Japan Football Speed and agility training Program
To succeed in basketball, you need power, explosiveness and strength. But all these mean little without speed. You need more than just straight-line speed, though—basketball is played at all angles, and your speed should be developed with that in mind.
One of the biggest mistakes athletes and coaches make is thinking that speed and conditioning work are one and the same. You must train quickness and agility at near maximum levels. Workouts should be intense and explosive with complete recovery before you begin again.
For example, with Wind Sprints, you sprint down the court, turn and sprint back. If you rest for only 10 to 15 seconds and go again, you will build your endurance but not your top speed. When training for speed, you need to rest for at least four times longer than it takes to complete the set. Minimum rest for a five-second sprint, for example, is 20 seconds before you run again.
Basketball isn't played in a straight line. Your speed training should reflect that; mix up your methods. L-Drills, 5-10-5 Agility Runs and Speed Ladder Drills are all valuable to improve lateral speed and quickness.
Here is a three-week preseason training protocol for basketball speed and quickness. This will improve your performance and get you ready for tip-off.
Do this basketball speed program before practice or a strength training session. Don't skip the warm-up.
Warm-up (do before every session)
- Jog to half court, backpedal back - 3x
- Shuffle to half court, shuffle back - 3x
- Drop-step skip to half court, jog back - 3x
- Knee Hug - 6x each side
- Leg Cradle - 6x each side
- Quad Stretch - 6x each side
- Lateral Lunge - 6x each side
- Plank - 30 seconds
- Active Straight Leg Raise - 10x each side
Week 1
Athletic Base Hold - 3x30 seconds
- 3x12 each side
Ankle Mobility - 3x8 each side
Speed Ladder Circuit
- 1 foot in each box - 2x
- 2 feet in each box - 2x
- Lateral 2 feet in each box - 2x
Half-Court Sprints - 5x
Shuffle - baseline to foul line and back - 6x
Week 2
Vertical Jump - 3x5
Standing Inline Chop and Lift (with Basketball) - 3x8 each side
Ankle Mobility
- Icky Shuffle - 2x
- 5-10-5 drill - 4x
Sprint to Lateral Shuffle - 5x
Week 3
- Cross over and stick - 2x
