How to fine-tune the BFS Program for basketball
How to fine-tune the BFS program for basketball ILogan Aronhalt started the BFS program in the sixth grade and became the all-time leading scorer at Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio. He now attends the University of Albany, where he plays guard and forward. f you just went by the physiques of basketball players from several decades ago, especially in the NBA, you would think that you were looking at a different sport. Gone are the days of teams comprised of a tall, lanky center supported by four smaller, quicker teaammates. Now everyone is tall, everyone is quick – and unless you saw them in person, you wouldn’t guess that the average player is over 6 foot 6 and weighs 225 pounds.
Indeed, today’s professional basketball player is the living personification of our motto: Bigger, Faster, Stronger. Although NBA players are exceptional physical specimens and do not reflect the typical body types of most mortals, their example has led players of all ages and at all levels to make strength training a key aspect of their training. And the reason is simple. Whether it’s maneuvering for position under the basket or fighting for a rebound, the stronger athlete will almost always win. And this is always true with the women’s game. Just ask Erin Aitken, head coach of the Lodi SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 High School girls basketball team in Lodi, California.
In the feature story on her championship team that appeared in the July/August 2007 issue of BFS, Coach Aitken talked about the benefits the team experienced after implementing the BFS program. “One thing I’ve really noticed since we started the BFS program is that we don’t have nearly the amount of tied-up balls that cause jump balls. It’s unbelievable the number of tied-up balls you have at the high school level, but our girls are getting the loose balls because they are strong enough to literally rip the ball out of opponents’ arms. And the weight training has been tremendous for the confidence level of the girls – they are more willing to take risks.
I constantly tell my players, ‘If you can squat 200 pounds, are you trying to tell me that those girls can knock you out of the way?’ And they look at me and say, ‘Yeah, Coach, you’re right!’ ” Of course, if a basketball player just focuses on powerlifting or bodybuilding during the off-season, they will be at a definite disadvantage compared to other players who have worked on the entire array of athletic fitness qualities required to excel in BFS clinician Jim Brown was Tyler Hansbrough’s strength coach at Poplar Bluff High School in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
Hansbrough led his North Carolina Tar Heels to a national championship last season and was drafted in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. this game. Basketball players need to be able to jump, they need quickness, they need agility and they need muscular endurance. And the best way to do this is with the BFS Total Program. The basic BFS system for offseason training is set up on four-week cycles, each focusing on a different set-rep cycle: Week 1: 3x3; Week 2: 5x5; Week 3: 5-4-3-2-1; Week 4: 10-8-6 (or 4-4-2 for power cleans and deadlifts). During the week weight training is performed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; speed, agility and plyometrics are performed on Tuesday and Thursday.
One aspect of the BFS program is that it is flexible, allowing the coach to use the exercises he or she believes will best benefit the team or an individual player. Because of the higher risk of ankle injuries in basketball compared to other sports, a coach may decide that the plyo ramp would be a better agility exercise than ladder drills. Or that the military press would be a better auxiliary exercise than a barbell incline press. We offer guidelines, but in the end it’s the coach who can make the best decisions for his or her players. The accompanying table shows the general outline of an off-season and an in-season workout for basketball.
For more information on how to perform these exercises, pick up The BFS Total Program has enabled countless basketball programs to enjoy many championship seasons. One such team is the Lady Flames of Lodi High School in Lodi, California.
BFS PROGRAM a copy of Dr. Greg Shepard’s classic also offers many multimedia tools to help you master the BFS program, depending upon your learning style.
We have set-rep logbooks, Beat the Computer software, instructional DVDs, an online learning center, clinics and certifications. It may be true that talent prevails, but the game of basketball has evolved at all levels. And to stay in the game, players who want to win need to spend time in the weightroom as well as on the court.
BFS FIVE-DAY SCHEDULES FOR BASKETBALL Table 1: BFS Off-Season Program (Outline) MONDAY Table 2: BFS Off-Season Program (Sample Workout) MONDAY Table 3: BFS In-Season Program (Outline) MONDAY Table 4: BFS In-Season Program (Sample Workout) MONDAY Sets & Reps DVD $29 :LLOV^[VYLJVYK SPM[ZJVYYLJ[S`HUK[YHJR WYVNYLZZ >H[JOOV^[VIYLHR VYTVYLYLJVYKZL]LY` ^LLR TPU\[LZVM PUZ[Y\J[PVU Record Cards 79¢ Minimum 50 WHJR WHJR ;YHJR^LLRZ )SHJR)S\L.YLLU VY9LK(ZRHIV\[ *\Z[VT*VSVYZ Readiness Book $225 Readiness Cards 50¢ Min.
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From BFS Magazine — September/October 2009. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
