5 weeks · 3x / week · High School
Basketball Fourth-Quarter Conditioning
Five weeks of court-shaped conditioning so your legs look the same in the last four minutes as they did in the first four.
How to run it
- Conditioning that looks nothing like basketball builds fitness you can't use. Every rep here is court length with a change of direction.
- Rest is prescribed, not felt. Start the next rep on the clock even if you'd rather wait.
- If your fatigue index is already under 5 percent in week 1, add two reps per set instead of adding sessions.
Springbak® note
Fatigue shows up first in ground contact — the last rep is where the floor feels hardest. Install Springsoles under your basketball insoles from week 1 through the week 5 retest and record every number on the same court.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Hold within 5 percent of your best repeated-sprint time across ten reps instead of fading by the sixth.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-2
Aerobic base with court movement — long shuttle sets, submaximal.
Phase 2 · Weeks 3-4
Repeated sprint ability: short work, short rest, full intent.
Phase 3 · Week 5
Deload and retest. Half the volume, all of the intensity.
What you test
- Repeated 17s
- Ten sideline-to-sideline reps on 30 seconds. Record first, best and last.
- Fatigue index
- Slowest rep minus fastest rep. Under 5 percent is the target.
- Late-game vertical
- Vertical jump measured immediately after the last shuttle rep.
What you need
- Full court
- Stopwatch
- Cones
- Heart-rate monitor (optional)
The week
Day 1
Aerobic power
Court-length shuttles
6 x 90s at 80 percent, 60s rest
Defensive slide circuit
4 rounds x 40s
Goblet squat
3 x 10
Calf raises
3 x 15
Day 2
Repeated sprint
17s (sideline to sideline)
10 reps on 30s
Suicides
4 reps, 90s rest
Lateral bounds
4 x 6 per side
Ankle rocker holds
3 x 30s per leg
Day 3
Game-shape mix
Transition 5-on-0 sprints
8 reps full court
Closeout and recover
10 x 20 ft
Split squats
3 x 8 per leg
Pogo hops
Minimum ground time
4 x 12
Questions about this block
Can I run this during the season?
Yes, at two days a week and only on non-game days. Drop it entirely inside a three-games-in-five-nights stretch.
Treadmill instead of court?
No. Change of direction is the point; a straight-line treadmill misses the deceleration cost entirely.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 12 weeks · 2x / week
In-Season Strength
Hold off-season strength through a full competitive season with no drop in game-day legs.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and strength work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 8 weeks · 3x / week
Vertical Jump Block
Add 2-4 inches to approach vertical through force production and a stable plant.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and jump work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 8 weeks · 3x / week
Volleyball Jump Durability
Hold approach jump height from set one to set five, with no drop-off in the back half of the season.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Basketball and jump work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Basketball
- Fits off-season