Bulking up for Basketball

[QUOTE=montaownedu]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?[/QUOTE]

Well he isn't doing all that per workout. He is doing 2 exercises per workout... and the answer is no you would not be giving yourself enough time to recover. Since it's low volume, you can probably get away with 4 days of rest in between body parts. So if you do DB floor press and tricep extensions on Monday, you want to wait until Saturday before you do those exercises/work out those muscle groups again.

[QUOTE=Whiteness]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]


Do you mean 40/30/30? Cause that equals 100:D . The only issue is with people here that play a lot of hoops, they need energy. If someone uses this type of layout and feels a bit tired over time, I would try a Zone Diet like breakdown with 40CHO, 30PRO and 30Fat. I do not worry about carbs being stored as fat with active individuals. Someone that gets to the gym 3 hours or so a week, and this is all the activity they have, then yes, it could be an issue.

[QUOTE=Swaggin916]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.




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.[/QUOTE]


Yea true, maybe he is large boned but I think I have found out his secret. He eats foods that are high in calories but nutrition dense. And he plays alot of ball so he stays lean but he is weighs alot. He is athletic too. Im going to start eating ALOT of fufu from now on lol.

[QUOTE=Swaggin916]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.




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.[/QUOTE]
+1 I have been bested. The only real reason I put that ratio up is because it's the one I use.

Don't listen to me. Swag actually knows his stuff :oldlol:

Hey Swaggin, so I want to start a workout that is geared towards basketball, though I am not currently playing so I'm not restricted by practices or games or anything like that right now. I am 21, and currently taking a semester off from school. Next year though I am looking to tryout for the team at my D3 school so I really want to get in the best shape possible. I will have gym access, but also access to a wide array of dumbbells and an adjustable bench at home, which I would prefer to use for my upper body. For lower body stuff, I'm going to be using this plan:

[url]http://freetoflyy.blogspot.com/2009/09/vertical-jump-program-beginner.html[/url]

I'm going to start on "Beginner B" and go from there. It seems like this guy knows his stuff, and that it should definitely help with my vertical, but also with just lower body strength as well. Clearly you know a lot about this stuff, so if you wouldn't mind taking a look at it and letting me know what you think, I would appreciate it.

I'm also kind of lost on exactly what dumbbell exercises I should be doing for my upper body. I have plenty of time to workout every day, and I would definitely like to get strong in my upper body, but I also don't want to get too bulky. I'm going to be doing the lower body program 3 times a week, what would be a good workout plan for my upper body on the other 3 days? I want to do all this now, and then when May/June rolls around and my friends start coming home for the summer and I can play basketball all the time again, then I will get more into cardio and basketball specific stuff, but for now I really just want to get stronger and increase my vertical. I'm 6'3 180, and I can currently dunk, just nothing too fancy. Thanks a ton for your help. It's really cool how much you're helping everybody out.

I forget that guy's name... but the guy who does the free to fly stuff is a very reliable source and someone you can trust. Just by looking at his dunks and the progress his trainee has made... that pretty much speaks for itself. The beginner program will not give you the results that one of the more advanced programs with weight training will... but it's a good start for you. If it doesn't give you a good 2 inches within the first month, just stop and move on to one of his weight training programs. You will be guaranteed to gain 3-4 inches in a month or 2 with on of them.

Ok so I am going to give you my workout schedule because I also work out upper body 3 times a week and it sounds like you are looking for some quick gains. Don't worry about getting too big, you won't. I am about the size of Jameer Nelson myself (without the thick neck lol) and I have been working out for years.

Ok so here is the program:

Day 1: Chest/Triceps

[b]Chest:[/b]

DB Bench Press: 5X5 - Just start out with a warmup weight. Something you can easily do 5 times... but not so easy that you could throw them up to the ceiling if you wanted to lol. Something that if you did 10-15 times would be hard. Then, on your second set, go upto weight that is moderately difficult for you to get 5 reps of, 3rd set it should be difficult, 4th set quite difficult, and 5th set you shouldn't be able to get 5 reps but that should be your goal. Once you get 5 reps on your 5th set you should move up weight. That last set should now be your 4th set, and your 5th set a heavier weight (As well as sets 1-3... every set should be heavier than before as you move up weight).

Incline dumbbell flies: 4X10 - Just find a weight that you can do 8-10 times for 4 sets.

[b]Triceps:[/b]

Skullcrushers: 4X8-10 - same as above

Tricep Pull Downs with a bar or rope: 4X10 - same as above

Day 2: Back/traps

[b]Back:[/b]

Pull ups/DB Rows: 4X?/4X8 - I don't know how many pullups you can do, but just do what you can for 4 sets. Since I can do 4 sets of 10, I use a belt to add 25 pounds more weight so I can only do about 6 reps per set. If you are in the same boat, look for a belt you can use to add weight... if you can't find one in your gym then don't worry about it. Just do 4X10 or whatever makes you tired. DB Rows, find a weight you can you can do for about 8 reps. What you are going to do is swap between these exercises each week. So week 1, do pullups, week 2, do DB Rows.

Seated cable rows: 4X10 - Simple exercise. Find a weight you can do 10 times

[B]Traps:[/B]

DB Shrugs: 4X10

Barbell or Cable Shrugs: 4X10 (There is also a contraption as most gyms that is great for shrugs... can't really explain it if you know what I'm talking about feel free to do that in place of DB shrugs or Barbell Shrugs)

Day 3: Shoulders - Follow this the exact same way as you followed the chest workout. So the 5X5 thing

[b]Shoulders:[/B]

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 5X5

Standing Lateral raise - 4X10

[B]Biceps:[/B]

Seated preacher curls: 4X8-10

Standing DB curls: 4X8-10

Alright so there you go. Doing that for the next few months should give you some awesome gains. Once you get closer to try-outs, then focus on your conditioning. I'm sure you know that tho ; )

That looks great man, easy and simple, yet hopefully effective! I know I said it before, but I really appreciate what you're doing and I hope everyone else here does as well. You don't have to take the time or the effort to share your knowledge, yet you seem to be doing it time after time whenever anyone asks. I should be starting tomorrow, so i'll check in here from time to time and let you know how it's going.

I'm pretty sure I have a good grip on dietary stuff, but let me know what you think. I should be able to stick to this pretty well.

Breakfast: Protein Smoothie. 1 Cup frozen Strawberries/Blueberries, 1 Cup Orange Juice, 1 scoop of whey protein.

Meal 1: Turkey Sandwich on wheat. Sugar Free, 10 Calorie Jello. Water to drink.

Meal 2: Small plate of whole wheat pasta. Water to drink

Meal 3: Post workout- Protein Smoothie, same as earlier in the day.

Dinner: Chicken or Steak. Glass of 1% Milk. Jello again.

I'll also probably eat the occasional pack of 100 calorie packs of cookies or something like that, cause I don't think that should really throw anything off if I do that but I'm eating really well otherwise. I also tend to eat fries with my dinner, and I know I should really change that to a baked a potato, so I'm definitely going to start trying to do that. I feel like I have a pretty good program to be on here, so now it's just about staying motivated.

No problem man. I just want to see people succeed.

Looks like a pretty good nutrition program. Make sure you get some veggies in there too if you don't already. Just throw some in with dinner and you'll be good. Yea I would definitely switch to a baked potato. Don't load it up with butter because otherwise you might as well stick with fries, but some butter is fine. Salt and pepper goes a long way too. I eat little snack packs too when I get hungry and I'm sick of eating truly healthy food. They're empty calories, but yea one a day isn't going to kill you. Staying motivated is the key. IT's much easier to stay motivated to the workouts than the diets... but diet as you know is very important. Keep up the good work and yea let us know how you are doing.

Hey swaggin do you know how much percent of your bodyweight are in your legs?

Lets say I workout my back(pull ups and stuff) do I get bigger? Do I begin to weigh more because I herd the back is the second biggest muscle group.

[QUOTE=MannyO]Hey swaggin do you know how much percent of your bodyweight are in your legs?

Lets say I workout my back(pull ups and stuff) do I get bigger? Do I begin to weigh more because I herd the back is the second biggest muscle group.[/QUOTE]

Depends on how long your legs are... If you are Michael Phelps then they are probably lighter than your torso :lol

It also depends on body fat and muscle. I would say for an average person it's probably close to 50-50. Your legs have a lot of muscle, but your upper body has more bones, organs, food storage... So yea... just seems like it would be about even to me.

Yes you would gain weight/size if you are gaining muscle and strength.

[QUOTE=MannyO]Hey swaggin do you know how much percent of your bodyweight are in your legs?

Lets say I workout my back(pull ups and stuff) do I get bigger? Do I begin to weigh more because I herd the back is the second biggest muscle group.[/QUOTE]


Both legs (full leg, not just thigh) together make up an estimated 30% of ones bodyweight.

Well what about that thing in between your legs? I don't know about you guys but uh... :pimp:

Ha well ya learn something new everyday. The more I started thinking about it the more I thought your torso had to way significantly more than your legs. I googled it but nothing really came up so I was kind of in the dark :lol

10 pounds isnt much, if you're gaining them the right way. just stay in shape and you should be fine

Hey Swaggin, what percent body fat is good for an athlete. I have never gotten an official body fat percentage but last year some guy at my moms work had an informal thing (not 100% accurate but it was supposedly pretty close) and it said i was 4.4% body fat. Now i have gained a good amount of weight (like 20 to 30 lbs) and some height (bout 2 to 3 inches) since then so i bet it has changed a little, but not much.

[QUOTE=Lancerballer21]Hey Swaggin, what percent body fat is good for an athlete. I have never gotten an official body fat percentage but last year some guy at my moms work had an informal thing (not 100% accurate but it was supposedly pretty close) and it said i was 4.4% body fat. Now i have gained a good amount of weight (like 20 to 30 lbs) and some height (bout 2 to 3 inches) since then so i bet it has changed a little, but not much.[/QUOTE]

The insane guys on Ninja Warrior usually have body fat % of around 4, so you're either in very good shape or something got effed up.