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Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:13 am
by FrodoBaggins
A proper strength and conditioning program is one of the best things an athlete can do to increase their performance. Many pervasive myths about weightlifting persist in the world of basketball, especially among the minds of fans.

The idea that lifting weights slows you down or stiffens you up is just not true. We've known this since at least the '80s, yet for some reason, people keep repeating these antiquated notions. No, getting stronger, more explosive, and putting on muscle mass won't kill your jump shot. It won't limit your flexibility or mobility.

What it will do is improve performance by increasing several physical athletic qualities, including strength, power, endurance, and more. Many players became better shooters despite putting on muscle mass. Dirk, Karl Malone, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic are some such names.

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https://vault.si.com/vault/1987/11/0...der-the-basket

Two seasons ago the Lakers' main force was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who at 39 seemed finally to show his age in L.A.'s 4-1 playoff loss to Houston. He had lost 18 pounds during the season, and yet his body-fat count had reached 11%. Abdul-Jabbar had always believed in conditioning, usually doing yoga exercises for 90 minutes five days a week during the off-season. Kareem frequents the tony Yoga College of India, Beverly Hills branch, under the direction of Bikram Choudhury, the so-called guru to the stars. In the summer of '86 Abdul-Jabbar lifted free weights for the first time, regained 21 pounds, reduced his body fat to 8% and was strong enough last June to handle McHale and Robert Parish.

Choudhury doesn't work in the NBA yet, but Rich Dalatri does—as the strength and conditioning coach of the New Jersey Nets, who were 24-58 last year and played like 97-pound weaklings most of the time. Dalatri was the strength coach at Mississippi before he was hired last June by the Nets. He has developed a six-point program for them that involves weightlifting; flexibility, agility, and jumping drills; anaerobic and aerobic conditioning; and restorative measures, including whirlpools and saunas. "In football," he says, "the emphasis is on maximum strength. In basketball, it's on functional strength. The whole game comes through your legs. We train the neuromuscular system to make the muscles fire more quickly and explosively. Football players know they have to do weightlifting. Basketball players are such great athletes that they have been able to get by just on natural ability...but now players are getting so big and strong—like Barkley and Oakley—that they realize they have to get stronger in order to compete."

"I don't know why it didn't happen before," says Nets center Mike Gminski. "I've always felt that the East Europeans and Soviets were so ahead of us as far as training athletes is concerned. The NBA owners invest so much in us, it seems stupid not to hire a strength coach and trainer to work with us."

Denver center Wayne Cooper backs that theory. "I'm in the best condition of my career," he says. Part of the reason is Dr. Marvin Clein, who was hired last spring by the Nuggets as training and conditioning coordinator. Clein set up voluntary programs for the Nuggets, and Cooper participated because his rebounding and shot-blocking averages dropped last season, partly, he felt, because he wasn't in the best condition.

Denver's program is similar to the Nets' and includes weight training and agility and speed drills. The Nuggets also brought in a diet specialist to advise the players. "I feel stronger, I have so much more life and explosiveness in my legs," says the 6'10" Cooper, whose weight has dropped from 256 pounds to 222 since April.

Clein says he will test players during the season to see if their conditioning has slipped, even though he has had some success already: He says he has seen a 50% increase in strength in some of the Nuggets; all the veterans were in his program.

A lot of basketball coaches used to be squeamish about weightlifting, fearing it would hurt a player's shooting touch. But the results of some strength tests conducted about a decade ago have greatly eliminated these fears. The tests revealed that some NBA players lost as much as one third of their power during a season. "That old taboo [about weight training] is out the window," says Ramsay. "I think everybody understands now that stronger is better."


Like with anything, if implemented incorrectly, yes: the weightroom can slow you down, stiffen you up, and lead to injury. Subpar periodization, exercise selection, and poor form represent a failure to execute strength and conditioning in ideal fashion. Only will muscle mass potentially limit joint flexibility/range of motion when pro bodybuilder-level LBM (lean body mass) is attained. Which no basketball player will ever have to worry about.

Proper implementation entails intelligent periodization, the right exercise selection to promote structural balance and ideal strength ratios, and the use of a full range of motion and mobility work to maintain flexibility.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:23 am
by theforumblue
I thought someone bumped a 30yo thread or something

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:29 am
by AleksandarN
Jokic strength routine helps him stay in shape and injury free most of the time. He lifts after every game.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:32 am
by Dominator83
Bulking up will take some athleticism away.

There's lifting weights to build strength, and there's lifting weights to bulk up. For basketball players I would recommend the former

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:36 am
by FrodoBaggins
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away

You need to be more specific when you say "bulking up." What exactly are you referring to? I think you misunderstand strength and conditioning for athletes. They aren't in the business of putting on fat just to increase their weight.

Increasing lean body mass, strength, power, and power-to-weight ratio only improves athleticism. There is nothing to debate here.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:39 am
by FrodoBaggins
AleksandarN wrote:Jokic strength routine helps him stay in shape and injury free most of the time. He lifts after every game.

He's a smart guy. Knows what he's doing. He has incredible touch, feet, hands, and impressive strength, endurance, durability, and flexibility. The weight lifting supports those qualities.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:40 am
by ScrantonBulls
I don't buy it! What's next? You're going to tell me that I don't need 6-8 meals spread throughout the day, or that I DON'T need casein protein before bed?

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:46 am
by JustBuzzin
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away.

There's lifting weights to build strength, and there's lifting weights to bulk up. For basketball players I would recommend the former

Dwight Howard was yolked up in his prime and dude was one of the best athletes of the decade.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:50 am
by FrodoBaggins
JustBuzzin wrote:
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away.

There's lifting weights to build strength, and there's lifting weights to bulk up. For basketball players I would recommend the former

Dwight Howard was yolked up in his prime and dude was one of the best athletes of the decade.

One of the most powerful NBA athletes ever. He had great strength and explosiveness. However, his flexibility was lacking; I recall a story about an NBA trainer who massaged players. He said Dwight's body was so tense he jumped off the table. But Dwight was always a stiff guy, before even stepping into the weight room. He would've benefitted heavily from big-time flexibility work.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:54 am
by Jasen777
Dirk did have some issues with weight lifting at first because the trainers had him trying to lift like he was Gary Trent. Do have to be smart about it.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:57 am
by JDR720
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away.

There's lifting weights to build strength, and there's lifting weights to bulk up. For basketball players I would recommend the former

Functional strength vs Vanity muscles.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 5:59 am
by SlovenianDragon
I mean duh...you dont need to be ripped to be the best nba player in the world... You just need to be healthy...

Like body builders would be terrible athletes in any sport...

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:05 am
by ThunderBolt
Strength is good. Some hypertrophy is good but obviously there are some limits needed.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:06 am
by Dominator83
FrodoBaggins wrote:
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away

You need to be more specific when you say "bulking up." What exactly are you referring to? I think you misunderstand strength and conditioning for athletes. They aren't in the business of putting on fat just to increase their weight.

Increasing lean body mass, strength, power, and power-to-weight ratio only improves athleticism. There is nothing to debate here.

Being a Bulls fan, I remember 2 cases where a guy packed on top much muscle and just looked less athletic out there. Luol Dang was one. Markkanen was another

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:07 am
by John Murdoch
Fat Kevin Love was a beast ...Corey Maggete was shredded but just awful as a basketball player

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:24 am
by NO-KG-AI
Any time you’re changing your physique and overall size/strength for better or worse, it can effect bio mechanics. Shooting forms are very delicate, even a 1% change in any direction could effect things.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:26 am
by SweaterBae
So training flexibility helps flexibility? Great post.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:39 am
by FrodoBaggins
NO-KG-AI wrote:Any time you’re changing your physique and overall size/strength for better or worse, it can effect bio mechanics. Shooting forms are very delicate, even a 1% change in any direction could effect things.

I'm sorry but there's just no proof lifting weights - when done properly - affects one's shooting. This has been known since the '80s. In fact, Karl Malone felt it made him a better shooter because it gave him greater endurance late in games. That's an effect on his work capacity, not his technique. We have too many examples of guys becoming better shooters despite putting on muscle mass. Hell, both Dwight and Shaq developed better touch and range in the post later on their respective careers despite adding size.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:46 am
by AleksandarN
JDR720 wrote:
Dominator83 wrote:Bulking up will take some athleticism away.

There's lifting weights to build strength, and there's lifting weights to bulk up. For basketball players I would recommend the former

Functional strength vs Vanity muscles.

Pretty much Jokic. People get on him because he doesn’t look like he is in shape or ripped. He is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, player in the league. But you wouldn’t know just by looking at him.

Re: Myth: Lifting weights stiffens up players and robs them of their fluidness/suppleness

Posted: Thu Feb 8, 2024 6:54 am
by bledredwine
I believe that olympic lifts and compound lifts are fantastic. The lifts that cause injury are the isolated lifts for calves and the like. They are not functional movements. Rose kept doing those and getting reinjured, btw. Of course you’ll create imbalances when you don’t involve functional movements.

The older generation stuck to the olympic and compound lifts and those players were some of the strongest we’ve seen. Think 60s.