Basketball Strength Training [Video]: 6 Beginner Exercises for Hoopers
If you’re a basketball player who hasn’t started strength training yet, you’re holding yourself back. Basketball strength training is one of the single most important things you can do to stay healthy, get stronger, and unlock your full athletic potential on the court.
The problem? Most hoopers never start, or they build bad habits in the weight room that create more problems than they solve. Poor technique can lead to overuse injuries, inefficient movement patterns, and wasted energy during games.
The good news: you don’t need a gym membership, equipment, or training experience to start building strength. Below are 6 beginner-friendly basketball strength training exercises you can do anywhere.
Why Basketball Strength Training Matters
Basketball is a high-intensity sport with constant sprinting, cutting, jumping, and contact. Without a strong foundation:
Injuries are more likely — weak muscles and tendons can’t handle the demands of the game.
Performance suffers — you’ll be slower, less explosive, and fatigue faster.
Bad habits sneak in — lifting with poor form loads tissues in stressful ways, leading to long-term pain and poor mechanics.
Strength training fixes this. By learning the right movement patterns and consistently building strength, hoopers develop the durability, power, and efficiency needed to perform at their best.
🏀 Want to Stay Injury-Free While Getting Stronger?
Download my FREE guide: 5 Simple Habits Every Basketball Player Should Build to Stay Injury-Free.
It only takes a few minutes a day, and it could be the difference between sitting out with injuries or staying on the court all season.
6 Beginner Basketball Strength Training Exercises
1. Reverse Lunge
Basketball is full of single-leg movements. The reverse lunge builds lower-body strength, balance, and stability — perfect for landing safely and powering up off one leg.
2. Single-Leg Calf Raise
Every jump, sprint, and change of direction depends on strong calves and Achilles tendons. Calf raises develop that “spring” in your step and reduce ankle injury risk.
3. Reverse Nordic (Quad Strength)
Think of your quads as your body’s brakes. This exercise builds eccentric quad strength, helping you control deceleration and protect your knees during landings.
4. Single-Leg Bridge
Strong glutes are critical for first-step quickness and knee health. The single-leg bridge teaches your glutes and hamstrings to fire properly when you push off.
5. Squat Hold Isometric
An isometric squat hold develops tendon strength, lower-body endurance, and defensive stability — especially late in games when fatigue sets in.
6. two-Leg Pogo Hops
Pogo hops train your tendons like springs, storing and releasing energy for quicker jumps and faster movements — without the joint stress of repeated max jumps.
How to Start Basketball Strength Training
If you’re new, keep it simple and start with this:
Frequency: 2–3 times per week.
Sets/Reps: 2–3 sets of 4–12 reps of each exercise except closer to 20-25 reps for the pogo hops (and 15–25 seconds for the squat hold).
Focus: Perfect form comes first — speed and weight come later.
Progression: Start here. Once you’ve mastered bodyweight with these sets and reps, add more sets and reps and eventually some resistance or advanced variations.
Final Word
Basketball strength training doesn’t have to be intimidating. With just a few minutes and no equipment, you can start building the strength foundation that keeps you healthy and elevates your performance on the court.
👉 Want more? Watch my YouTube Short on Basketball Strength Training where I demo each exercise.
👉 Or grab my FREE guide: 5 Simple Habits Every Basketball Player Should Build to Stay Injury-Free.