Whether you follow March Madness, bracket in hand, or you’re just looking for a way to spice up your workout routine, we can all take a page out of a basketball player’s book when it comes to exercising!
Basketball players need to be fast and agile, and have total body strength and good coordination. Sprinting down the court on a fast break and playing defense on the other end requires a lot of glute, quad, calf and hamstring strength. Shooting requires upper body strength and dribbling requires extreme hand-eye coordination.
Channel your inner basketball player with this workout designed to help you train like a baller!
Single arm overhead press
Prepare your arms to shoot the basketball with this move. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bring the right arm into a goal-post position. The dumbbell should be level with your ear. Then press the dumbbell up over your head toward the center. Make sure that you can still see the dumbbell in your peripheral vision when your arm is extended up to ensure that the weight is not behind your head. Bring the arm back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.
Bent over row
Strengthen your back and upper body for defense with this move. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, bend your knees and hinge forward at your waist. Pull your abs in and hold one dumbbell in each hand. Let the dumbbells reach down toward the ground, then, hugging the elbows in toward your sides, slowly pull the arms up into a row. Lower down and repeat 10 times.
Lateral lunge with chest press
Build up the lateral movement capabilities in your body to shuffle side-to-side on defense and while dribbling. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips. Hold onto the basketball with both hands and step your right foot to the right. Bend the right knee and sit your right glute back. Keep your left leg straight. Press the basketball forward in front of your chest. Bring it back in. Then press down through your right heel to push back up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.
Jump squat
This move helps build lower body strength and explosiveness for jump shots and improves your grip strength. Bend your knees and lower down into a squat while holding onto the basketball at chest height. Press down through your heels as you explode up toward the sky and reach the ball up overhead as if you’re about to shoot it. Then land back into the squat with bent knees. Repeat 10 times.
Skaters
Work your side-to-side movements and ankle stability with this exercise. As you step to the right, use the left foot to tap behind the right foot. Bring the left arm forward and right arm back as if you are speed skating on ice. Then step to the left and bring the right foot behind to tap as you bring your right arm forward and left arm back. Repeat 10 times to each side.
Romanian deadlift
Build the hamstrings and calves with this exercise. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and let them hang in front of your thighs. Keep your shoulders back, opening your chest. Bend at the waist and sit your butt back slightly to lower your torso and arms down toward the ground. Keep the weights close to your legs, sliding them down your shins. Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, you’ve bent far enough. Bring yourself back to starting position and repeat for 10 reps.
Goblet squat
Improve hip mobility and lower body strength with this squat. Hold the basketball in front of your chest and open your feet wider than your shoulders. Turn your toes outward slightly. Pull in your abs and look forward as you reach your hips backward and bend your knees. Lower your butt down slowly until your hips are below your knees. Press down through your heels to stand back up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Pushup to sprint
Build the chest, improve speed and get your heart rate up with this exercise. Starting in a plank position, bend your elbows out to the sides to lower into a pushup. Press down through the hands and engage your core as you press back up into a plank position. Then, step one foot forward into a sprinting position, stand up and spring forward for 10 steps. Perform another pushup, and then sprint back to the original starting position. Repeat 5 times total.
Ab circles
Improve hand-eye coordination and grip strength while strengthening your core for side-to-side movements on the court. Stand up straight and hold onto the ball with both hands. Bend your knees slightly and pull your naval in toward your spine. Keeping your hips still, try to pass the ball around your midsection, moving it to the right hand around your back, transferring to the left hand and bringing it back to the front of your chest. Then repeat on the opposite side, bringing the ball around your left side, transferring to the right hand, and bringing back to the front. Perform 10 circles to the right, and then 10 to the left.
Ball toe tap
Build the muscles of your core to help with total-body stability. Lie down on the ground and hold the basketball at your chest. Lift your legs up toward the sky, and then lower them down a few inches. Curl up with your head, neck and chest, and scoop your abs in. Then reach the basketball up to try to touch the toes. Lower down almost all the way to the ground and then repeat 10 times.
Source: Today