Bulking up for Basketball

[QUOTE=Euroball5]Floor press is a bench press on the floor.
Ok I'll do 3x8 but just to know why should i change it ?
So should i do all the exercises i mentioned or ust the compound ones?and are there any other exercices i should add/remove[/QUOTE]


You can honestly do what you feel you need to, but IMO, it comes down to time. 5x5 for single joint movements is a waste IMO. I don't see a problem with using all those exercises you have listed, but if it were me, I would say go hard and safely heavy on those compuund movements in a 5x5 scheme, then round out the program day with the single joints in a lower volume higher rep way.

Well you should keep the 5X5 with the compound movements. What you are looking for there is power and 5 reps with heavy weight will give you that. I would try to go extra heavy on that last set and see if I can get 5... if you only get 3 or 4 just keep trying until you get 5. Good decision to use DB's btw... They are so much easier on your joints than barbell (Barbell bench is the absolute worst for your shoulder joints btw... I have messed up my shoulder and chest doing it and it's developed into pain in other joints as well).

Like AB said, you don't want to do that few reps on the iso movements. 8-12 reps is good with those and yes do them after the compound movements. Hit triceps after chest, biceps after back, and traps after shoulders. You can add those wrist curls if you want after Biceps but your forearms get a workout from everything that you do so they really aren't necessary... Be sure to get traps in though. DB and cable shrugs are great. You can also use a barbell too or anything else that you can shrug with. Also, make you sure you hit abs and lower back as well... Do them a couple times a week 4-6 sets for both of them per workout. I like to superset them personally to save time.

So there you go... 3 days a week hitting every muscle and then VJB for 2 and 2 days off. Great program.

And just to add here, something I will be suggesting to Maga1, is IMO, keep the ab movement exercises to a low repetition. Really focus on abdominal/core stability. This is targeted in exercises such as the deadlift and squat, but also in isolation with lying front bridges, side bridges and rehab type movements such as bird dogs. Google them. These are fun and hard because you do them for time. So increasing a hold from 30 seconds to 60 seconds over a few weeks and you can really tell a difference.

[QUOTE=Swaggin916]Well you should keep the 5X5 with the compound movements. What you are looking for there is power and 5 reps with heavy weight will give you that. I would try to go extra heavy on that last set and see if I can get 5... if you only get 3 or 4 just keep trying until you get 5. Good decision to use DB's btw... They are so much easier on your joints than barbell (Barbell bench is the absolute worst for your shoulder joints btw... I have messed up my shoulder and chest doing it and it's developed into pain in other joints as well).

Like AB said, you don't want to do that few reps on the iso movements. 8-12 reps is good with those and yes do them after the compound movements. Hit triceps after chest, biceps after back, and traps after shoulders. You can add those wrist curls if you want after Biceps but your forearms get a workout from everything that you do so they really aren't necessary... Be sure to get traps in though. DB and cable shrugs are great. You can also use a barbell too or anything else that you can shrug with. Also, make you sure you hit abs and lower back as well... Do them a couple times a week 4-6 sets for both of them per workout. I like to superset them personally to save time.

So there you go... 3 days a week hitting every muscle and then VJB for 2 and 2 days off. Great program.[/QUOTE]
Ok so my workout:
DB floor press 5x5
DB rows 5x5
DB shoulder press 5x5
DB curls 3x8
DB tricep exension 3x8
DB shrugs 3x8

I'll be doing it 2 times a week along with 2 team practices a week and 2 vjb days a week.I'll take a weeks rest every 2 weeks.

Thanks for the help guys.:cheers:

[QUOTE=Euroball5]Ok so my workout:
DB floor press 5x5
DB rows 5x5
DB shoulder press 5x5
DB curls 3x8
DB tricep exension 3x8
DB shrugs 3x8

I'll be doing it 2 times a week along with 2 team practices a week and 2 vjb days a week.I'll take a weeks rest every 2 weeks.

Thanks for the help guys.:cheers:[/QUOTE]

Sounds great man that is a great program. Feel free to take some sets off of the VJB tho... with the 2 team practices all the sets in the VJB may be a little too much. It's up to you but I would probably reduce every exercise by one set... so if you have 4 sets of switching lunges maybe only do 3. Week 1 and 4 usually unload weeks tho and don't have many sets so those are fine to keep the way they are. Let us know how it's working out man.

I think my only exercises for now will be pullups supersetted with pushups. These seem to do the job for building size and maybe weight. I will also do squats and squat bounces just to keep my legs active.

[QUOTE=MannyO]I think my only exercises for now will be pullups supersetted with pushups. These seem to do the job for building size and maybe weight. I will also do squats and squat bounces just to keep my legs active.[/QUOTE]

the workouts i have previously posted made me stronger for sure. Maybe I was running ball way too much and it ate into the calories i needed to see my gains.

Honestly for the last 3 months, I have cut down on basketball to 3x a week and my workouts every other day have narrowed down to this:

4 sets of pull ups (15,13,10,8) varying the grips
4 sets of crunches (10reg/10side/10reg/10side/10reg) 50 total
4 sets of pushups (75,65,50,40) wide/normal stance
3 sets of pushups (25) diamond stance (for triceps)
3 sets of db curls 30lb (12)
3 sets of lateral raises 25lb (10)
3 sets of side bends holding a 25lb (30)
3 sets of wall sits (1:30)
3 sets of Machine guns (1:00); the rapid tippy toe drill

when i don't hit the gym (which is usually 2 days during the week) I do these @ home. I have 3 different weights of dumbbells, that's it. Just buy doing these I have seen gains physically (chest is bigger, arms are defining, obliques and abs are starting to come out when i do sidebends).

So yeah Manny, you can get by with tons of pushups situps and pullups :hammerhead: . I will say though I'm nowhere near the athleticism I had in 2008 when i was hitting the gym hard everyday

Something huge that I think is overlooked for basketball workouts is pivoting. I was terrible at pivoting and redirected movements for a really long time. Try going and doing the hip abduction and hip adduction machine at your gym.

It's the one where you sit down and make a V with your legs and either squeeze in or pull apart.

It really helped me as far as quick, sporadic movement goes (i.e. abrupt change of possession). It's not going to help you gain any weight really, but I have noted increased stability and burst speed.

Other than that, heavy on the [B]legs, core, and moderate upperbody... and stretchhhhhhhh... always[/B]

[QUOTE=Whiteness]Something huge that I think is overlooked for basketball workouts is pivoting. I was terrible at pivoting and redirected movements for a really long time. Try going and doing the hip abduction and hip adduction machine at your gym.

It's the one where you sit down and make a V with your legs and either squeeze in or pull apart.

It really helped me as far as quick, sporadic movement goes (i.e. abrupt change of possession). It's not going to help you gain any weight really, but I have noted increased stability and burst speed.

Other than that, heavy on the [B]legs, core, and moderate upperbody... and stretchhhhhhhh... always[/B][/QUOTE]

Yes in the bold. That is how you want to do it for basketball unless you want the advantage of having a strong upper body for driving in the line or getting boards. Some people don't move as well with a lot of upper body weight though so it just depends on your body and how it reacts.

The abductor and adductor also help prevent knee and hamstring injuries because your leg strength is more balanced. They are going to get worked out no matter what you do with legs but those really focus on them. I definitely recommend doing those as well.

My plan for now is just to eat foods like pasta and such that are high in carbs. I think my problem is that I am eating too many empty calories. My friend is like 6'0-1 and he is 180lbs. The thing is he looks like he is 130lbs like what the hell?? Maybe because of what he eats.

[QUOTE=MannyO]My plan for now is just to eat foods like pasta and such that are high in [B]carbs[/B]. I think my problem is that I am eating too many empty calories. My friend is like 6'0-1 and he is 180lbs. The thing is he looks like he is 130lbs like what the hell?? Maybe because of what he eats.[/QUOTE]

protein, brah, protein

[QUOTE=Whiteness]protein, brah, protein[/QUOTE]


proteins are important I know but they aren't everything. Carbs probably helps more with gaining weight.

[QUOTE=MannyO]proteins are important I know but they aren't everything. Carbs probably helps more with gaining weight.[/QUOTE]

9 times outta 10 that weight's gonna turn into fat, though. I'd rather not gain fat and turn it into muscle, when you could just gain muscle. If you're trying to bulk I suggest doing a 40/20/20 ratio which is basically 40 (protein) 20 (carb) 20 (fat) and it's easily achieved through the use of protein shakes.

[QUOTE=MannyO]My plan for now is just to eat foods like pasta and such that are high in carbs. I think my problem is that I am eating too many empty calories. My friend is like 6'0-1 and he is 180lbs. The thing is he looks like he is 130lbs like what the hell?? Maybe because of what he eats.[/QUOTE]

It's most likely weight from bones... Maybe he is large boned, has a big butt (that you haven't checked out lol), large feet and /or hands... those are things that contribute to having a higher weight.


[quote]9 times outta 10 that weight's gonna turn into fat, though. I'd rather not gain fat and turn it into muscle, when you could just gain muscle. If you're trying to bulk I suggest doing a 40/20/20 ratio which is basically 40 (protein) 20 (carb) 20 (fat) and it's easily achieved through the use of protein shakes.[/quote]

Calories are calories no matter how you look at it. When you are playing a sport like basketball and doing heavy compound lifts like Manny will be doing he needs a lot of carbs. Explosive movements burn carbs before they burn anything else so he will be fine. Besides, a 40/20/20 is a rigid program (That is more for cutting anyway) that most people won't like and it's expensive because you need to drink so many shakes just to get your protein intake for the day.

Pasta is great for what you are doing because it's digested and absorbed into the blood steam very quickly. It's debatable whether it's a simple or complex carb (generally you want complex carbs because they are very healthy for you) but there is enough evidence to support that it is complex and a good option regaurdless if your goal is gain, lose, or simply manage weight.

DB floor press 5x5
DB rows 5x5
DB shoulder press 5x5
DB curls 3x8
DB tricep exension 3x8
DB shrugs 3x8

Would it be alright to do this workout 3 times a week, or would I not be allowing enough recovery time?