by Shen-Li Lee

Created on: November 04, 2009

Basketball is an extremely demanding sport involving constant motion. It involves quick changes in speed and direction, and jumping - all of which require an individual to have good stamina. In order to achieve the state of physical fitness required, it is important for basketball players to undertake off-season training programs.

Off-season training programs aim to achieve several things - increase strength for muscular power and force, stamina, speed, and flexibility. As with any other exercise program undertaken, they must include a short warm-up and cool-down period to prevent the risk of injuries and muscle strains. For the purpose of this article, we will focus only on the exercises that help to increase stamina.

Regular interval training and running drills are often recommended training programs for building stamina in basketball players. Other stamina-building exercises include aerobic exercises, weight training, and pylometric training.

1. Interval Training

Interval training is important for helping individuals get into shape for the fast-pace action of a basketball game. It helps players develop the explosive power that is mandatory on a basketball court if they hope to reach their maximum potential. Interval training involves exercises that alternate between short, hard bursts of speed interspersed with short recovery periods. This mimics exactly the sort of action that occurs on the basketball as players run from one end of the court to the other.

Off-season interval training should commence three or four weeks prior to the commencement of the basketball season. Due to the gruelling nature of interval training, it should never be performed two days in a row as it is important to have at least 48 hours for recovery.

The following is an example of a running interval training program:

Day 1

- Sprint for 30 meters then walk 30 meters. Repeat five times.

- Sprint for 50 meters then walk 50 meters. Repeat five times.

- Sprint for 30 meters then walk 30 meters. Repeat three times.

- Sprint for 60 meters then walk 60 meters. Repeat three times.

Day 3

- Sprint for 50 meters, stride 50 meters, walk 100 meters. Repeat eight times.

Day 5

- Sprint for 30 meters then walk 30 meters. Repeat four times.

- Sprint for 60 meters then walk 60 meters. Repeat four times.

- Sprint for 100 meters then walk 100 meters. Repeat four times.

Remember that it is important to adequately warm-up and cool-down to avoid injuries. A series of stretching exercises after the cool-down

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