How to do a pool workout for basketball

Step 1

Pool workouts are a great cross training tool for basketball players. They are especially helpful when you are battling injuries because there is less pounding on your joints then when you practice on a hardwood court. Pool workouts give you a great total body workout which will make your transition back to the court an easier one.

Step 2

The set of resistance bands can be used to add extra resistance to a running workout within the pool. When you get ready to jump in the water, bring the resistance bands to the pool and tie one end around a stationary object and the other end around your waste (a partner can also get in the water with you and serve this purpose), then do the following set of exercises.

Step 3

First, do a sprint in the water for 30 sec, fighting against the force of the band. Do a set of 5-10 and make sure to sprint as fast as you can so that you feel the burn in your legs.

Step 4

Second, do a set of defensive slides for 30 sec intervals. Make sure to bend you knees and focus on pushing off your back leg in order to simulate a defensive slide on the court.

Step 5

Third, practice alternating bounding one-legged jumps. Explode off of your right leg to start and then switch to your left leg. The key is to jump as far as possible in order to work on your explosion.

Step 6

You can also do a regular swimming workout which provides great cardio, especially if you are not use to swimming. I have found that the most challenging stroke that provides the greatest workout is the freestyle stroke. Depending on whether you are swimming in a 25m or a 50m pool you can swim several laps using the freestyle stroke then switch to breaststroke or backstroke to give yourself a break.

Step 7

A good goal is to swim between 1000-2000m per workout. This amount of yardage combined with the explosive movements should go a long way in helping you recover from your injury while maintaing your overall fitness.