“But Coach… won’t getting ‘too bulky’ make me slow?”

Hey Reader,

I put this post out a couple years back and recently reposted it for the messaging- since this question comes up every single year.

A kid starts lifting… puts on a little muscle… and suddenly someone tells them:

“You’re getting too big.”
“You’re gonna lose your quickness.”
“You’ll get slow.”

And because most hoopers don’t understand how training actually works, they believe it.

But here’s the truth:

Muscle doesn’t make you slow.
Bad training makes you slow.

If putting on muscle automatically ruined speed… explain every elite athlete with freakish size and freakish quickness.

(You’ve probably seen the picture of that 40-year-old guy named LeBron… who somehow still moves faster than kids half his age.)

So let’s clear this up — especially for hoopers heading into the winter and early off-season phases.

Why “Bulk Makes You Slow” Is a Myth

Speed drops for one reason:

Your training stops emphasizing speed.

Most players make the same mistake when they start lifting:

❌ Too much bodybuilding-style training
❌ Too much fatigue, not enough intent
❌ No sprinting or power work
❌ No attention to movement quality

Then they wonder why they feel heavy.

The problem isn’t the extra muscle.
The problem is the wrong kind of training.

Where Hypertrophy Actually Fits

Early in the off-season, hypertrophy plays a HUGE role.

Here’s what it really does for hoopers:

1. Rebuild the lean mass you lost during the season

A full basketball season breaks your body down.
Long practices + games + travel = muscle loss.

Hypertrophy repairs that.

2. Strengthens muscle groups that directly impact speed & jumping

When programmed correctly, hypertrophy gives you MORE ability to apply force, not less.

That means:

• Faster first steps
• More pop
• Better deceleration
• Better joint stability

3. Lays the foundation for your strength and power phases later on

Muscle is your raw material.
Once you have it, we refine it into strength, speed, and explosiveness.

So… How Do You Actually Bulk Without Getting Slow?

Simple:

You build muscle in the right places, in the right way, while still sprinting and jumping.

Here’s the formula I give my athletes:

1. Keep speed + power year-round

Just 10–15 minutes per training day.
Sprints, jumps, med ball throws.

This prevents that “slowed down” feeling.

2. Use hypertrophy as accessory, not the main course

You should NOT be doing 90-minute bodybuilding workouts.

Your primary engines:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Split squats
• Pressing
• Pulling

Your accessories support those main movements.

3. Target the areas hoopers desperately need more work

This is the list I always start with:

• Calves→ resilience/stiffness + explosiveness
• Hamstrings → top speed + knee protection
• Lower abs + hip flexors → aids in sprinting efficiency/posture
• Glutes → acceleration + vertical + stability
• Upper back → posture + deceleration + durability
• Groin/adductors → lateral COD + stability + durability

Build these areas and you move better — not worse.

The Real Goal

Not to “get big.”
Not to “get cut.”

But to build the body that lets you:

• Sprint faster
• Jump higher
• Cut harder
• Absorb contact
• Stay healthy
• Dominate the game

Muscle is part of that.
Strength is part of that.
Power is part of that.

The magic is in how you blend them.

Let’s keep building,
​– Coach Julian

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

If you want a full blueprint for how to train, fuel, and recover like a serious hooper — including exactly where hypertrophy fits into your yearly plan — my book The Foundation breaks it all down step-by-step.

It’s everything I wish I had as a young athlete.
And everything I use with the hoopers I train now.

👉 Grab your copy here:

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