to between your feet
- Return to lying flat on your back while maintaining your navel drawn in toward your spine. Squeeze the ball between your feet and lift your legs and lower abdomen up to pass the ball back to your hands.
- Return to a flat, supine position with your arms, head and legs resting comfortably on the floor.
- Perform the prescribed number of repetitions (to a point where you perform the exercise without losing form throughout)
Variation
A tougher variation of this exercise is by using a weighted medicine ball instead of a basketball.
Basketball Focus
Using a basketball in this exercise is one of the ways in helping you remember why you started. This is essential in making chest and bounce passes, to generate force for a Kevin Love type of an outlet pass!
Core Extension
Back Extension
Set-up
Use a hyperextension machine for this exercise. With your stomach facing the floor (commonly known as the prone position), position yourself on the machine and secure your feet under the foot pads. The front of your thighs should be resting on the main support pad. Your hips should be flexed forward at a 90-degree angle with your upper body hanging straight down. Your hands must be either behind your head or crossed in front of your body.
Execution
- Slowly rise away from the floor, while maintaining a straight back. All the motion should occur at the hip. Rise until your torso is parallel to the floor.
- Lower your torso in a controlled manner until you reach the starting position.
- Perform the prescribed number of repetitions (to a point where you perform the exercise without losing form throughout)
Variations
- Make the exercise more challenging by holding a weight plate or dumbbells.
- Perform the same exercise lying prone over a Physioball with your feet secured against a wall.
Safety Tip
Do not go beyond parallel to the floor or arch your spine.
Basketball Focus
This exercise helps you strengthen the back and hold your position when you jump, as well as when you get down in your defensive stance.
Quadruped Arm and Leg Lift (Bird Dog)
Set-up
Get down on all fours with your hips above your knees and shoulders over your hands. Keep your back straight and maintain a neutral position of the head and neck.
Execution
- Lift one arm and the opposite leg straight out in a full extension. Both your arm and leg should be in line with your body. Keep your hip and shoulder straight, as they were in the set-up. Hold this extended position to work on muscle endurance.o Hold
- Return to the starting position and then lift the other arm and leg.
- Perform the prescribed number of repetitions (to a point where you perform the exercise without losing form throughout), alternating the arms and legs
Variation
Use weight cuffs on the arms and legs to make the exercise more challenging.
Basketball Focus
This is an excellent stability exercise for the core. Helps you in holding a position under the boards when you box your man out. Also, as you land from a jump after rebounding the ball, you will be able to hold off the opponent and secure the possession for your team.
Core Rotation
Horizontal Cable Core Press
Set-up
- Stand perpendicular to and directly in front of a cable column machine.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly flexed, torso upright.
- The weights on the cable column press should be adjusted so that when you grasp the handle, you will be able to hold it comfortably at about the height of your navel. Use both hands to grasp the handle in the middle position, keeping your butt and abdominal muscles tight.
Execution
- Extend your arms directly out and in front of your body to shoulder height, while maintaining a straight back. Hold the position for 1-5 seconds.
- Return to the starting position in a controlled manner
- Perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps (each side)
Variation
This exercise can be done without the cable column machine as well, using rubber tubing resistance bands. Doing the same exercise in a defensive position or a kneeling position also increases the ask on the core muscles. While using a hip width position for the feet, this increases the demand on the muscles of the lower extremities.
Basketball Focus
This exercise greatly enhances your strength when you are fighting to get a loose ball from an opponent’s grasp, or to protect your own rebound when a sly guard comes around to strip it!
Landmine Trunk Rotation
Set-up
- Use an empty barbell with one end wedged securely in the corner of a wall. Extend your arms in front of your body and hold on to the other end of the barbell. Square your shoulders and hips and keep your feet just outside of shoulder width.
- Add an appropriate weight plate to the end of the barbell you are holding.
Execution
- Using a rotating motion, twist the bar down and to the right in a smooth, semi-circular pattern.
- Once the bar comes to a complete stop at the bottom of the semi-circle, reverse the motion to the other side. The complete motion is a 180-degree arc. Once and back represents one rep, do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Variation
The same exercise can be done in a kneeling position, making it only an upper body workout
Basketball Focus
This exercise will help you in stabilizing your body as you run down the floor being hounded by your defender, or when you are coming down from a rebound. This protects your back from injury.
Core Lateral Flexion
Lateral Plank
Set-up
- Lie on your left side with your feet, knees, hips and shoulders in a straight line.
- Prop your upper body on your left elbow and forearm. Position your elbow so it is directly under your left shoulder.
Execution
- Raise your hips until they are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders, keeping your abdominal muscles tight.
- Hold for the required time. Slowly lower your hips to drop to the starting position
- Flip over and do it on the opposite side.
Basketball Focus
When you jump, you are actually exerting force into the ground. This exercise replicates that motion. When you get off the ground to jump, a strong core stabilizes your upper body for your next move.
Overhead Cable Core Press
Set-up
- Stand perpendicular to and directly in front of a cable column machine.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly flexed, torso upright.
- The weights on the cable column press should be adjusted so that when you grasp the handle, you will be able to hold it comfortably at about the height of your navel. Use both hands to grasp the handle in the middle position, keeping your butt and abdominal muscles tight.
Execution
- Extend your arms directly overhead, while maintaining a straight back.
- Return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Perform the prescribed number of repetitions (to a point where you perform the exercise without losing form throughout)
Basketball Focus
This exercise develops strength in the core, and it also develops shoulder stability and strength in the oblique muscles. After jumping for a rebound, you might land awkwardly, especially when there is so much physical contact from other players. You will to have a more stable landing with this exercise and prevent your lower back from getting injured.
To complete the section on the strength of the lower back and core, you must remember that a strong core is the pillar of athletic movements. In recent times, core has become a buzzword describing the trunk and associated muscles of the mid-section. The truth is, for any sport, athletic performance is at its peak when an athlete has a strong core. “Abs” or a “six-pack” are aesthetic goals to be achieved, while true core strength comes from performing these exercises in a disciplined manner. This strength is often not on display in the first hand, which means that the athlete will only know when he is able to rebound and play a solid game in the post, or when he plays strong defence on a guard and easily snatch away the ball from him.
As you observe, the importance of these exercises from the basketball point of view are to develop solid strength to hold a position under the board when you rebound. This may be of great importance to you, especially if you are an undersized rebounder who focuses on position and strength rebounding to compensate for a lack of height.
In the next part of this series, we will focus on the upper body strength and power: Pulling Exercises. Stay tuned!
