For many basketball players, summer means relaxation. And that’s fair: the body (and the mind) needs to recover. But the off-season is also a valuable opportunity to work on aspects that are often neglected during the season.
Training on vacation does not mean following a military schedule, but rather building light and sustainable habits that will have you return to the court ready to restart without injuries.
How to structure weekly training
Forget the classic “full” week: the goal is to maintain the stimulus, not to add stress.
A good plan could be:
- 2 days a week: general strength and mobility work
- 1–2 days: speed, explosiveness, and reactivity work
- 1 day: active recovery (swimming, walking, stretching)
- 3+ days: rest or free activities (basketball, beach volleyball, cycling...)
Intensity should be adjusted based on how you feel, not the stopwatch. Better a little done well than a lot done poorly.
What to work on in the off-season
In this phase you don’t need to specialize. It’s better to consolidate your physical foundations, strengthen weak points, and allow your body to regain balance.
Here are the main areas to focus on:
1. Mobility and motor control
- Improve joint range of motion and movement quality.
- Focus on ankles, hips, shoulders, and lower back.
- This is the ideal time to prevent chronic injuries.
2. Functional strength
- Work on complete movements, not just isolated muscles.
- Engage core, legs, and posterior chains.
- No weightlifting competitions: focus on control and quality.
3. Explosiveness and reactivity
- After a few weeks of basics, you can add fast stimuli.
- Jumping, sprinting, changing direction: bodyweight exercises are fine.
- A few minutes are enough — the key is to do them fresh.
Working without “training”
One of the keys to summer is to keep the body active, even without “official workouts.”
- Play different sports
- Go for walks on varied terrain (sand, trails)
- Stay barefoot when possible
- Breathe better, move with fluidity
Your motor system will thank you when you return to the court.
Goal: be ready, not exhausted
The off-season is not the time to burn yourself out, but to properly recharge your batteries and fix the details. If you arrive at training camp or the first friendly game pain-free, with good sensations, and eager to play, you’ve hit the target.
