Hello,
First of all I'd like to ask you guys a simple question:
-What kind of upper body and lower body exercises are essential for Basketball?

I'm 16, and I'm very small.
I'm about 1.7m
Weigh about 55kg..
I play Point Guard.

I haven't done any weight training so far besides from some basic curls, pushups etc every now and then for the upper body and just some calf raises for the.. Calves.
I had been doing Squats, Wall sits, Lunges, but after some of those, my knees felt very weird and I wasn't able to move them properly.. Like it was really stiff.. It was almost hard to walk and very hard to run. This had lasted for about 2 months! Now it is better though.
So please explain in detail (if needed) about how to do the exercises you post for me. (I also don't get the rep system thing..? The whole 3x3, 3x5 etc..)

I am exploring my diet options so no need to worry about those because I have a much better understanding of them (At least I think) than this. Unless there are some specially good foods for Basketball which I should take note of?

By the way - Does anybody have any tips on losing fat around the abs?
I don't necessarily want to gain abs, because when I stand up, and even after a meal, you can see some faint lines (Like a 4-pack? o_O) but then when I sit down, wowowo, you can see all the flabs, and it is a lot! I almost look like I have a pot belly!

So thanks in advance to anybody who can help me!

Cleans would be a good idea to develop explosiveness. They're very technical lifts so it would be advisable to have a bit of coaching so that you perform them properly

Basically it's the first part of a clean and jerk - getting the bar from the floor up to the shoulders

Also look into plyometrics

ORIGINAL: JLee

By the way - Does anybody have any tips on losing fat around the abs?
I don't necessarily want to gain abs, because when I stand up, and even after a meal, you can see some faint lines (Like a 4-pack? o_O) but then when I sit down, wowowo, you can see all the flabs, and it is a lot! I almost look like I have a pot belly!

Unfortunately it isn't possible to spot reduce fat ie target a certain area for fat reduction. Sadly it doesn't work that way. Aim at reducing bodyfat % overall with diet and cardio

"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong" - Bertrand Russell

My training log

Thanks for the info Raskolnikov.

Does anybody have a solution to my knee problem?
Whenever I do Squats/Lunges etc, my knees get really stiff and it hurts if I put pressure on them..
I really wanna work on my hops but its almost impossible if my knees go like this every time I try to train..
So does anybody have a solution?
Thanks

When squatting, does it feel like all the weight is on the balls of your feet? Do your heels come off the ground at all?

The correct way to squat is to push from the heel, like you're pushing the ground away from you. This is easier on the knees and better for balance. Might be worth lowering the weight and working on your form for squats and lunges

Also a visit to a physio may be in order if you're worried

"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong" - Bertrand Russell

My training log

Sorry for the late reply
And thanks again Raskolnikov for the answers.

I don't think it's my squatting form because I get stiff knees from doing wall sits, and lunges as well. (I have yet to try other work outs as I've only just started)

No worries

Try some other exercises and see how you get on with those. No point hurting yourself. If you try squats, lunges etc again and the pain returns, it may be to do with technique, or maybe too much weight too soon

It might be worth getting someone experienced you trust to watch you doing these exercises, so they can give you pointers on your form. Alternatively, if you can video yourself doing them and guys on the forum can give you pointers. If you do, use light weights and see how you feel

"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong" - Bertrand Russell

My training log