From the weightroom to the court

Enhancing on-court performance in the weightroom by building strength, coordination and timing.

 
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Dispelling the myths

Myth 1: Loading an athlete in “game time” movement patterns is the most effective way

The belief that using the weightroom to mimic gametime movement patterns with the expectation that it will increase dynamic speed and execution of that pattern at game time is absolutely false.  The stimulus of playing the game at varying and unpredictable planes of motion renders this type of training for social media only.  Strength training increases the foundational athletic ability to demonstrate in game situations.

Myth 2: Basketball athletes don’t need to strength train, it stunts their growth

The belief that strength training will stunt a child or adolescent’s growth is a common misconception. However, it is not supported by scientific evidence. When done properly and under appropriate supervision, strength training can be safe and beneficial for children and adolescents.

A 2020 clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that properly designed resistance training programs have no apparent negative effect on linear growth, growth plate health, or the cardiovascular system of children and adolescents.

Myth 3: My athlete doesn’t need strength training, they need agility and speed training.

Selling the shortcut or the quick fix is what the industry wants you to believe.  Equating fast feet with fast and quick feet with agility is the problem.  In some cases, fast feet actually makes an athlete slow!

The theory that developing foot speed and agility through ladders and cone drills is not the magic answer.  Instead it is the process of gaining strength and power and learning how to display that power in dynamic and reactive ways that mimic sport specific situations.

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Don't believe the hype

Strength Training is a necessary component of a well-rounded young athlete.

Children and youth are entering competitive sports at younger ages, and their training programs are becoming more complex and can involve the use of private coaching, personal trainers, and sports psychologists in addition to their routine coaches and teams. Possessing adequate strength to keep up with these increased demands on the body is valuable to help reduce the risk of injury and optimize gains in performance.

There are no magic drills

Traditional agility training methods like ladders and cones are not useful because they are so general and non sports-specific. The way our motor system works, our movements are driven by perception of affordances (opportunities) in our environment. This is why cone drills are ineffective, because you are removing the sports-specific information that you need to respond to (which is random and dynamic, and includes both teammates and opposing players), and replacing it with cones, which is something that never appears in a game.

Unfortunately, we need to do it the slow, old-fashioned way. You can play with ladders and bungee cords all you want, but the key is to increase the horsepower, the brakes, and the accelerator. Development of speed, agility and quickness simply comes down to good training. We need to work on lower body strength and lower body power – and we need to do it on one leg.

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Translating weightroom strength to basketball strength

If you’re interested in bringing your athlete in for a FREE assessment and movement screening to get them into a program that will give them the foundation they need to excel, fill out the form below and we’ll get them started!

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