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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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.
- • 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 freeQuestions
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.
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.
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.
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.