Strength Training
While proper nutrition is key, it's also important to build muscle mass through strength training.
Alan Stein, the strength coach at basketball power DeMatha, says that the main component to weight gain is nutrition. He also said that from a strength training standpoint, he doesn't do anything special for players who specifically need to gain weight because "95 percent of all high school basketball players need to gain muscle mass and get stronger."
He does offer these three tips for players wanting to build muscle mass:
- Lift like a bird, look like a bird. You need to progressively add resistance in order to get stronger and gain muscle weight. Don't be afraid to push weight! You should aim for a weight that is challenging to get 10-12 reps. Those last few reps should be really difficult. If you are still lifting the same weight 60 days later, you haven't gotten any stronger.
- Get more bang for your buck. Don't bother with lateral raises and curls. Perform multi-joint exercises that work several muscle groups at once. Chest presses, shoulder presses, pull-ups, and rows for your upper body; and squats, deadlifts, lunges and step-ups for your lower body.
- You are not an Olympic lifter or bodybuilder, so don't train like one. Strength training for basketball is a means to an end, not an end itself. You need to train for the demands of the game, not for show and not for skill. Doing three sets of concentration curls will do nothing to help you on the court. Your body functions as a unit on the court, so it should do the same in the weight room.
What You Can Expect
So you've got a plan in place, either through research or hiring a dietician or following some new guidelines.
When will you start seeing results?
Twombley breaks it down in three different groups, though it varies often by body types, and maturity levels:
- For males under the age of 18, a gain of ½ pound a week is ambitious and may be a challenge.
- For males over the age of 18 who have reached their peak height, you can gain a pound a week or more until you're around 20 years old.
- For females, it's hard to gain much more than ½ pound or a pound a week.
It's important to realize, though, that there's no magic formula. Sometimes, your body won't respond like you want it to. At least not yet.
"Sometimes we'll get guys that come in at 18 or 19 that are still thin, but by 20 are filled out," Twombley said. "They're training just as hard, they're eating just as well. It's just that their bodies are now catching up."
Through the right nutritional habits coupled with strength training, you can maximize your potential to gain good weight. Beyond that, though, it's up to your body to respond favorably to your changes.
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