The offseason is here, which means it’s time to roll that VertiMax back out of the storage closet and get to work!
If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to download the VertiMax training app. On it, you’ll find both free and paid content. In the free content is a virtual clinic describing and demonstrating how I use the VertiMax to improve physical skills and basketball skills in the off-season months. As part of the paid content, you’ll find basketball-specific drills I use with our athletes, sample workouts, and also full video workouts of me working with athletes.
In the meantime, here’s a workout to get you started improving the lateral quickness of your players…
- Lateral shuffle: Attach the VertiMax resistance bands to a stationary object, and place the bands around your waist. Begin in an athletic stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. Shuffle to the side as quickly as possible, pushing against the resistance of the bands. Do 3 sets of 10 reps to each side.
- Lateral jumps: Stand with the VertiMax resistance bands around your waist, and your feet shoulder-width apart. Jump to the side as far as you can, landing softly on the balls of your feet. Immediately jump back to the starting position, then jump to the opposite side. Do 3 sets of 10 reps to each side.
- Lateral bounds: Attach the VertiMax resistance bands to a stationary object, and place the bands around your waist. Start in an athletic stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push off with your outside foot and leap as far as possible in the lateral direction, landing on your inside foot. Immediately bound back to your starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Do 3 sets of 10 reps to each side.
- Lateral cone drill: Set up cones in a straight line, about 3 feet apart. Start at one end of the line, and shuffle laterally to the first cone. Touch the cone with your hand, then shuffle laterally to the next cone. Continue shuffling to each cone in the line, touching each one as you go. Shuffle back to the starting position. Repeat for 3 sets.
- Lateral ladder drill: Set up an agility ladder on the ground. Start at one end of the ladder, and step laterally into each box of the ladder. Move quickly and stay light on your feet. When you reach the end of the ladder, shuffle back to the starting position. Repeat for 3 sets.
Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the exercises to avoid injury. And, be consistent with your training and track your progress over time to see improvements in your vertical jump.
Dr. Tony Miller is a professor in Exercise and Sport Science and men’s college basketball coach at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. To connect with Coach Miller, check out his profiles on Twitter and Instagram
