Which is best for a basketball player? Strength Training or Plyometrics

A vertical jump is necessary for a basketball player since the player needs to jump high so that he could reach the basketball ring easily. The player could benefit in two ways; first they could easily get the rebound whenever someone misses. Second, their shots are harder to block when making a jump shots.

How can we increase our vertical jump?

We can increase the vertical jump with plyometric training and strength training. Most of the time basketball players are torn between which workout is best for increasing vertical jump.

The difficulty on what works best is those two are effective, but works differently. Over a short period of time (1 to 2 months), it’s unlikely that there’ll be a significant difference between plyometric training and strength training in terms of vertical jump increase.

In basketball, players need to jump fast, but it must have a power so that they could jump high. If you are one that works all day in the gym, you can increase your vertical jump through squats. However, basketball players would not benefit from a stronger lower body since they need a fast and explosive jump. Yes, they do have high vertical jump, but it takes a lot of time to do that jump. They should add some plyometrics to their routine to get the best out of the two.

Plyometrics helps the muscle to contract immediately in response to loading. To get a good understanding of why plyometrics work, remember that power and strength are different. Strength is the ability to deliver force, whereas power is the ability to deliver force over a period of time. For the muscles involved in a jump, it is not only desirable for them to contract forcefully, but to contract forcefully and quickly!

Strength training is vital. I like to think of strength as the engine behind the jump, and plyometrics as the electronics that help get that horsepower to the wheels (legs in this case!)

A combination of the two is ideal for a basketball player because it goes hand-in-hand inside the court. Strength training help strengthen whole body while plyometric training improves vertical jump.

Don’t rush with the result; it would need a steady pace of exercises before you can see results. Make sure to measure your vertical before and after your program. Measuring frequently can result in an early quit if one week does not yield good results, even though big gains might be right around the corner.