In season high school basketball program

[Moyer]

I've been asked to volunteer in setting up a lifting program for a local high school basketball team. With their current practice schedule & two games a week, I've been told that they can have only 2 thirty minute sessions a week of weight lifting. There's 20 kids & 10 benches & power racks, so luckily we have enough equipment to work with if they split into pairs and take turns.

I know a decent amount about weight lifting, but next to nothing about basketball, and I've never coached anything. I'm assuming that in-season, these kids are going to be worn out, so I'll need to keep the volume down. This is what I'm considering so far. I still need to run through it to see if 30 minutes is realistic.

-Workout 1-
Squats 1x5
Bench 1x5
Chins - 2 sets max reps. Would sub out for jumping chins or inverted rows for kids that can't do full sets of chins.

-Workout 2-
Squats 1x5 (this may be an 80% squat day)
Press 1x5 (maybe more reps here?)
DL 1x5

*All 1x5 exercises would include quick warm up sets & working up to the top set.


Should I consider subbing in a 1-leg exercise? The coach wants me to add arms & "core exercises". No way am I adding any extra arm crap, but I'm considering abs & planks. 30 min just doesn't seem like much to work with. Are DLs too much for in-season training? Is this rep scheme/volume appropriate?

Any tips for keeping a bunch of kids focused during all of this?

I know I have too many questions here, but when it comes to high school strength coaching, I couldn't think of anyone better to ask. Thank you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd pass on this wonderful opportunity if I were you. The coach hasn't given you enough time to do what he wants done, and what he wants done is PT/bodybuilding-derived conventional wisdom bullshit. Sorry to be so negative, but under these circumstances this cannot be done correctly.

[Moyer]

I assume that means you think they'd need more volume than this? I basically just took SS and cut down volume since it's in-season we're just trying to maintain strength.

My opinion does hold some weight. It's his first year at head coach, so if there's something entirely different I need to push for, I'd be happy try.

[38SS]

Just my opinion but - I've spent a large part of my life playing basketball and lifting weights.

For in season training - I think you are on the right track. You can't gain strength during the season and that shouldn't be your goal. You can only help to maintain some of what you gained in the off season. Working up to a hard set in squats, deadlifts, bp, and press and some chins would seem to make sense to me (even in 30 minutes). Forget the ab work. What you are doing is similar to what my HS program did and it worked well.

Dedicated arm work is the WORSE thing to do in season - completely throws off your shot more than the other lifts and has few advantages.

Off season - you would do something like SS, texas method etc. up the volume and get strong. IMO Strengh is a HUGE advantage in basketball. Quickness goes up with strength. The game has become much more physical and the stronger athelete have a big advantage.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I assume that means you think they'd need more volume than this?

It needs more time, since you cannot work with 20 kids doing 4 exercises + "arms" in 30 minutes. And the fact that the coach has given you 2 30-min. periods each week to get this done shows you how he values it.

You can't gain strength during the season and that shouldn't be your goal. You can only help to maintain some of what you gained in the off season.

Please explain what prevents a novice from gaining strength during a sports season.

[mlentzner]

This is what I would do:

2xWeek

Push Press (2x5 WU) 1x5
Deadlift (2x5 WU) 1x5
Goblet Squat 3x10
Pushup 3x10 (slow tempo, think moving plank)

These are all easy to teach so you can get down to business right away.

You'll have to hustle to get it done in 30 minutes, but the squats and pushups won't require much, if any, supervision, once the kids know what to do. You'll probably have to pre-set up several bars for PP and DL and have the kids go to each bar as they warm-up - something like that, but it will be a challenge.

That's not SS at all. But you can't do it in the time available anyway. Assuming they have more time available for an off-season program, they should be in a good position to do SS with excellent results after doing this (for example, they will already have a reasonable idea how to squat).

[Moyer]

No arms. Arm crap is already out.


I never played basketball. I think my mistake was that when I researched in-season training, I was reading about college level D-1 type stuff, where strength gains would be much harder to accomplish.

If I added extra core work it would only be side planks (1min each side), and 2 sets of crunches or knee raises on the 2nd workout. I could also make it 2x5 or even 3x5 for some of these lifts depending on recovery ability.

[Moyer]

I've been told that the players are already familiar with these exercises, so I'm hoping form coaching won't be that time consuming (yes Rip will probably role his eyes and laugh at this comment).

I'm still assuming that it'll take a few workouts to get the full exercise schedule going, similar to the progression at the beginning of SS. Maybe I'm terribly nieve, but at least I'll learn something.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're going to learn several things.

[Moyer]

You're going to learn several things.

What would you actually do if you had extra time? The full SS program?