jump higher

Of all the sporting athletes we work with in our Sports Specific programs, basketball would be my personal favourite. Having played the game from the age of 11 right up to 42 years of age at A grade level or higher for nearly all of this time it is fair to say I am a basketball junkie. I grew up watching Michael Jordan and saw the evolution of the sport having really big dudes who could hardly run, to what it is today with elite athletes and players who are almost 7 foot like Kevin Durant but can handle a ball, and move like a guard. I have also seen the evolution of guards with incredible skills like Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving who have incredible quickness and change of direction, as much as the ability to shoot. As with any sport, practice of the fundamental skills such as free throw shooting, dribbling, and rebounding are essential but the little things that separates average players from great players will come down to the athletic movement. Being able to move faster, and with more efficiency than others is the missing link to taking your game to a new level. And this can only be achieved through a well-designed strength training program. Unfortunately, most of the strength programs you see being used today are still using outdated body building concepts that will ruin athletic performance, not enhance it. In this article, I am going to share with you what the “basketball specific” strength exercises and methods are so you do not make this same mistake.

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