CP3 2-Ball Progression

This is a great 2 ball dribbling series that NBA stars such as Chris Paul work on to get to get their handles right.  All it takes is spending 10 minutes a day working on this drill, and you will see great improvements in your ballhandling.

For The Love Of The Game

There is nothing like watching somebody do what they love to do; even if that person is Kevin Durant, ranked by most to be top 5 basketball player in the world playing summer league basketball in a junior high school gym.  I love watching the NBA guys playing in the summer leagues around the country in the off-season.  It shows that the game is still just a game and that even the best in the world can have a little fun while competing and proving why they are considered to be the best in the world.

KD is known for jumping on some of the most competitive street ball courts around the country.  Here, in the first part of a new series titled "For the Love of the Game" where we show the some of the best basketball players in the world doing what they love to do for the love of the game rather than for a paycheck, KD is performing at the famed Drew League in Los Angeles, California.  The Drew League is arguably the best summer league in the world, as the Charles Drew Junior High School gym in the tough neighborhood of Compton California hosts 28 invitation only teams that attracts streetball legends, college athletes and many NBA stars such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.

Check out KD below.

No Weight Room? No Excuse...Part 2- Upper Body & Core

Part 2 shows upper body and core exercises that can be performed anywhere, and do not require having access to a weight room.  Again, there is no excuse for not working out.  If you want to be the best, find a way to get it done!

 

This first video shows a basketball player doing upper body and core work using a basketball.  



This second video shows Alan Stein (wearing all black) give a simple yet effective workout.  All you  need for these exercises is a partner, a towel, and a basketball.

GETTING UP ... How To Strengthen The Right Muscles So You Can Jump Higher

Every athlete dreams of jumping higher. 

Basketball players dream of getting up and mimicking Lebron James soaring through the air.  Football players dream of hurdling defenders like Adrian Peterson.  Soccer stars dream of getting up and connecting on crosses like Messi. 

Jumping high requires a high energy output, and your recruitment of many different muscles, including your core, gluteal muscles (butt), and calf muscles.  Muscles such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, and ankle flexors are also important, and strengthening those muscles as well help you reach your max potential as leaper.  Jacob Hiller, the author of "The Jump Manual" and the developers of the Air Alert jumping program both agree that like with other sport-specific activities, you can improve your vertical leap with the proper training and technique.

 

Calf Raises and Box Jumps

Your calf muscles help stabilize your ankles which helps you get a strong push off the ground; the start to a powerful and effective vertical leap.  A study published in the "Journal of Biomechanics" found that to perform you maximal vertical leap, you should start with your feet flat on the ground.  You should then maximally activate your calf muscles until liftoff.

Calf Raises
To strengthen your calf muscles, calf raises are very effective.  Start with your feet flat on the ground, then raise up to your toes. When you are on your toes, you should feel your calf muscles activating and contracting.  Then lower back to the ground.  That is one rep.  Work to getting to 5 sets of 20.

Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps are an explosive way to activate your calf muscles when you jump.  Start on the balls of your feet and then jump vertically as high as you can.  While in the air, bring both of your knees, together, as high as you can to your chest.  On your way down, lower your feet back to the ground.  When you touch the ground on the balls of your feet, immediately explode right back up.  Each jump is 1 rep.  You want to only have a slight bend in your knee every time you touch the ground to ensure that you are activating your calf muscles, and you want to work on getting off the ground as quick as possible.  The less time you spend on the ground, and the quicker that you can get back up, the better.  Work to getting to 3-5 sets of 8-10.

Squats and Squat Jumps; Lunges and Lunge Jumps

Your gluteal muscles help extend your hip and are recruited heavily during your vertical leap.  They help you maintain your upright posture, they work to transfer power from your lower body through your core, and they are the main energy generators of your lower body when you jump because they control the acceleration of your hip when it extends up through your jump.

 Your quads are important in jumping as well.  The quads main responsibility is to extend your knee, and when you leap off the ground, the more explosively you can extend your knee, the more power you have getting off the ground.

The main functions of your hamstrings are to bend the knee and to extend, or straighten, the hip.  Just like with your quads and knees, the more explosively you can extend your hips, the more explosively you can get off the ground.

Squats
Performing deep squats help strengthen the real meat in your lower body - your butt muscles, your quads, and your hamstrings.  You can head to the weight room and make squats an important part of your strength training, or you can do body weight squats.  Working up to 5 sets of 20 on good, deep body weight squats will really help strengthen those lower body muscles.

 Squat Jumps

Squat jumps are a great exercise when trying to build strong and explosive muscles in your butt, quad, and hamstrings.  Start of in a quarter-half squat, low enough to where you feel a little burn in your quads and butt, and leap up as high as you can.  When you land, immediately land back in the partial squat position and fire back up.  Work up to 3-5 sets of 8-10

Planks and Muscle-Up Push-Up

You core muscles, including your abs and back muscles, are important muscles when jumping because they are responsible for the transition of power from your lower body to your upper body.  If you have a strong core, you will be effective at using the power and momentum generated by your lower body and transitioning into your arms to help you achieve your maximum upward lift.

Planks

Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.  Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.  Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.  This works your entire core - your abs, your hips, and your back.

Muscle Up Push Up

This is an explosive full body exercises that requires a strong core.  Start by lying face down, like you are preparing to do a push up.  As you do the push up, explode up and land on your feet.  That is one rep.  This is a high-level, high intensity exercise.  Work your way up to 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps.

 Air Alert II

A great resource to use is Air Alert II: The Complete Vertical Jump Program.  It is a 12 week program that is simple yet effective.  Each workout will take you no more than 30 minutes, and it will definitely improve your jumping ability and your conditioning.

References

VerticalJumping.com: Core Training For An Improved Vertical Jump

Mayo Clinic: Core Exercises: 7 Reasons To Strengthen Your Core Muscles

"Journal of Biomechanics;" Optimal Muscular Coordination Strategies For Jumping; 1991

"Journal of Biomechanics;" Dependence Of Jumping Performance On Muscle Properties When Humans Use Only Calf Muscles For Propulsion; 1984
LiveStrong: What Muscles Do You Use On The Vertical Jump?

 

No Weight Room? No Excuse. Part 1-Lower Body Workout

Having a strong lower body in basketball is crucial if you are going to perform at the highest level possible.  Every time you make an exploding move on offense, jump up for a rebound, move your feet on defense, and sprint the court in transition your legs are what give you the ability to be successful over your opponent. 

 

As an athlete, there are probably more days that you will not have access to a quality weight room than days that you do.  So I guess no workout for the day, right?  Wrong, no matter where you are at, you always have your body weight. 

 

All of these exercises can be performed in your house, your backyard, garage, etc.  All you need to have is something to step up onto such as a chair.



How Bad Do You Want It ???



If you want to be THE BEST at anything you have to be willing to put in more time, more effort, and more work than anyone else.  But more important than any of that, you must have a desire that is unmatched.  Kind of like the desire you feel for air when you are about to drown. 

 

To Be The Best, Study The Best, Emulate The Best ...

Then surpass the best. 
We all have our goals and aspirations.  To be the best we can be, we have to use and take advantage of the resources that are available to us.  In the not so distant past, we had to search through books to find information on how to take our talent to the next level.  In today's world, the internet and YouTube provide a priceless resource for how to improve.

Use that resource, whether your striving to be the best teacher, the best business man, or the best basketball player that you can be.  Learn the drills it takes to be successful, learn how to develop the proper mind frame, and measure your dedication and the time and effort you put into your craft with the greats. 

Here at Raise The Bar, we not only offer individual workouts, but we try to provide a library of gathered information that will help you take your game to the next level!