Many coaches and players equate athleticism with physical fitness. Being physically fit is not only essential from a health standpoint, but the following components are equally important for the serious basketball player:.
Cardiovascular Conditioning.
Strength Training.
Flexibility.
Special Drills.
Plyometrics.
For an athlete, however, maintaining a physical capacity beyond the basic standards for health and wellness is critical to insure a high level of performance for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, many pro players who appear to be in great shape pay too little attention to their physical, mental, social, and emotional health, and then wonder why their playing careers are cut short.
Cardiovascular Conditioning.
Cardiovascular conditioning in most cases in an extension of your warm-up. This type of conditioning is necessary to strengthen the efficiency of your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs). Your endurance will increase, as your cardiovascular system becomes stronger.
Your heart is a muscle that requires strengthening just like the other muscles in the body. There are numerous advantages to having a strong cardiovascular system; one of the most important pertaining to athletics is that you will be able to recover from long or short bouts of intense activity.
Cardiovascular conditioning can be performed by any activity utilized in the warm-up for a long duration, between 15 to 60 minutes; 3 to 5 times per week is all that is usually necessary: Running, cycling, and stair-climbing are just a few of the many activities that can be used as a type of cardiovascular activity.
Strength Training.
Basketball is no longer strictly a finesse sport. The profile of today's players bears scant resemblance to the thin and wiry players who graced the courts as little as 10 years ago, from the high school level on up players must be strong enough to fight through the pick, yet remain nimble enough to spin-dribble through traffic en route to a monster slam dunk.