5 Workouts that will Elevate your Game
June 15, 2023
By Dylan Tehada
Did you know you can quickly master a skill by practicing for just 5 minutes a day? Multiple studies have proven that small, incremental improvements every day yield substantial mental and physical growth. James Clear, author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller Atomic Habits, discusses the concept of continuous improvement and how small changes every day lead to exponential progress towards a goal. This concept is especially relevant when it comes to mastering the fundamentals of a sport. Basketball is a game of reps. The more you dribble, shoot, or even jump, the stronger foundation you will have to develop your game and add skills to your bag. With this in mind, here are 5 workouts you can practice at home for just 5 minutes a day to elevate your game.
Calf Raises
Jumping is an essential physical skill in order to excel at the game of basketball. Strong jumping mechanics come into play in all facets of the game whether it be getting boards, finishing in the paint, or shooting a jumper. If you want to jump higher the key muscles to target are your calves. A great exercise to isolate this muscle group are calf raises.
How to:
Find an elevated surface where your feet can hang off the edge (ex: a stair step or a stack of books)
(Optional) If you want to challenge yourself, grab weights for each hand
Put your toes on the edge of the surface with your heels hanging off
Lower your heel towards the floor and raise yourself back up right before your heels touch the ground
Skater hop plyometric jump
Another great way to increase explosiveness and jumping ability is to do plyometric exercises. Plyometric exercises exert force in short, quick intervals that work the elastic muscles in the legs which allows for high jumps and quick lateral movement. One plyometric exercise that can be done at home is the skater hop.
How to:
Balance on one foot and jump laterally
Cross the opposite foot that is not planted, behind the front leg
Repeat the motion of jumping laterally in both directions for 10-15 reps on each side
Wall dribbling drills
No matter how much experience you have playing ball, working on dribbling with both hands is something that can always be a skill to improve upon. Wall dribbling drills are a great way to practice keeping your head up when dribbling and developing a good feel in both hands when you dribble. Keeping your head up while dribbling is important because it allows you to survey the court and process the game. Here is a great way to practice this skill at home.
How to:
Find an open area with a wall and a bring a basketball
While dribbling the ball in one hand touch the wall with your opposite hand
After getting a feel for dribbling with both hands, crossover dribble from left to right and touch the wall with the opposite hand as you alternate
To get more advanced, mix in a in between the legs or behind the back dribble while focusing on touching the wall with the hand that is not dribbling
Two basketball dribbling drill
Another way to build strong dribbling skills in both hands is to try two basketball dribbling drills. Dribbling two basketballs at once allows you to develop strength and coordination in both hands. Here are some dribbling drills you can do with two basketballs:
How to:
Find an open area and bring two basketballs
Start by dribbling both basketballs up and down with both hands at the same time (both basketballs should be in sync and hit the floor simultaneously)
Once you start getting a feel for dribbling both at one, try mixing in an in and out dribble with both hands
To get more advanced, you can mix in in between the leg dribbles, crossovers, and behind the back dribbles as you get more comfortable
If you need some inspiration from one of the best dribblers in NBA history, check out this video of Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry doing two basketball dribbling drills as part of his pregame routine.
Stephen Curry 2 ball pre game ball handling warm up
Steve Nash Shooting drill
If you are looking to work on your jumpshot and you have access to a basketball and a hoop, the Steve Nash shooting drill is a great way to develop a consistent jumper from all areas on the court. This 20 minute workout is separated into different intervals that allow you to practice shooting from different angles and distances on the court. If you want to challenge yourself, set a goal of the amount of made baskets you are aiming for and keep track of your results as you shoot.
How to:
-Form shots (20:00-19:00): Focus on your form while shooting from inside the key
-Alternating baseline midrange shots (19:00-18:00): Shoot from both sides of the baseline and switch sides after each shot
-Midrange bank shots (18:00-17:30): Move up the court and find an angle where you can consistently make mid range shots off the glass
-Elbow shots (17:30-17:00): Shoot from both elbows and switch sides after each shot
-Floaters (17:00-15:30): Dribble into the paint and shoot floaters
-Hesitation pull up shots (15:30-14:00): Take one dribble and use a hesitation move to get into your jumper
-Right foot fadeaways from the block (14:00-13:00): Pivot with your right foot on both blocks and shoot a fadeaway jumper, switch sides after each shot
-Left foot fadeaways from the block (13:00-12:00): Pivot with your left foot on both blocks and shoot a fadeaway jumper, switch sides after each shot
-Hook shots from the block (12:00-11:00): Shoot a hook shot from each block, switch sides after each shot
-1 dribble pull up (11:00-9:00): Start at the top of the key and take one dribble into a pull up jumper, alternate the direction of your dribble after each shot
-1 dribble spin (9:00-7:30): Start at the top of the key, take one dribble, and do a spin move into a jumper. Alternate sides after each shot.
-Three pointers (7:30-5:30): Shoot from the three point line from all areas behind the arc
-Step back three pointers (5:00-3:30): Dribble once into a step back three pointer
-Pick and roll jumpers (3:30-1:30): Pretend as if your getting a screen and dribble into a jumper off the pick
- Deep 3 pointers (1:30-0:00): Take a couple steps behind the three point line and shoot from all areas behind the arc
Check out this video of Steve Nash doing the 20 minute workout in the middle of his MVP season in 2005.
Steve Nash MVP Basketball - 03 - 20 Minute Real Time Workout (2005)
Basketball is a game of reps. If you dedicate just a little bit of time every day to work on one skill whether it be dribbling, shooting, or being more explosive, your game will improve exponentially. It doesn’t matter how much talent or experience you have playing ball, if you don’t have the work ethic you won’t reach your full potential. Take it from former NBA MVP, Steve Nash, himself, “if every basketball player worked as hard as me, I would be out of a job.” If you have five minutes to spare during your day consider trying one of these five workouts while you're at home and watch your game grow.
