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Stretches, exercises & conditioning

Warm-ups, cooldown stretches, bodyweight strength work, and conditioning drills — every one with real coaching cues, free for coaches and players.

Warm-up

Dynamic movement prep to raise heart rate and open up range of motion before practice or a game.

High Knees

Jog in place or across the floor driving knees up toward chest height, pumping arms.

30 sec Hips, hip flexors
  • Drive knees above waist height
  • Stay on the balls of your feet
  • Pump arms in rhythm with legs

Butt Kicks

Jog forward kicking heels back to touch the glutes.

30 sec Quads, hip flexors
  • Keep knees pointed down, not forward
  • Quick, light steps
  • Keep chest up

Walking Lunge with Twist

Step into a lunge, rotate the torso toward the front leg, then step through to the next lunge.

10 lunges/side Hips, core, quads
  • Front knee stays over the ankle
  • Rotate from the torso, not the hips
  • Keep the back straight

Leg Swings (Front-to-Back)

Holding a wall or partner for balance, swing one leg forward and back through a controlled range.

10 reps/side Hamstrings, hip flexors
  • Keep the swinging leg mostly straight
  • Control the swing — don't force the range
  • Keep the standing leg stable

Leg Swings (Side-to-Side)

Facing a wall, swing one leg across the body and back out to the side.

10 reps/side Hips, groin
  • Keep the torso facing forward
  • Swing from the hip, not the knee

Arm Circles

Small to large circles forward then backward with both arms extended.

20 sec each direction Shoulders
  • Start small, build to full range
  • Keep arms at shoulder height

Carioca (Grapevine)

Lateral crossover-step movement across the floor, alternating in front and behind the lead leg.

2 widths of the court Hips, groin, coordination
  • Stay light on your feet
  • Rotate the hips with each cross-step
  • Pick up speed as you get comfortable

Inchworm Walkout

Bend and walk the hands out to a plank, hold briefly, then walk feet up to the hands and stand.

6-8 reps Hamstrings, shoulders, core
  • Keep legs as straight as comfortable
  • Brief plank hold at the bottom
  • Move with control, not speed

World's Greatest Stretch

From a lunge, drop the back knee, rotate the torso and reach the same-side arm to the ceiling.

5 reps/side Hips, thoracic spine
  • Keep the front knee over the ankle
  • Rotate from the upper back
  • Breathe through the stretch

Ankle Pogo Hops

Quick, small hops using only the ankles, minimal knee bend.

20 sec Calves, ankles
  • Stiff ankle, spring off the ground
  • Minimal ground contact time
  • Land on the balls of the feet

Cooldown & Stretching

Static stretches to bring the heart rate down and maintain flexibility after training.

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Extend one leg forward with heel down, hinge at the hips and reach toward the toes.

20-30 sec/side Hamstrings
  • Keep the back flat, hinge from the hips
  • Don't force it — ease into the stretch

Standing Quad Stretch

Pull one heel toward the glutes while standing, holding the ankle.

20-30 sec/side Quadriceps
  • Keep knees close together
  • Stand tall, don't lean forward
  • Use a wall for balance if needed

Wall Calf Stretch

Hands on a wall, step one foot back with the heel down and lean forward.

20-30 sec/side Calves
  • Keep the back heel flat on the floor
  • Keep the back leg straight
  • Bend the back knee slightly for a deeper (soleus) stretch

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel in a lunge position and shift the hips forward while keeping the torso upright.

20-30 sec/side Hip flexors
  • Squeeze the glute on the back leg
  • Keep the torso tall, don't arch the back

Seated Figure-4 Stretch

Sit and cross one ankle over the opposite knee, then gently lean forward.

20-30 sec/side Glutes, hips
  • Keep the crossed foot flexed
  • Hinge forward from the hips, back flat

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

Pull one arm across the chest with the opposite hand.

20-30 sec/side Shoulders
  • Keep the shoulder down, away from the ear
  • Pull from the elbow, not the wrist

Overhead Triceps Stretch

Raise one arm overhead, bend the elbow, and gently pull with the opposite hand.

20-30 sec/side Triceps, shoulders
  • Keep the elbow pointed up, not out
  • Keep the core braced, avoid arching the back

Child's Pose

Kneel and sit back onto the heels, reaching the arms forward and lowering the chest toward the floor.

30-45 sec Lower back, shoulders
  • Breathe deeply and let the back relax
  • Widen the knees for more room if needed

Strength

Bodyweight strength exercises coaches and players can do with zero equipment.

Push-Ups

Standard push-ups — hands under shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels.

3 x 10-15 Chest, shoulders, core
  • Keep the body in a straight line
  • Full range — chest close to the floor
  • Brace the core throughout

Bodyweight Squats

Feet shoulder-width apart, sit the hips back and down, then drive back up.

3 x 15-20 Quads, glutes
  • Keep the chest up, weight in the heels
  • Knees track over the toes
  • Go as low as mobility allows with good form

Forward Lunges

Step forward into a lunge, lower until both knees are near 90 degrees, then push back to standing.

3 x 10/side Quads, glutes, balance
  • Front knee stays over the ankle
  • Keep the torso upright
  • Push through the front heel to stand

Plank Hold

Hold a forearm plank with the body in a straight line.

3 x 30-45 sec Core
  • Squeeze glutes and brace the abs
  • Don't let the hips sag or pike up
  • Keep breathing steadily

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Lying on the back with one foot planted, drive the hips up while the other leg stays extended.

3 x 10/side Glutes, hamstrings
  • Squeeze the glute at the top
  • Keep the hips level — don't let one side drop
  • Control the lowering phase

Wall Sit

Back against a wall, slide down until the thighs are parallel to the floor, and hold.

3 x 30-45 sec Quads
  • Knees at 90 degrees, over the ankles
  • Keep the back flat against the wall
  • Breathe — don't hold your breath

Mountain Climbers

From a plank position, drive knees alternately toward the chest at speed.

3 x 30 sec Core, conditioning
  • Keep the hips low and stable
  • Quick, controlled knee drives
  • Keep the core braced throughout

Burpees

Drop to a plank, do a push-up, jump the feet back to the hands, then jump up.

3 x 8-10 Full body
  • Move with control on the way down
  • Full extension on the jump
  • Pace yourself — quality over speed

Agility & Conditioning

Cardio and change-of-direction work to build basketball-specific conditioning.

Suicides (Sideline Sprints)

Sprint from the baseline to each line on the court and back, touching each line.

3-5 reps, timed Conditioning, speed
  • Touch every line with your hand
  • Explode out of every turn
  • Pace early reps to finish strong

Defensive Slide Shuttle

Lateral defensive slides between cones or lines, staying low the whole rep.

4 x 20 sec Lateral quickness, conditioning
Cones (optional)
  • Stay in a low defensive stance
  • Don't let your feet cross
  • Quick, choppy steps

Side-to-Side Line Jumps

Two-foot lateral jumps back and forth over a line, staying light and quick.

3 x 20 sec Ankles, agility
  • Minimal ground contact time
  • Land softly on the balls of the feet
  • Keep a slight knee bend

Box Jumps

Explosive two-foot jump onto a sturdy box or platform, stepping down between reps.

3 x 6-8 Power, explosiveness
Plyo box or sturdy bench
  • Full arm swing into the jump
  • Land soft with knees bent
  • Always step down — don't jump down

Jump Rope Intervals

Alternating rounds of jump rope work and rest — great for footwork and conditioning.

6 x 30 sec on / 30 sec off Conditioning, footwork
Jump rope
  • Stay on the balls of your feet
  • Small, quick wrist turns
  • Keep elbows close to the body

17s (Baseline Sprints)

Sprint sideline-to-sideline touching each line, aiming for 17 or more touches in a target time.

60-70 sec target Conditioning
  • Set a realistic target time as a team
  • Push through the middle reps — that's where it counts
  • Full sprint, not a jog

Build these into a real practice plan

Drop any of these straight into a timed practice plan in the SixSevenBall app — free to start.

Start free

Questions

When should players do a dynamic warm-up vs. static stretching?

Dynamic warm-ups (high knees, leg swings, carioca) belong before practice or a game — they raise heart rate and open range of motion without reducing power output. Static stretches (holding a hamstring or quad stretch) belong after activity, during the cooldown, when muscles are already warm.

How long should a basketball warm-up take?

8-12 minutes is typical: a few minutes of dynamic movement prep followed by ball-handling and shooting to raise the heart rate further before drills or a game.

Do players need equipment for these exercises?

Almost none of it. Most of the strength and conditioning items here are bodyweight-only — a jump rope or a set of cones helps for a couple of the agility drills, but nothing here requires a gym.

Can I build these into a practice plan?

Yes — inside the SixSevenBall app, the Practice Planner has a dedicated "Add stretch or conditioning" button that drops any of these straight into your run sheet as a timed block.