The Ultimate Strength and Conditioning Guide for High School Women’s Basketball
By Dr. Machaela Simmons, PT, DPT, CSCS
Introduction: Why Strength and Conditioning is Key to Elite Performance
Basketball is a game of speed, power, endurance, and resilience. Yet, too many athletes focus only on skill work, neglecting the strength, mobility, and conditioning that separate good players from great ones.
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)—and a former Division 1 athlete myself—I’ve seen firsthand how the right training program can transform an athlete’s game.
So, let’s dive right in! This guide will walk you through:
The key pillars of strength & conditioning for basketball
Essential movement patterns & exercises for basketball success
How to improve speed, agility, vertical jump, and durability
By following the strategies in this guide, you’ll be faster, stronger, more explosive, and more confident on the court.
Part 1: Strength Training for Basketball Athletes
If I had a dollar for every time a parent, coach, or athlete came to me expressing fear of their athletes “bulking up”, I’d have a lot of money. First of all, bulking up is not something that happens accidentally. There are specific, nuanced approaches to creating that kind of extreme physique that makes it nearly impossible to happen just because an athlete strength trains a few times a week.
If you’re looking to get to the next level, you can’t let the “too bulky” boogey-man scare you from unlocking peak performance. After all, strength is the foundation of speed, explosiveness, and injury prevention!
Think of all of the ways a strong base can improve your game. A well-structured strength program helps you:
✅ Get more explosive
✅ Stay strong and finish through contact
✅ Improve first-step quickness and overall speed
✅ Reduce injury risk
And even though creating a program that checks all of those boxes may seem overwhelming, there’s really just a few training principles to keep in mind at all times:
Train movement patterns– Focus on squats, hinges, lunges, pushes, pulls, and rotational movements.
Prioritize compound lifts – They should make up the bulk of your programming.
Progressive overload is key – Consistently increase weight, reps, or intensity.
Maintain strength year-round – Lifting in-season is one of the best ways to maintain performance and reduce injury risk.
Don’t overcomplicate things - The wheel has already been invented, and it works really, really well. Keep it simple.
To help get you started, here’s the best exercises for basketball performance and what they’re good for.
Best Strength Exercises for Basketball Players by Machaela Simmons
Part 2: Speed, Agility, and Jump Training
Speed in basketball is about more than just sprinting. Your ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction efficiently is what makes you truly fast.
Here’s the key areas you should focus on when training speed, agility, and jumping:
1️⃣ Acceleration: First-step explosiveness (sprint mechanics, sled sprints)
2️⃣ Deceleration & Change of Direction: Eccentric control to stop & cut quickly
3️⃣ Multi-Directional Agility: Lateral quickness, reaction drills, and footwork
“Makes sense. But how do I put this into practice?”
Valid question. Consider this sample workout to develop speed, agility, and jumping mechanics below:
A-Skips (2x15 yards) and Wall Sprints (3x6 each)– Improve sprint mechanics
Sled Sprints (4x10 yards, max effort) or Band-Resisted Sprints (4x10 yards) – Develop first-step power
Lateral Bounds (3x8 per side) – Enhance explosive lateral movement
Agility Tests: T-Drill, Pro Agility, or Lane Agility Test – Train cutting ability and quick change of direction
As far as vertical jump training goes, it is simply a combination of strength, rate of force development, and technique. Here’s how to improve it:
✅ Build strength – Squats, deadlifts, and lunges create the base
✅ Train explosive movements – Plyometrics like box jumps and depth jumps
✅ Optimize landing mechanics – Reduce injury risk by controlling landings
🔹 Key Drill: Depth Jump → Broad Jump (3x5 reps) (I threw in a demonstration video below for your convenience)
Take Your Game to the Next Level
Strength & conditioning isn’t just about getting stronger or faster—it’s about developing the tools you need to dominate the game with confidence.
By following the right training plan, prioritizing recovery, and building mental resilience, you can:
✅ Become faster, stronger, and more explosive
✅ Reduce your injury risk and enhance your durability
✅ Prepare your body for college-level competition
Ready to get started? If you want a customized training plan to fit your needs, I can help out! Click the “Train Now” button below to start training like an elite athlete.
PS- I recently shared an exclusive resource on the “5 Must-Do Explosive Exercises for Basketball Performance” with my free newsletter community. I’ll send it to you once you sign-up and join +100 parents, coaches, and athletes looking to unlock peak performance. Click “Sign Up Now” to get your exclusive copy sent directly to your inbox.
