The best approach an athlete, no matter what level, can take when it comes to conditioning and increasing their work capacity; is to perform their skill work, but in a conditioning fashion.
Let me elaborate.
If you’re a young basketball player that wants to start conditioning more so he’s not puffing for air during games, the best thing you can do is hit up the court and practice different basketball moves.
Lay ups, pump fakes, crossovers, even just dribbling up and down the court at a fast pace will do the trick.
When you first start planning your conditioning workouts, pick 3-5 moves/exercises and perform them in a fashion that keeps your heart rate up and has you breathing harder.
It would look something like this;
- Lay Up (left side) – 5x
- Lay up (right side) – 5xย
- Crossover (left side) – 5x
- Crossover (right side) – 5x
- Dribble up and down the court – 5-10 minutesย
Following a plan like this 3-4 times a week will make a big difference in your work capacity and cardiovascular health.
Make sure you increase how much intensity you apply to each rep throughout the weeks.
Once your body is used to this new stimulus, pick 3-5 new moves and perform them the same way, change up the reps and rest periods to your liking but alway aim to make it harder each week.
You can take this approach and apply it to any sport.