Being able to move quickly forward, backward, and laterally in basketball has a lot to do with flexibility and the ability to play down at a certain level. If you are always straight up and down, you won’t be able to generate quick and explosive movements when defensive sliding, ripping through, etc. The bodyweight squat exercise will help you specifically work on opening up your hips and core and developing strength in your legs. By practicing this movement in the weight room, you will be able to transfer it over to the court, and you will be able to play lower to the floor.
This is also a beginner basketball exercise that will help you work on your form before getting into doing weight squats with a barbell or dumbbells. The reason for this is because you want to make sure that your form is correct. This will hopefully help to prevent injuries and also maximize the muscle growth and strength in your legs. You really want to make sure that you are getting all the way down and back up on each repetition.
Basketball Exercise Overview
Exercise Name: Body Weight Squat Exercise
Equipment Needed: None.
Similar Basketball Exercises and Resources
Goals of the Exercise
- Work on squatting form, flexibility, and leg strength.
Coaching Points
- Keep your weight on your heels as you squat down and stand back up.
- Go all the way down until your quads are parallel to the ground.
- Really focus on having great form and technique.
Basketball Exercise Instructions
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your feet angled slightly outwards.
- Bend at the knees and squat down till your quads are parallel to the ground; keep your weight on your heels.
- Extend your arms out as you do to help with balance.
- Stand back up and drive your hips forward as you do.
- This completes one repetition.
