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Basketball In-Season Strength
Basketball In-Season Strength is an intermediate basketball program that runs 12 weeks at 2 sessions per week. It is built into Ægir Iron and free to load for individual lifters and for athletes on a coach's roster.
What this program is
A 12-week in-season program for high school and college players with 2 to 4 games a week. Lift only on a free day, one that is neither a game day nor the day before one, and never lift weights the day before a game. Day A is done once a week, on the first free day after a game: a countermovement jump, trap bar deadlift, split squats, Nordic hamstring curls, calf raises, balance holds and an anti-rotation press. Day B is the week's other session, on a later free day with a day between the two where the week allows: a jump or landing drill, front squat, bench press, chin-ups, tibialis raises and balance holds. If the week has only one free day, do Day A alone. If it has none, skip that week and carry on with the next week of the program. Few sets around RPE 7, a short jump row on each day, and a lighter last week in each 4-week block. For a season longer than 12 weeks, repeat block 3.
At a glance
| Discipline | Basketball |
| Experience level | Intermediate |
| Length | 12 weeks |
| Training days | 2 per week |
| Equipment | Barbell + Trap Bar + Dumbbells + Cable + Pull-Up Bar + Box |
| Season phase | In-season |
| Loading | RPE targets on the lifts, with jumps and landings counted in ground contacts. |
| Price | Free for individual lifters and rostered athletes |
Free for individual lifters and for athletes on a coach's roster. Coaches pay only for roster tools.
How it works in Ægir Iron
Inside Ægir Iron the plan is real Cycle, Block, Week, Day structure. The 12 weeks are grouped into 3 blocks, and the sets, reps and effort targets change from one block to the next. Lifts carry RPE targets rather than percentages, and you choose the weight. If you would rather run a lift off a percentage of your max, switch that row to a percentage in the editor. You load it in a couple of taps, then adjust any session, and a coach can push it to an athlete's account in real time.
Original source
Ægir Iron's template is built from these sources. Under each one is what the template takes from it.
- Petersen J, Thorborg K, Nielsen MB, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Hölmich P (2011). Preventive effect of eccentric training on acute hamstring injuries in men's soccer: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39(11):2296-2303.The shape of the basketball Nordic build, 2 x 5 -> 3 x 6 -> 3 x 8 across the blocks
- Petushek EJ, Sugimoto D, Stoolmiller M, Smith G, Myer GD (2019). Evidence-Based Best-Practice Guidelines for Preventing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Young Female Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Sports Med. 2019;47(7):1744-1753.Landing stabilisation on every basketball lower day: the jump and landing row that opens it
- McGuine TA, Keene JS (2006). The effect of a balance training program on the risk of ankle sprains in high school athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34(7):1103-1111.The Single Leg Balance row in every basketball program: a balance program cut ankle sprains about in half in high school basketball and soccer players
- Emery CA, Rose MS, McAllister JR, Meeuwisse WH (2007). A prevention strategy to reduce the incidence of injury in high school basketball: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Clin J Sport Med. 2007;17(1):17-24.A basketball warm-up plus home wobble-board training cut acute injuries in players 12-18, the second reason for the balance row
- Ramirez-Campillo R, García-Hermoso A, Moran J, Chaabene H, Negra Y, Scanlan AT (2022). The effects of plyometric jump training on physical fitness attributes in basketball players: A meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(6):656-670.The jump and landing row that opens every basketball lower day: jump work improves jump, sprint, change of direction, balance and strength in basketball players regardless of programme length
- Figueira B, Abade E, Mateus N, Weldon A, Sampaio J, Paulauskas R (2025). Effect of weekly Plyometric training frequency on Adolescents female basketball players during in-season: A comparison of two vs. four sessions. PLoS One. 2025;20(4):e0320195.Basketball In-Season Strength carries one short jump row on each of its two days: in season, two jump sessions a week did as well as four at the same total volume
- Nyland J, Modlinski R, Krupp R (2026). Could High Game Volume over a Shorter Season Increase Noncontact Knee Injury Risk among Kentucky High School Girls' Basketball Players?. South Med J. 2026;119(3):119-122.High school basketball has the most congested schedule, so Basketball In-Season Strength says what to do in a week with one free day or none
Start Basketball In-Season Strength
Open Ægir Iron, go to Program and choose New Program, then the Program Wizard. On the first screen pick your discipline, then choose Basketball In-Season Strength from the cards under WHAT DO YOU WANT TO RUN? It is free on iOS, Android, and the web, with your data synced across all three.