Getting the Most out of Off-Season Workouts

Don't underestimate how important your off-season workouts can be to your career.

The off-season is the time of year when you can really dedicate the necessary time to improving your basketball skills (such as shooting and dribbling), as well as your athletic abilities (improving your strength, working on your footspeed and agility).

Here is a very effective training tip for increasing the effectiveness of your off-season workouts.

One of the keys to getting the most out of your training program is to work outside of your comfort zone.

The old saying "If you do what you've always done, you'll get the results you've always gotten" is largely true.

So you've got to change the way you approach your workouts. You've got to do more than the next guy, but you've also got to push yourself past what you usually do, and get out of your comfort zone. It's not easy, but it's a key to really moving your game up to the next level.

Say, for example, that part of your normal off-season routine is to shoot around for half an hour and jog a few laps at the track a few days a week. I can't argue that you're doing something to stay in shape and work on your game.

But you're not really pushing yourself, and you shouldn't really expect those types of workouts to pay huge dividends.

Change your approach. Push yourself harder than you normally do, and you'll start to see results. Instead of shooting 30 or 40 random, lazy jump shots, create a plan for yourself. Shoot from 4 or 5 spots on the floor until you've made 30 or 40 shots from each spot (or some number that you set as a goal for yourself). Get in the triple-threat position, head-fake, take a quick dribble to one side or the other, get good lift on your shot (really getting off the ground), and concentrate on your follow-through. Push yourself to move quicker than you normally do, and to jump higher than you normally do.

This is just an example of a possible workout routine. You have to decide which parts of your game to work on. The important thing it to take a rather normal, un-challenging workout routine and turn it up a notch so that's it tough and will deliver results.

Or when you go to the track, create a plan to really work on your stamina and quickness. Run 2 laps at a good pace to warm up. Then do some interval training where you sprint at top speed for 40 or 50 yards, then walk for 30 or 45 seconds to get your wind back. When you first start doing interval training, you'll probably only be able to do 4 or 5 repetitions, but you'll get in better shape over time and the numbers will increase. As you get into better shape, you'll work your way up to longer distances, shorter breaks in between sprints, and more repetitions. Follow-up your sprints with 4 or 5 hard minutes of jumping rope. Mix in some longer distance training during the week and you're on your way to really improving your stamina and quickness.

Working outside of your comfort zone is tough, and you'll want to lapse back into your normal, comfortable routine that's not too strenuous or tiring.

But that's what average players do. Don't let yourself be average.

Return to Playing Tips Page

Return to Home Page