College Basketball Yearlong Training Plan

 Jason Price, MS, CSCS, ATC, LAT, CPT, USAW Club Coach

This article is going to focus on the structure of a well planned year long training program or for a Basketball player or team. This article is not going to lay out a cookie cutter exercise routine for a basketball player or team. So, if that is what you are looking for stop reading now and go back to Google and try again. What this article is going to do is lay out a year long training philosophy utilizing the principles of Periodization.

Briefly let us review the concept of Periodization. Periodization is a separating of a training plan into distinct periods which each have a specific goal in mind. As we discussed earlier this article is going to be about the philosophy behind setting up the yearlong training program or what is called a Macrocycle in Periodization terms. The Macrocycle can be separated into four separate phases of training during the year long program. These smaller phases are the Prepatory Phase, First Transition, Competition Phase, and Second Transition. These Phases can be broken up into even smaller periods called Mesocycles. During the Prepatory Phase it is broken up into three smaller periods or Mesocycles and these Mesocycles can be broken up into smaller Microcycles. These smaller Mesocycles and Microcycles each have a specific goal which is being trained during that time. The Prepatory Phase is broken into the Hypertrophy/Endurance Period, the Basic Strength Period, and the Strength & Power Period. After all three periods of the Prepatory Phase have been completed a program will enter its first transition. This transition period is a period to bridge the Out of season training to the In-Season Competition Phase. During the Competition Phase the focus of the training goes to maintenance. Again, the Phase is split up into Microcycles which each have its specific goal. After the Competitive season the year long program enters its Second Transition Phase which bridges the completion of the year long training program and prepares the individual for another training year and the next Macrocycle.

Basketball is inherently a sport which is played during the winter months. The College level season begins roughly Mid October and goes until the end of February and into March, only the top Division I programs last into April. Now when devising a year long strength & Conditioning program one must make concessions that the individual player is going to participate in other basketball related activities that need to be taken into account when coming up with the program. Many College teams will travel around the world playing games. Most College Basketball players will participate in some type of summer league and play in regular pickup games, this activity needs to be taken into account. It is important that the total volume of training encompass all of the basketball activities and not just be focused on what takes place in the weight room.

The first part of the yearly plan for a college basketball player begins in April and goes till the end of September. This is the Prepatory period of training and will include the off-season and pre-season Mesocycles. The major goal of this period is to establish the athlete’s base level of conditioning and fitness. This Prepatory period is broken up into three main phases. They are the hypertrophy & endurance phase, the basic strength phase and the strength & power phase.

The Hypertrophy & endurance phase should be about 8-10 weeks in length and will begin in April and end right around the middle to end of May. This phase is to establish a base level of conditioning and to try to develop lean muscle mass. This phase should begin with some baseline testing at the beginning of the phase. The volume of training will be relatively high to moderate with intensity of training being fairly low to moderate (50-70% 1RM). Rest periods should be short around 30 to 90 seconds in duration between sets. The number of training sessions should be relatively high as the athlete should try to make it into the weight room between 3-6 times during a week. During this phase the athlete should try to make working out in the weight room a priority as in this phase what is considered the traditional off-season, Basketball activities should be kept at a minimum.

After successfully completing the hypertrophy and endurance phase the off-season training begins to get more specific towards developing the basketball player’s strength. The Basic Strength Phase should be between 12-14 weeks in duration and will be from mid May to the middle or end of July. This phase is designed to increase muscle strength. Intensities of 80-90% 1 RM create a high intensity which is focal for developing basic strength. As the intensity increased from the previous phase the overall volume of training will decrease slightly. A moderate overall training volume will be more beneficial with the increased intensity of training. Exercises with 3-5 sets and consisting of 4-8 reps would dictated this moderate volume. Rest periods should reflect the % RM being lifted and the higher the percentage then the longer the rest interval between sets. So, light loads should be followed by 1 to 2 minute rest intervals and heavier loads with 3-5 minute rest intervals. The total amount of training sessions should decrease a bit to 3-4 sessions a week to allow for an increased amount of Basketball activities. However, the athlete should still make the weight room a priority and keep training consistently.

The final Phase of the Prepatory period is the traditional pre-season phase. This Strength & Power phase will take the athlete right up to the beginning of the season and should last between 12-14 weeks. The primary goal of this phase is to begin training near the intensity of the sport and to develop the power and strength of the athlete. The intensity of this phase is very high with exercises being performed at 85-95% 1 RM. Volume during this period is similar to the basic strength phase but it is important to remember as intensity increases the volume should decrease. The athlete should be training between 3-4 sessions a week during this phase. At the conclusion of this phase a round of testing should take place to monitor improvements and to help set the weights that the in season maintenance training will take place at.

After completing the Prepatory period there should be a transition period of a week or two where the athlete does not participate in any organized lifts or conditioning activities. Now, this transition period is not sitting in the couch and not doing anything. It is a period of active rest and helps to prepare the athlete for the upcoming season. Training should be decreased to 2-3 non mandatory sessions a week and volume is very low and intensities are moderate to low. This transition period is very important to go through because a process called de-loading will allow the body to prepare for the rigors of the upcoming season.

During the In-Season the Competition period kicks into full swing. The Basketball season for most schools begins on October 15th each year. The season will last until late February or for the successful few go until late march or early April for the Division I programs. The major focus of the competition phase is to maintain the gains of the off season. This maintenance program is designed to keep the athlete strong throughout the season. Keeping the body strong will help to reduce the risk of injury and have the athlete feeling strong for the most important games at the end of the season. Intensity during this period is relatively moderate with loads of 80-85 % 1RM. Exercises should be performed at this intensity with relatively low volume, 2-4 sets per exercise and 6-8 reps will be suffice enough to help maintain strength. Short rest periods should go along with the low volume and moderate intensity. The athlete should participate in at least 1-2 sessions a week. Two sessions is preferred but during weeks with several contests or high intensity practices one session will be sufficient. No more than 10 days should go by between training sessions during the Competition period.

Following the competition it is important to have another Transition period. This Second Transition is the bridge to the next yearly plan. During this second transition focus should go away from basketball. The long season has just come to a close. It is good both physically and mental for the athlete to get away from their sport for a while. They should focus on activities of active rest and activities that bring enjoyment to them. Utilizing resistance training is fine during this phase but intensity and volume should be low. The major purpose of the second transition is to recover from the previous season. This is the time to heal injuries, maintain fitness level, and to rest.

A well thought out yearly strength and conditioning plan will maximize the adaptations from training and help to maintain these benefits of training over the course of the year. Lets face it athletes train to improve and become better at their sport. Providing a yearly training plan with specific goals and phases designed around the Basketball season the Athlete will be set up to make great gains not only in the weight room but on the court as well.