Strength training with resistance bands can be a training solution for many sports. When implementing a women’s basketball strength training program at a high school or small college program, there are several challenges that often stall progress.
- Access to weight room for the female athlete is a universal issue among many high schools and small colleges with the male
sport dominance. After school the weight room is often dominated by off-season football or power-lifting making it difficult for female sports to access and in most cases weight room size does not allow both programs to train simultaneously. - Striking a balance between skill training, game planning and strength training is always a constant struggle for many head coaches especially if court time comes at a premium.
- Travel is more of an issue at the college level versus the high school level. Being able to build in short strength training workouts on the road may be needed in order to maintain strength levels.
- Most strength training equipment is not designed for the female athlete. As a result most female athletes are relegated to portable equipment like dumbbells, medicine balls or kettle bells.
- Motivating the female basketball athlete to strength train can be challenging especially if they have not been provided the necessary training instruction or been fortunate to have access to a weight room setting early in their career.
A viable solution for women’s basketball strength training
As a result of these challenges strength training with resistance bands have become, for many coaches, an effective strength training alternative that eliminates many of the above barriers that come with creating a consistent women’s basketball strength training program.
Train on or off the road
First of all, the portability of a resistance band allows training to occur anywhere there is floor space which instantly makes the basketball court a weight room option. In turn this also eliminates the concern for weight room accessibility on or off the road. This same portability factor also allows coaches to quickly and efficiently build into practice short strength training sessions without leaving the court or dramatically disrupting the practice flow. Often this change of pace not only keeps practice fresh but eases the struggle with balancing skill training, game planning and strength training.
Unlimited Resistance Options
41 inch continuously looped resistances Quantum bands come in a variety of strength levels and can easily adapt to all body structures. As a result resistance band training is a very female friendly strength training tool that comes with a short learning curve.
Adapts to any situation
When it comes to creating a women’s basketball strength training program there are several tools that can be used to get results. However very often it is not the tool but how well the tool can adapt to the circumstances presented. Resistance bands easily adapt to any circumstance and with their unlimited versatility make them a very viable women’s basketball strength training program option in season and out of season.
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The following are 10 single band exercises allow you to perform strength training with resistance bands on the court as a strength circuit or as individual exercises.
Squat Press
Split Squat
Seated Row
Triceps Extension
Front Squat
Hammer Curl
Resisted Pillar
Dead lift
Pull-a-Parts
Reverse Lunge
To get Quantum Bands (and many other bands) for these drills go to ResistanceBandTraining.com.
About the Author: Dave “The Band Man™” Schmitz, has been writing, teaching and training how to implement strength training with resistance bands for rehabilitation, fitness and performance since 1996. In 2008 Dave founded Resistance Band Training Systems, LLC and with that launched Resistancebandtraining.com, the only online website exclusively devoted to training with RBT Quantum Bands. As a teacher and coach, Dave has authored and produced 100’s of articles, digital training resources and DVDs as well as creating the only online Resistance Band Training Certification and virtual band training membership site “The Band Gym.” All of these unique resources have allowed Dave the platform to teach 1000’s of coaches, athletes, therapists, doctors, trainers, teachers and fitness enthusiasts how to get their body looking, feeling and moving better training with continuously looped resistance bands. Since December of 2008, Dave has hosted the RBT newsletter and blog that today includes special weekly events like, A Minute with The Band Man, RBT Weekly and the Friday RBT Workout. Along being a national and international speaker, Dave also consults regularly with over 100 high schools, universities and private performance training business. As a result of his efforts in 2011 and 2012 Dave was recognized as one of Top 100 most influential Fitness Professionals in America.
Dave also gives back on a local level as the owner of G’Town Boot Camps and G’Town Fast-n-Fit while also volunteering his time since 2010 as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for Germantown High School Athletics (Germantown, Wisconsin). Dave is a 1986 Graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where he earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Physical Therapy with an emphasis in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Athletic Training.