The weighted rope pull exercise is great for developing strong hands, shoulders, and back. It is good for basketball because it helps to build that dynamic strength and explosiveness that every player should have. Whether it is rebounding the basketball, being strong with the ball, etc., this exercise will translate into different basketball-specific movements similar to these.
During the course of a basketball game, there are going to be numerous times where two players have the chance to get a loose ball, and a big part of that is being able to get your hands on the ball and then being strong enough to take the ball away from the other player. Adding this basketball exercise to your weight room time will give you or your team a better advantage to coming up with those ever-important 50/50 basketballs.
Basketball Exercise Overview
Exercise Name: Weighted Rope Pull Exercise
Equipment Needed: A rope, weighted plate, and a squat rack (can be done without a squat rack if you don’t have access to one).
Similar Basketball Exercises and Resources
Goals of the Exercise
- Develop strength and explosiveness in the hands, shoulders, and upper back.
Coaching Points
- Don’t hunch your back over.
- Use your arms to pull the rope, not your back.
- Exercise can also be done with the rope on the ground rather than wrapped over a squat rack.
Basketball Exercise Instructions
- Place a flat bench in front of the squat rack.
- Toss a heavy rope over the squat rack, and then attach a weighted plate to the end of the rope.
- Now sit down on the flat bench facing the squat rack and grab the rope, so it is taught.
- Keep your back straight the whole time and lean slightly backward.
- Using only your arms, begin to pull the rope to raise the weight plate off the ground.
- Continue to pull the rope hand over hand until the weighted plate reaches the top of the squat rack, and then let it back down to the ground.
- This completes one repetition.
