Exercise 1: Single Arm Landmine Split Jerk – Building Explosive Triple Extension

The single arm landmine split jerk represents the perfect fusion of power development and functional movement for basketball players. While traditional barbell and dumbbell variations certainly have their place in basketball training programs, the landmine version offers unique advantages that directly translate to on-court performance.

Why This Exercise Works for Basketball Players:

Triple extension—the simultaneous extension of the ankle, knee, and hip—forms the foundation of every explosive basketball movement. Whether you’re driving to the basket, jumping for a rebound, or exploding past a defender, your ability to generate force through this coordinated movement pattern determines your success. The landmine split jerk trains this pattern while adding elements that make it especially valuable for basketball athletes.

The unilateral (single-arm) nature of this exercise addresses the reality that basketball rarely involves perfectly symmetrical movements. Most basketball actions involve offset loading, whether you’re reaching for a ball, shooting over a defender, or maintaining balance during contact. By training one arm at a time, you develop the core stability and cross-body coordination that these situations demand.

Technical Execution and Progressions:

Begin with the landmine setup at shoulder height, grasping the handle with one hand. Your starting position should mirror an athletic basketball stance—feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, core engaged. The initial drive comes from your legs, generating force through the ground and transferring it through your core to the implement.

The split position you land in during the jerk phase directly mimics the deceleration patterns basketball players need when closing out on shooters or absorbing contact from defenders. This isn’t just about moving weight overhead—it’s about teaching your body to control force in multiple planes while maintaining balance and stability.

For younger athletes or those new to Olympic lifting movements, start with lighter loads and focus on movement quality. Advanced athletes can progress by increasing load, adding tempo variations, or incorporating reactive elements like performing the movement off a whistle or visual cue.

Exercise 2: Front Foot Elevated Goblet Split Squat – Addressing Movement Dysfunction

Basketball players commonly develop what we call “basketball posture”—a forward head position, rounded shoulders, anterior pelvic tilt, and tight hip flexors. This posture develops from the repetitive movements of the sport: defensive stance, dribbling position, and the forward lean required for explosive starts. While these positions are necessary for basketball performance, they create imbalances that must be addressed in training.

The Movement Quality Solution:

The front foot elevated goblet split squat specifically targets these imbalances while building single-leg strength that directly transfers to basketball movements. By elevating the front foot, we increase the range of motion at the hip and ankle, forcing the athlete to work through mobility restrictions that commonly limit basketball players.

The goblet position—holding a weight at chest level—serves multiple purposes. First, it provides a counterbalance that allows athletes to sit back into the movement, engaging the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) more effectively. Second, it promotes better thoracic spine extension, helping to counteract the rounded shoulder posture common in basketball players.

Why This Trumps Traditional Split Squats:

While Bulgarian split squats are excellent exercises, many basketball players perform them incorrectly, using their back leg as a crutch and failing to achieve adequate range of motion. The front foot elevated variation forces proper mechanics—the athlete must shift their center of mass backward to maintain balance, automatically engaging the correct muscle groups.

This exercise also addresses the single-leg strength demands of basketball. Consider how often basketball players must generate force off one leg: driving to the basket, jumping off one foot for a layup, or maintaining balance during contact. The front foot elevated goblet split squat builds this unilateral strength while improving the movement quality that makes it usable on the court.

Programming Considerations:

Start with bodyweight only, focusing on achieving full range of motion and proper mechanics. Progress by adding load through a dumbbell or kettlebell held in the goblet position. Advanced athletes can incorporate tempo variations, such as a slow eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension and mobility demands.

Exercise 3: Tall Kneeling Pentagon Landmine Overhead Press – Safe Upper Body Power Development

Basketball players need significant upper body strength and power for rebounding, posting up, and absorbing contact in traffic. However, traditional overhead pressing movements often exacerbate the postural issues common in basketball athletes. The tall kneeling pentagon landmine overhead press provides a solution that builds upper body strength while improving rather than worsening movement quality.

Understanding the Biomechanical Advantages:

The tall kneeling position immediately addresses several issues common in basketball players. First, it eliminates the ability to compensate with excessive lumbar extension (back arching), forcing the athlete to maintain proper spinal alignment. Second, it engages the hamstrings and glutes in an isometric contraction to maintain the kneeling position, helping to counteract the hip flexor dominance common in basketball players.

The landmine setup provides an arc of motion that’s more shoulder-friendly than traditional vertical pressing. Instead of pressing straight overhead—a position that many basketball players struggle to achieve without compensation—the landmine creates an angled pressing pattern that accommodates shoulder mobility restrictions while still providing the training stimulus needed for upper body power development.

The Pentagon Attachment Advantage:

The pentagon landmine attachment allows for a more comfortable grip compared to traditional landmine handles. This seemingly small detail becomes significant during higher-intensity training sessions or when dealing with the cumulative fatigue of a long basketball season. Anything that allows athletes to train harder while feeling better contributes to long-term development and injury prevention.

Integration with Basketball-Specific Movements:

The forward angle of the landmine press more closely mimics the pressing patterns basketball players use during gameplay. When posting up an opponent or fighting for position under the basket, players rarely press in a perfectly vertical plane. The landmine press trains the body to generate force in this more functional pattern while maintaining core stability and shoulder health.

Exercise 4: Band Resisted Pogo Hop – Tendon Stiffness and Reactive Strength

Vertical jump performance in basketball isn’t just about raw strength—it’s heavily dependent on the elastic properties of tendons and the nervous system’s ability to rapidly coordinate muscle contractions. The band resisted pogo hop specifically targets these qualities while providing a time-efficient training method that can be easily integrated into basketball training programs.

The Science of Tendon Adaptation:

Tendons, particularly the Achilles tendon, act like springs during explosive movements. Stiffer tendons can store and release energy more efficiently, contributing significantly to jump height and overall athletic performance. Traditional weight training, while important for building strength, doesn’t optimally train these elastic properties. Plyometric exercises like the pogo hop specifically target tendon stiffness and the stretch-shortening cycle that’s crucial for basketball performance.

Why Band Resistance Enhances the Movement:

The downward pull of the resistance band serves several purposes. First, it increases the eccentric (lengthening) load on the muscles and tendons, which is the primary stimulus for tendon adaptation. Second, it forces the athlete to generate force more rapidly to overcome the additional resistance, improving rate of force development—a quality that directly correlates with jumping ability.

The band resistance also provides accommodating resistance, meaning the load increases as the band stretches. This matches the force-velocity relationship of muscle contraction and provides a training stimulus that more closely mimics the demands of actual jumping movements.

Technical Execution for Maximum Benefit:

Proper execution of the band resisted pogo hop requires maintaining minimal ground contact time while maximizing jump height. Athletes should focus on landing and immediately rebounding off the ground, spending as little time in contact with the floor as possible. This trains the nervous system to rapidly activate muscles and utilizes the elastic energy stored in the tendons.

The goal isn’t to perform hundreds of repetitions but rather to maintain quality throughout the set. As fatigue sets in and ground contact time increases, the training effect diminishes. Focus on 3-5 sets of 10-15 high-quality repetitions rather than grinding through longer sets with declining performance.

Exercise 5: Split Squat Jumps – Unilateral Power Development

Basketball players constantly generate power off single legs—jumping off one foot for layups, exploding past defenders in a first step, or quickly changing direction. Despite this obvious need for single-leg power, many training programs still emphasize bilateral (two-legged) exercises. Split squat jumps bridge this gap by specifically targeting unilateral power development in a movement pattern that directly transfers to basketball performance.

Understanding Single-Leg Power Demands:

Research on basketball movement patterns reveals that athletes spend approximately 60-70% of game time on one leg or in asymmetrical positions. This includes not just obvious single-leg actions like one-foot jumps, but also movements like crossover dribbles, defensive slides, and the various cutting patterns used to create separation from defenders.

Traditional bilateral exercises like back squats and deadlifts certainly contribute to overall strength development, but they don’t address the unique stability and coordination demands of single-leg power production. Split squat jumps force the athlete to generate maximum force through one leg while maintaining balance and proper alignment—exactly what basketball performance demands.

Reactive vs. Strength-Focused Variations:

Split squat jumps can be programmed in two distinct ways, each targeting different aspects of power development. The reactive variation emphasizes minimal ground contact time, training the stretch-shortening cycle and improving the ability to rapidly change direction or quickly get off the ground. This variation benefits players who need to improve their “bounce” and reactive ability.

The strength-focused variation involves performing each repetition from a dead stop, pausing between each jump to eliminate any elastic contribution. This variation targets pure concentric power production and benefits players who need to improve their ability to generate force from static positions, such as exploding past a defender from a triple-threat position.

Programming for Basketball Seasons:

During the off-season, both variations can be heavily emphasized to build a broad base of single-leg power. As the season approaches, the reactive variation becomes more valuable for maintaining explosive ability without excessive fatigue. In-season programming might include lighter loads with an emphasis on movement quality and reactive ability.

Exercise 6: Neutral Grip Chin-Ups – Shoulder Health and Upper Body Strength

Basketball players face unique challenges when it comes to shoulder health. The repetitive overhead motions of shooting, the contact involved in rebounding and post play, and the sustained periods in defensive stance all contribute to shoulder stress. Neutral grip chin-ups provide an effective way to build upper body strength while promoting shoulder health rather than compromising it.

Why Grip Position Matters:

The neutral grip (palms facing each other) places the shoulders in a more anatomically favorable position compared to traditional pull-ups (palms away) or chin-ups (palms toward you). This grip allows for a more natural path of motion that doesn’t force the shoulders into potentially problematic positions, especially for athletes who already spend significant time with their arms elevated.

Basketball players often develop internal rotation of the shoulders due to the forward posture common in the sport. The neutral grip chin-up allows full range of motion without exacerbating these imbalances, making it possible to build strength through a complete range of motion while actually improving shoulder positioning.

Building Functional Upper Body Mass:

While basketball has evolved toward being more perimeter-oriented, upper body strength remains crucial for all positions. Players need the strength to finish through contact at the rim, secure rebounds in traffic, and maintain position in the post. The chin-up is one of the most effective exercises for building this type of functional upper body strength.

The neutral grip variation is particularly effective for targeting the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle trapezius—muscles that are often weak in basketball players due to their posture and movement patterns. Strengthening these muscles helps counteract the forward shoulder position and provides the pulling strength needed for rebounding and defensive play.

Progression Strategies for All Levels:

Not every basketball player can perform multiple chin-ups when starting a training program. Band-assisted variations allow athletes to work through the full range of motion while building strength. As strength improves, the assistance can be gradually reduced until unassisted repetitions are possible.

For advanced athletes who can easily perform multiple chin-ups, adding external load through a weight vest or dumbbell between the legs provides continued progression. The key is maintaining quality throughout the range of motion—partial repetitions don’t provide the same benefits for either strength development or shoulder health.

Exercise 7: Lateral Shuffle with Med Ball Fake Chop – Change of Direction Mechanics

Basketball success often comes down to who can change direction most effectively. Whether it’s a defender sliding to stay in front of an offensive player or an offensive player using a crossover to create separation, the ability to efficiently redirect momentum determines success in many basketball situations. The lateral shuffle with med ball fake chop trains these movement patterns while teaching proper mechanics for safe and effective direction changes.

The Biomechanics of Cutting:

Effective direction changes require proper positioning of the center of mass relative to the base of support. Many basketball players struggle with change of direction because they try to cut without properly setting up their body position. This results in energy leaks, slower direction changes, and increased injury risk.

The med ball fake chop teaches athletes to shift their weight appropriately before initiating the direction change. By bringing the ball across the body, the athlete naturally loads the hip and creates the proper angles needed for an explosive cut. This weight shift also engages the core and prepares the body to generate force in the new direction.

Training the Deceleration Component:

Basketball players often focus on acceleration but neglect the equally important deceleration component of direction changes. Poor deceleration mechanics not only limit performance but significantly increase injury risk, particularly at the knee. The lateral shuffle teaches proper deceleration by requiring the athlete to control their momentum before redirecting it.

The “fake chop” component adds a realistic element that mirrors actual basketball movements. Players constantly use fakes and misdirection to create advantages, and training these patterns helps ensure that the movement skills transfer directly to game situations.

Progressive Loading and Intensity:

Start with shorter distances (2-3 yards) and focus on movement quality rather than speed. The goal is to establish proper mechanics before increasing intensity. As mechanics improve, distances can be increased and the movement can be performed at higher speeds.

Advanced progressions might include reactive elements, such as responding to visual or auditory cues, or sport-specific additions like adding a dribble or defensive movement after the direction change.

Exercise 8: Heels Elevated Front Squat – Addressing Basketball-Specific Needs

The heels elevated front squat specifically addresses the unique needs and limitations of basketball players while building lower body strength that directly transfers to improved jumping ability and court performance. This exercise variation provides multiple benefits that make it particularly valuable for basketball athletes compared to traditional squatting variations.

Solving the Basketball Posture Problem:

Basketball players commonly develop anterior pelvic tilt and limited ankle dorsiflexion due to the demands of their sport. Traditional back squats often exacerbate these issues by allowing athletes to compensate for mobility restrictions through increased forward lean and lumbar extension. The heels elevated front squat addresses these compensations by requiring proper positioning.

The heel elevation improves ankle dorsiflexion requirements, allowing athletes to achieve greater squat depth without compensation. This increased range of motion provides better strength development through the full spectrum of movement and helps address the mobility restrictions that commonly limit basketball players.

Front Loading Benefits for Basketball Players:

The front-loaded position of the barbell serves multiple purposes for basketball athletes. First, it naturally promotes better posture by requiring thoracic extension and preventing excessive forward lean. Second, it closely mimics the loading patterns basketball players experience when catching passes, securing rebounds, or preparing for explosive movements.

The front squat also emphasizes quadriceps development more than back squat variations. Strong quadriceps are crucial for basketball players, both for jumping performance and for protecting the knee joint. Many basketball players suffer from “jumper’s knee” (patellar tendinopathy), and the controlled loading through full range of motion provided by front squats can actually help prevent these issues while building strength.

Connection to Olympic Lifting and Athletic Development:

For athletes who incorporate Olympic lifting variations like cleans into their training, the front squat serves as an essential accessory movement. The ability to catch and hold weight in the front-loaded position is crucial for clean variations, and the front squat builds both the strength and positional awareness needed for these more complex movements.

Even for athletes who don’t perform Olympic lifts, the front squat teaches valuable lessons about creating and maintaining tension throughout the body. This full-body tension is crucial for basketball performance, whether it’s maintaining stability during contact or efficiently transferring force during explosive movements.

Exercise 9: Lateral Bound L Drill – Multi-Planar Power Development

Basketball occurs in multiple planes of motion, yet many training programs focus primarily on sagittal plane (forward and backward) movements. The lateral bound L drill specifically targets frontal plane (side-to-side) power development while incorporating rotational elements that closely mirror basketball movement patterns.

The Reality of Basketball Movement:

Analysis of basketball game footage reveals that players rarely move in straight lines. Most basketball actions involve combinations of linear movement, lateral movement, and rotation. Defensive slides, cutting patterns, and even jump shots involve complex multi-planar movements that require coordination and power in multiple directions.

The lateral bound L drill trains these multi-planar demands by requiring athletes to generate force laterally while maintaining control through rotational movements. The “L” pattern specifically mimics common basketball scenarios, such as a defender sliding to cut off a drive and then opening their hips to pursue the ball handler.

Hip Mobility and Power Integration:

Many basketball players struggle with hip mobility, particularly in external rotation. The lateral bound L drill forces athletes to work through these range of motion restrictions while generating power. This combination of mobility and strength development is particularly valuable for basketball players who need to be able to open their hips quickly for defensive movements or cutting patterns.

The drill also teaches proper sequencing of movement—how to generate force from the ground up and transfer it efficiently through the kinetic chain. This sequencing is crucial for basketball performance, whether it’s generating power for a jump shot or efficiently transferring energy during a direction change.

Building Reactive Ability:

The lateral bound L drill can be progressed to include reactive elements that more closely mirror game situations. Adding visual or auditory cues, or requiring athletes to respond to a coach’s direction, trains the decision-making component that’s crucial for basketball success.

Advanced variations might include sport-specific additions like catching and passing a ball during the movement, or transitioning into basketball-specific skills like shooting or dribbling after completing the drill.

Exercise 10: Reverse Sled Drag – Injury Prevention and Movement Quality

The reverse sled drag serves as the perfect complement to the more intense exercises in this list by providing a low-impact method for building strength while actively addressing the movement restrictions common in basketball players. This exercise exemplifies the concept that effective training doesn’t always have to be about maximum intensity—sometimes the best exercises are those that allow athletes to build strength while feeling better.

The Concentric-Only Advantage:

One of the unique benefits of sled dragging is that it provides purely concentric muscle action—the muscles only work during the shortening phase, not during the lengthening phase. This has significant implications for recovery and allows athletes to train intensely without the muscle damage associated with eccentric loading.

For basketball players managing the demands of practices, games, and training, this recovery advantage is substantial. The reverse sled drag allows athletes to strengthen their quadriceps and improve their movement patterns without adding to their recovery debt. This makes it an excellent exercise for in-season training when recovery is at a premium.

Addressing Basketball-Specific Movement Patterns:

Basketball players frequently move backward—whether it’s defensive backpedaling, recovering after a shot attempt, or maintaining spacing on offense. Despite the frequency of these movement patterns, backward locomotion is rarely trained specifically. The reverse sled drag directly addresses this gap while building strength in patterns that transfer to improved court performance.

The exercise also reinforces proper posture and positioning. The forward load of the sled encourages athletes to maintain an upright torso and engage their core, directly counteracting the forward posture that basketball players commonly develop.

Knee Health and Injury Prevention:

The reverse sled drag provides an excellent method for maintaining knee health in basketball players. The movement promotes proper tracking of the kneecap while strengthening the muscles that support the knee joint. The high volume, low-intensity nature of the exercise makes it particularly effective for addressing the chronic stress that basketball places on the knees.

For athletes dealing with or trying to prevent “jumper’s knee,” the reverse sled drag provides a way to maintain and build strength while avoiding the high-impact loading that can aggravate these conditions. The exercise can be performed frequently without negative effects, making it a valuable tool for ongoing injury prevention.

Implementing Your Basketball Training Program

Understanding these ten exercises is just the first step—successful implementation requires careful consideration of how they fit into a comprehensive basketball training program. The most effective approach involves periodizing these exercises throughout different phases of the basketball year, adjusting volume and intensity based on competitive demands and individual athlete needs.

Off-Season Programming:

During the off-season, when competitive demands are minimal, these exercises can be emphasized more heavily. This is the ideal time to address movement quality issues, build strength through full ranges of motion, and develop the foundation that will support in-season performance. Focus on progressive overload through increased weight, volume, or movement complexity.

Pre-Season Integration:

As the season approaches, the emphasis shifts toward maintaining the qualities developed during the off-season while beginning to introduce more basketball-specific movement patterns. The reactive and agility-based exercises become more prominent, while the strength-focused exercises might be maintained at moderate intensities to preserve training adaptations without adding excessive fatigue.

In-Season Considerations:

During the competitive season, these exercises serve primarily to maintain the qualities developed during the off-season. Volume and intensity are reduced, but movement quality remains paramount. The injury prevention benefits of exercises like the reverse sled drag and front foot elevated goblet split squat become particularly valuable during this phase.

Conclusion: Building Basketball Athletes for Long-Term Success

These ten exercises represent more than just a collection of movements—they form a systematic approach to addressing the unique needs of basketball players. Each exercise serves multiple purposes, from building strength and power to improving movement quality and preventing injuries. The key to success lies not just in performing these exercises, but in understanding why they work and how they contribute to improved basketball performance.

The most successful basketball training programs recognize that strength and conditioning isn’t separate from basketball skill development—it’s foundational to it. Better movement quality leads to more efficient skill execution. Increased strength and power provide the physical tools needed to execute skills at game speed. Improved injury resistance ensures that athletes can maintain their development trajectory over time.

As you implement these exercises, remember that consistency trumps perfection. Focus on movement quality over ego-driven loads, and understand that the benefits accumulate over time. The basketball player who dedicates themselves to this systematic approach to strength and conditioning will find themselves with advantages that go far beyond just being stronger or more athletic—they’ll move better, feel better, and perform better on the court.

Whether you’re a player looking to take your game to the next level or a coach seeking to optimize your athletes’ development, these ten exercises provide a proven framework for basketball-specific training success. The time invested in mastering these movements and understanding their applications will pay dividends in improved performance, reduced injury risk, and longer, more successful basketball careers.