Hey Reader!

Fall leagues are starting or have been going on. Open gyms are back. School is back and in full swing. Your schedule just got a lot busier.

And for a lot of hoopers, this is where the backslide begins.

They stop lifting. Stop sprinting. Stop training altogether.

They think:

But fall ball isn’t development — it’s exposure.

You’re showcasing what you built this summer. And if you stop now? You’ll be a lighter, slower, more beat-up version of yourself by tryouts.

✅ Playing more doesn’t mean you’re improving.

Fall leagues are valuable — don’t get it twisted. But pickup games and open gyms aren’t where strength, power, and movement get built.

They’re where they get tested.

If you want to dominate this fall, your foundation needs to hold. That means you have to keep training.

The key? Train smarter. Fit it around your schedule — don’t completely abandon it.

✅ Here’s how to train through fall ball without burning out:

1. Consolidate your stress​
Pair your lifting days on days you have practices or games.

Use the pre-practice/game times as a way to get your sprinting, jumping, and power-based dynamic lifts in to prime your system for those activities.

All while using post-practice/games as the time for getting in your heavy strength work. This is the time you're already warmed up and fatigued- might as well get your lift in as well.

This way, you "stack" those higher intensities all in one day versus spreading them across the entire training week- increasing total weekly stressors.

Stacking intensities = less total stress across the week and ACTUAL rest days

2. Keep the volume low, but the intent high​
Fall ball adds load — so bring your training volume down slightly, but keep the intensity high. → 2-3 focused lifts per week is enough

Meaning, if you normally perform 4 sets of your heavy back squats or bench press, cut that volume in half, do less overall, but keep intensity (% of 1RM) the same.

Example:

Instead of performing 1 top set of 5 reps at 85% and 3 back down sets of 5 reps at 75% and 65% in the off-season, we may now look to do 1 top set of 5 at 85% followed by 1-2 back down sets at 75% and 65%.

The total volume is lower, but we are still planning to keep the intensity the same across the board.

3. Keep sessions short​
You don't have to train for 2-3 hours to have an effective training session.

You only need 30-45 minutes TOPS!

The goal is simple now and during the season, get in and get out.

Sprint fast, jump high and far, throw things fast, lift heavy things and get out.

Keep it simple and follow this template:

• Movement prep = pick 2-3 upper & lower body mobility/active movements that prime the system and "grease the groove" for the days movements
• Ankle Prep = This is where we perform our "pogo series" to build rhythm, coordination, stiffness and elasticity- pick 1-3 variations at lower volumes and get to it (go from extensive to intensive) (More on that topic in another issue)
• Sprint = Simple and plain, we need to move fast- here's my take... move fast at high speeds (top-speed: "flying" sprints or longer sprints) and move fast with load (acceleration/ first step)- don't go crazy with volume (get 2 sprints each side and move on)
• Jump = If you are only training twice, pick a vertical and horizontal jump variation 2-3 sets at low rep counts (3-4 reps) with focused intent
• Full Body Strength = Again, if you're pressed for time and only have two sessions per week, full body templates are the way to go. Keep it simple: Pick a push, pull, squat, hinge, single-leg, and core movement - 1-5 reps, with controlled tempos for movement quality, 2-3 high quality sets

Stay strict to rest periods, get in get out, and call it a day.

Simple as that!

4. Implement mobility/movement into your sessions

At this time of year, we start to see the body get beat up going from summer ball directly into fall ball.

Incorporate time for mobility/movement into your sessions.

Cause let's be real, you won't make time for it if you don't.

Here's some ways you can do this:

• Use the prep/warm-up to prime your sessions = We saw this in my template in the section prior, but using that time to get some high quality movement in is vital to longevity and improving movement quality.
• Incorporate mobility into the end of the session = Put together a quick 10-15 minute routine for yourself at the end of the session. Pick 4 movements (2 upper/ 2 lower) 2-3 sets. This can prove to be a great cool-down to end the session and feel good.
• Superset your primary movements with mobility/movement work = Hate resting for long periods of time? Use your rest periods to pair your primary strength movements with a mobility exercise to get the best bang for buck.

5. Stack strength & skill, don’t separate them​
Fall is about integration. Don’t treat the weight room and court like enemies. → Lift + skills on the same day = less fatigue spread out across the week

The problem?

Most athletes treat it as "this" or "that."

In reality, you CAN and SHOULD do both.

✅ Sample Fall Week (for a hooper with 2–3 open gym days):

Monday: Dynamic lift pre-practice + Practice + Full body lift post-practice (Use pre-practice to prime, post to get your heavy lift in)
​Tuesday: Open gym / court session + Post-court Upper Body Lift (Fatigued from open gym/court session- get your lift in)
​Wednesday: Off / recovery work (mobility + walk or light aerobic work)
​Thursday: Lower Body Lift (Heavy lowers) + Light skills session
​Friday: Off/ recovery or light shooting workout
​Saturday: Open gym or team training
​Sunday: Rest

Don’t let your summer work fade away. Train through fall — not around it.

Build strength, stay explosive, and show up to tryouts at your best.

Let’s keep building,

— Coach Julian

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