During this time, they also tried to complete all their pre-season testing and physicals before training camp, which took place during the first week of October. During the weekdays, the players would generally arrive anywhere between 8:00 am вЂ“ 12:00 pm, and engage in basketball skill work either before or after lifting. However, this time often represented the last chance that players would get to spend quality time with their families before the season and, mentally, this had a profound positive effect that outweighed the possible negative effect of jet lag.

For training purposes, the less a player would travel during this training period the better. I would always provide weekends off because some players would travel back home to visit their family and recoup for an upcoming week. I would start by measuring body fat and body mass, and discussing short-term goals. Generally, it worked best to start slow with the players during their first week back and try to gauge their current physical condition to how it compares to the previous year. Players would return for pre-season training anywhere from the beginning of August to the end of September the younger players generally returned earlier than the veterans. From my experience, the majority of avoidable soft tissue injuries occurred in the first few months of the season it was imperative to have the players in sound shape to limit their chances of injury and keep them focused on playing basketball. I generally designed three- or four-day splits depending on the player, experience, and goals, and then added a few conditioning days to address aerobic capacity. With the lack of games and travel during this time, it is often possible to have a progressive schedule that is consistent and structured.Дuring my time as a strength and conditioning coach in the NBA, my programs emphasized preseason training. This is the time of year to form the strength and conditioning base from which to progress throughout the year. At this point in the season, the priority of strength and conditioning is to prepare the playersвЂ™ bodies for a long season. Pre-season is the time of year that coaches have the most individual time with the players and can address specific issues while working on overall strength and power. Obviously, other factors should be accounted for, such as injury prevention exercises, muscle activation exercises, physical therapy, and extra conditioning. The scope of this article only includes strength and conditioning routines as they relate to basketball-specific resistance training. I realized how many different and unforeseeable variables there are in the course of a week, let alone an entire season. This is something I had to learn quickly during my first season. Also, it is important to note that a successful NBA strength and conditioning coach needs to be flexible because of the ever-changing schedule. However, the overall NBA schedule remains the same. Some coaches will shorten phases and extend others based upon both personal and team philosophies.

The purpose of this article is to present the NBA season cycles in order to provide a better understanding of the yearly requirements and an appreciation for the amount of time and effort strength and conditioning coaches invest into the success of their teams. Having worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the NBA for close to a decade, not only have I been able to seek advice from my peers, but I have also been able to test different approaches to training as it pertains to scheduling.

This is no more true than with the strength and conditioning coach, whose success is predicated on structure and progression. Regardless of oneвЂ™s position within an organization, the schedule is something that impacts many daily decisions and the overall training philosophy. For newcomers to the National Basketball Association (NBA), navigating through the season is one of the most difficult challenges they face.

Nba season start