DOCTORS, TRAINERS AND CONDITIONING COACHES

by Phil Dyer

MEDICINE BALL
EXERCISES FOR
BASKETBALL

Phil Dyer is currently

working as the Head
Athletic Trainer at
Caldwell College in
Caldwell,
New
Jersey. He is a licensed, certified Athletic
Trainer as well as a
certified Strength &
Conditioning
Specialist. He over
sees all rehabilitation
and
strengthening
programs for the athletes, especially the
basketball programs.

WOODCHOPPERS

Medicine ball exercises can help a basketball player learn to

maintain a functional
athletic
basketball
position (squat position: defensive stance, initial shooting
position, defensive
block-out, rebound)
through strength, stabilization, coordination and flexibility
while doing core
movements. This is an
important aspect of
training for basketball,
because the squat
position and the core
are the basis for triple extension (hips,
knees, ankles).
As stated in a prior article on box agilities,
strengthening the muscles for these three
joints will allow an athlete to handle the forces required playing the game at a competitive level. These five medicine ball exercises will not only help strengthen the key

components of triple extension but also

tap into the athletes potential through
the movements these exercises require.
The use of medicine balls for basketball
training is extremely functional, because there is a direct correlation between
the exercise and the play on the court.
The medicine balls used range from 2 kg

to 5 kg, and the sets range from two three of five to ten repetitions for each
side or leg.
WOODCHOPPERS
The woodchopper series involves
three motions - straight down, angled right shoulder to left knee, angled - left
FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE | 10 2004 | PAGE 59

DOCTORS, TRAINERS AND CONDITIONING COACHES

EXTENDED
ROTATION

shoulder to right knee. Start by standing with knees slightly flexed, feet
shoulder width apart, upper body
erects - core tight, ball extended high
overhead. The motion is swinging the
ball straight down between the legs
(keeping the arms straight) below the
knees. As the ball nears the mid-section of the body, start to bend at the
hips - knees to allow the balls momentum to flow all the way down near the
floor. Start to decelerate the ball with
the core when it approaches the
shins. Explode back up into the original position. The angled motions are
done the same way, except now the
ball starts across the body at the
shoulders and angles down to the outside of the opposite knee.
PAGE 60 | 10 2004 | FIBA ASSIST MAGAZINE

Keys to this exercise are to use the

hips and knees as stabilizers so that
the core can significantly benefit from
the motion of the ball. Keeping the
arms straight will allow more force to
be generated, thus adding stress on
the mid-section (core), while recruiting more muscles around the leg
joints to stabilize. This is a great exercise for strengthening the lower back.
EXTENDED ROTATION
Start in solid squat position (standing
with hips, knees flexed, feet shoulder
width apart, upper body erect - core
tight). The ball is extended straight out
from the body just above the waist.
Start by twisting (can be either direction first) towards the right, accelera-

ting the ball with the core. Keep the

arms as straight as possible while
trying to reach the ball all the way to
the side of the body. Bring the ball
back to the starting position, pause,
and then explode in the other direction.
Keys to this exercise are to make sure
the lead hip (direction the ball is accelerating) is flexing and the trail hip is
extending. Concentrate on keeping the
ball above the waist, and pausing at
the starting point. This ensures the
proper movement is started and
muscles are recruited each time. This
exercise is a good way to teach a
basketball player to strengthen his
stance while overcoming lateral forces.