Basketball Training - 4 Important Rules of Passing

Rule #1 - Look for the Open Player Nobody enjoys playing basketball with someone who doesn't pass the ball to open teammates. We all know that on every team there are a few players that are usually more talented than others. Just because player A is more talented than player B does not mean the shot should always be taken by player A. A few years ago I was playing in a city league and we were in the championship game. The game was tied and I was determined to beat my man and get a basket to win the game. As I drove to the basket I saw an open teammate and out of instinct I passed him the ball. It caught him off-guard and he missed the shot. Before overtime he came up to me and was upset at me because I didn't shoot the ball. He said that me shooting the ball with 3 defenders in my face was better than him shooting with nobody on him. I got his point, but as a teammate it was my job to get the best shot possible and I'd do the same thing today. Nobody likes to play with a ball hog.

Rule #2 - Trust Your Teammates I knew the guy I was passing to might not make the shot, but I wanted him to feel like I trusted him. It paid off later in the game as we went on to win in overtime. I know it is city league, but it is still an illustration of how to execute in the great game of basketball. Trust the players you are playing with and build that up. Don't tear it down because nobody will want to play with you. If you are more talented than most of your teammates realize that it is a guaranteed fact that somewhere on another court there are players twice as good as you and hopefully you'll have the chance to play at their level. When you reach that level you have got to know how to play team basketball and execute.

Rule #3 - Learn and then Practice Solid Fundamentals When you pass, take a strong step toward the player you are passing to. Don't throw it flat footed. Throw the ball with a purpose and learn to snap it to the wing or throw a solid entry pass to the post. Try to avoid slow soft passes as they turn out bad. All these fundamentals can be practiced. I had a toss back that I used in high school that was my best friend. It was my only friend that stayed after practice with me and I would throw pass after pass into the net until my arms hurt. Every school should have one for practices. I loved the toss back. The other night I was watching some old high school tapes of mine. Yes, I still like to live in the glory days. I was watching games when I was a sophomore, playing varsity and I was sickened. It was my first real year playing point guard and I threw change ups to the wing players. Terrible, slow passes that the defense would miss by inches each time. But as the year progressed you could see my progression as a player and I was proud of that. I was proud that a coach taught me the simple fundamental of throwing a crisp pass. It makes so much of a difference. You'll be amazed.

Rule #4 - Work Hard It doesn't come easy but is something that can be improved with hard work. You won't wake up and be a good passer. It will only come through work and study. I made it a point to really have a grasp of my offense because if I knew where my teammates would be and where they liked to get the ball then we would have a great chance of winning the game. Watch game tapes when possible. Watch how the defense reacts to certain plays. Watch to see where your teammates like to shoot from on the floor. Watch for areas of obvious improvement like passing angles and spacing. Those things are so easily corrected that a small adjustment will make you better for it. Remember that coaches look at assist to turnover ratio and they really monitor point guards with that. They look at a 3:1 ratio as being solid. The higher the better as that means that you would have 3 assists for every turnover. If you are 1:3 then you have problems and you'll soon be sitting on the bench if you aren't already

Thoughts on Effective Rebounding - A Basketball Training

It's a proven fact that basketball teams that rebound well usually win more games. This article covers fundamental advice on how to make basketball teams more effective when it comes to rebounding.

Boxing Out The first thing to understand about boxing out is that it is the best way to create space for yourself so you can get the ball. It isn't just to keep your man from getting it necessarily, but also a way to make it easier for you to get it. You must make contact first to square up the player you are boxing out. The contact should be to stop him before turning and getting your rear into him. Stay low and get into his legs. If you are in his legs, he will be unable to really jump or move. By getting in the opposing player's legs you make it difficult for him to be in an athletic position. Players sometimes ask me why they seem to get pushed out of position sometimes. I tell them that it is usually because they don't have a solid enough base position. Get low and if you find yourself getting pushed around then get into the weight room and build up those legs. Make sure that you aren't under the basket when boxing out or too far away from the basket either. Both positions make it difficult to actually get the ball, which is the entire purpose. Remember that boxing out isn't just to keep your man from getting it it's also about making it easier for you to get it.

Offensive Rebounding This is something that is more about desire and instinct than anything else. Good offensive rebounders have desire to get the ball and don't give up. They go just as hard for these rebounds as they do for defensive rebounds. I teach them to take advantage of how the defense is playing them. What I mean is that I teach defenders to front post players with the drawback being that they give up position for offensive rebounds. Even if the defense is playing 3 quarters on a man, it makes it very easy to obtain offensive position on the glass. Tonight I watched Florida beat Ohio St. in the national championship and hopefully you watched Greg Oden and how they defended him. Florida decided to match up with Oden man-to-man and hope for the best. They didn't front him, in fact they let him catch it. Watching that game made me realize how good Oden really is in that he made Noah and Horford look human. Noah and Horford are both solid first-round picks and Oden had his way with them. The point is that Billy Donovan was willing to play behind Oden and hope for the best over giving up offensive rebounding position. Ohio St. missed most of their 3's in the game and Oden wasn't in offensive rebounding position because his man was constantly behind him. Great coaching move by Billy Donovan. Let me add this...the best way to get an offensive rebound is to not let the defender engage you in the first place. When he goes to establish contact, try to maintain space so that you can get around him and to the ball. Don't try to go over the player's back if he boxed you out correctly. It is just a good way to get wasteful fouls and get you on the bench.

Rebound Drill Some of the more successful rebounding coaches that I've worked with have done a drill that describes the ideal scenario for a rebound. It happens maybe once a game, but it is when the ball actually bounces in the middle of the floor after a missed shot. To practice this drill, have the offense form a shell 15 feet away from the basket. Don't extend it to the 3 point line because that is unreasonable. Have a coach shoot a shot toward the basket and have the defense box-out by making contact with the player first and then turning and getting their butts into the defenders before going for the ball. You will have some players who don't do a very good job at this and this drill requires a lot of repetitions, but it is very worth it. Ideally, you want the ball to miss and bounce in the middle of the floor before a defender grabs the rebound.

Quick Running Tips - 5 Ideas to Improve Your Running Experience

Without further ado: here are five tips that will increase your running experience!

Know your motivation!
Before you start your running routine, ask yourself what you expect from running. Maybe you just want to keep yourself fit and healthy. Maybe you want to lose your love handles. Or maybe you run to relieve stress. Whatever it is for you, make sure you know why. This will be your motivation in the times you just don't feel like running.

Do not forget to do a cool down after your exercise.
To cool down after an intensive exercise is almost as important as to warm up before you start. Stretch yourself and keep on walking for a couple of minutes. Cooling down will decrease injuries as well as keep you from getting sore muscles.

Take it slow when you are just starting out on a running routine.

Beginners often make the mistakes of running distances that are too long for the level of fitness, or are simply running too fast. Don't make these newbie mistakes! Rather set more reasonable goals. This way you keep yourself from burning out quickly.

Take your iPod with you.
We all know that music can be a great source of motivation. Turn up the volume and let your favorite songs accompany you while you are running. Choose music that pumps you up for good.

Don't run alone!
Another great tip that will increase your motivation is to run with somebody. Whether it is your neighbor, a friend or your special one: You can cheer each other on. And running with another person just makes it so much easier easier to hang in there on a cold day.

Cardio Exercises and Weight Loss

There is so much confusion over cardio exercises and fat loss. What is the best cardio exercise to lose weight? How many calories should I burn to lose weight? Is IT better than steady state cardio? Cardio training is a very important part of weight loss, but if you want to see results you have to do it right.

Do lose weight you have to burn more calories than you eat. This is the most important thing to remember about weight loss. It is always better to increase your cardio and weight training, then to reduce the amount of food you eat. Combining cardio exercises and weight training with a healthy diets gives the best results.

So the more calories you burn the better. but most people make things very complicated for themselves with not burning enough calories. Some think that if you walk on a treadmill for 45-60 minutes, that this is good enough. Others think that some extremely intense and short cardio program is the right way to go. Just because the intensity is high and it is performed in intervals, does not mean you will get the results you want.

The important factor is the amount of calories you burn. Total calories burned is a product of INTENSITY times DURATION, not intensity OR duration. You have to find out yourself how those variables produce the maximal calorie burn and maximum fat loss, based on your current health condition and your need for time efficiency.

Too many folks also focus on what you are burning during the workout - fats or carbohydrates. Some trainers and gurus tell us that:"The higher your intensity, the more carbs you burn during the workout. The lower your intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout." That is why so many people focus on what kind of calories you burn, instead of the total amount of calories you burn.

A 150-pound person burns 170 calories in 30 minutes by walking 4 miles and 270 calories running 5 miles. Focus your attention on how you can burn more total calories during your workout and all day long. Try to find out what kind of a program works best for you.

Of course you also have to improve your diet to lose weight effectively. Many people increase their food intake at the same time as they start their cardio training program. So that way they gain back all the calories they burned with cardio. Nutrition is the foundation on which every fat loss program is built.

There is no specific cardio exercise or program that work for everybody. Some are more successful with lower intensity and some are more successful with higher intensity. You have to find out what works best for you by working the variables and getting the the results you want.

Fitness - 6 Tips For People Who Are Starting a Running Routine

You are just starting out on a new running routine? Here are six things you might want to consider.

1. Start By Walking.
It's a good exercise to walk 5 minutes before you start to run. This will warm you up and will prevent your muscles from unnecessary injuries.

2. Hydration
When you are doing any kind of intense exercise your body needs water. Lots of water. So take a small bottle of water with you while you run and whenever you feel dehydrated, take a sip.

3. Don't Run Too Fast
Many people who are first starting out running make the mistake of running to fast and exhausted after just a couple of minutes. Rather try to run at a slower pace, but run steady. Aim to run for consecutive 20 minutes. Consistent but moderate training works best for beginners.

4. Keep a Journal
Log your runs. This way you not only know what you achieved, but you can measure improvements over time as well as the influence of different things on your running capabilities, -like the weather or your mood.

5. Sunscreen
Apply sunscreen whenever you are going to run under the hot burning sun. In fact, apply sunscreen whenever you go out under the hot burning sun. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists. Trust me on that.

6. Running In The Dark
I love running at night. It is just so beautifully dark and quite. But whenever you are going for a run in the dark, be sure to wear some bright clothing. Or buy one of these nifty reflectors. They are cheap and you do not want to get hit by a car, do you?

These basic tips should help you out when you are starting on a new running routine. And starting out is really the hardest part. Ones the running fever infected you, it will be almost impossible to stop.

Muscle - 3 Steps That'll Help to Build Muscle Up

Building body mass is not only the goal of every bodybuilder but also of thousands of thin men and women out there who want to add strength to their thin frame. However, the way to ultimately reach this goal will be different for everyone as we all have different body types with differing metabolisms, strengths, weaknesses, injury concerns, etc. Any program employed needs to be tailored to the specific individual. However, there are basic weight lifting principles common for everyone and in this article we will discuss these concepts for quick muscle gain.

Make a specific plan and then challenge yourself to meet your goals. Be as specific as possible with your goals, too. Want to put on 15 lbs of solid muscle? Write it down and post it where you can constantly see it. Purchase a body fat caliper and record the measurements each and every week on the same day at the same time, for instance, Sunday mornings immediately after waking up. Be meticulous with all record keeping. A good motivational tool to build muscle up is to take a photo of yourself each week on the same day at the same time. You'll find that your body's changes will happen gradually and that you won't notice how much bigger you're getting on a day-to-day basis. However, if you take a photo of yourself in the bathroom mirror each week, you can go back and see the difference between the "week 5" and "week 1" photos. The changes you'll see will surely keep you motivated! Just be sure to pose the same way in each photo.

Mass train. The most important and fundamental way of building body mass is to lift heavy weights with low reps (this is called mass training). That is not to say lighter weights with more reps aren't beneficial, but in this case the benefit is targeted more towards improving muscle tone and definition. This is how you "sculpt" your body. For quick muscle gain and to build muscle up properly, you must mass train.

Consistently expand your program. Always try and increase your workload with each trip to the gym. Maybe you benched 150 lbs 10 times last week. Try doing 160 this week. When you mass train you are quite literally "shocking" your body into growth. You always want to be doing that. If you were to stop at a certain weight (say 160 lbs) then you're body would adjust accordingly and muscle gain would slow -- and eventually stop. You need to be constantly re-arranging your workout to keep your body from adapting.

These steps have laid out the basics in how to achieve quick muscle gain. It may seem somewhat elementary, but they can certainly be applied with benefit to weight trainers at any skill level.

Build Up Muscle in Your Legs - 3 Easy Tips

Sit back, relax, and take a deep breath. What I'm about to tell you is shocking to many who have made the decision to start a workout program in order to achieve quick muscle gain: to achieve the maximum gains with the maximum efficiency, you must workout your legs. The legs are the anchors of our bodies, the main support structures that literally do the brunt of the "heavy lifting" in our day-to-day lives. Therefore, in order to get that big chest with muscular shoulders and ripped arms, you must help the body to support this newfound girth by strengthening the legs. Simply put, weak legs will inhibit the gains you see in your upper body workouts.

Still here? Good. Although the majority of us hate leg workouts, it doesn't have to be so cumbersome. Keep reading for the three tips that'll get you on your way to building body mass:

Have the proper mindset. As stated earlier, most of us detest working out our legs. After all, they're covered up most of the time anyway and are not nearly as noticeable as a bigger, more muscular chest or well defined arms. But if you set aside at least one day a week to build muscle up in your legs, you will see proper gains in the upper body in the short term, which will lead to a healthier overall appearance in the long term. We've all seen the guy at the gym with the swelled upper body and the twig legs. It looks ridiculous. And to add to it that "style" of lifting is basically begging for injury. So do yourself a favor and make up your mind today to give your legs their due.

Vary your training program. Thigh and calf muscles tend to add strength (and thus show gains!) very quickly, which makes it essential to change up your leg routines occasionally, even more than you do for your upper body workouts. Keep these workouts short and intense. Work with as much weight as you can with fewer reps for quick muscle gain.

Get proper rest. Schedule days off from the gym during the week. Try and get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Allow time for your muscles to recover. This becomes even more important when incorporating your legs into your building body mass program. The old adage of "the legs feed the wolf" is true. So give them the proper time to recover and you will find yourself literally bouncing around the weight room!

These steps have laid out the very basics in how to achieve quick muscle gain in the legs. They may seem somewhat elementary, but they can certainly be applied with benefit to weight trainers at any skill level.