Should You Lift Weights Before Shooting Practice? What the Research Says

The Question Every Serious Player Asks

If you are combining strength training with basketball practice — and you should be — the scheduling matters. Should you lift before you shoot? After? Does it matter which muscles you train?

A 2023 study from the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory at the University of Kansas (Cabarkapa et al.) tested exactly this, and the results have practical implications for every player who trains both in the gym and on the court.

The Study Design

Ten resistance-trained men with basketball experience completed three separate sessions in randomised order:

1. Control — just shooting, no prior exercise
2. Upper-body training — bench press, bent-over row, push press, and accessory work at in-season intensity
3. Lower-body training — back squat, trap bar deadlift, mid-thigh hang power clean, and accessory work

After each session, they shot free throws, two-point, and three-point shots every 30 minutes for two hours (five rounds total, 225 shots per visit). Researchers filmed every shot at 120 frames per second to analyse shooting mechanics.

The Key Findings

Upper-Body Training Temporarily Hurts Accuracy

Immediately after the upper-body session, two-point and three-point shooting accuracy dropped by 9.9 to 11.8% compared to the control condition. That is a meaningful difference — roughly one extra miss per ten shots.

However, this drop completely disappeared after 30 minutes. By the second round of shooting, there was no difference from the control condition, and accuracy remained normal for the rest of the two-hour testing period.

Lower-Body Training Had No Effect on Accuracy

There was no significant decrease in shooting accuracy at any time point after the lower-body training session. Players shot just as well immediately after squats and deadlifts as they did without any prior exercise.

Shooting Mechanics Did Not Change

Here is the most interesting finding: the shooting mechanics — joint angles, release height, release angle, elbow position — remained completely unchanged after both upper-body and lower-body training. The biomechanics of the shot were identical across all conditions and all time points.

The researchers suggested that the temporary accuracy drop after upper-body work may be due to changes in movement velocity (how fast the body moves through the shooting motion) rather than changes in body position. The arms may be slightly slower or less coordinated immediately after being fatigued, even though they still reach the same positions.

Why This Matters for Training Schedules

Best Practice: Shoot First, Lift Second

If shooting accuracy is the priority, schedule your shooting practice before your gym session. This way, your arms and upper body are fresh for the precision work.

If You Must Lift First: Allow 30 Minutes

If your schedule requires weights before shooting, allow at least 30 minutes between the end of your upper-body workout and the start of shooting drills. The research shows this is enough time for the temporary accuracy suppression to clear.

Lower-Body Days Are Safer Before Shooting

If you need to combine gym and court work, lower-body training days are the better option to pair with shooting. Squats, deadlifts, and power cleans did not affect shooting accuracy at any time point.

The Bigger Picture: Strength Matters for Shooters

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that strength training is beneficial for basketball players. The same research group has consistently shown that:

• Lower-body strength correlates strongly with playing time in college basketball
• Maximal strength in the squat and deadlift correlates with jump and sprint performance
• Overall shooting efficiency accounts for 23-26% of the difference between winning and losing in the NBA

The message is clear: get strong, but be smart about when you schedule your training relative to your shooting practice.

Practical Takeaway for Youth Players

For younger players who may only have one training window per day:

1. Start with shooting drills when your body is fresh
2. Follow with strength or conditioning work
3. If the schedule is reversed, build in a rest period between gym work and shooting
4. Lower-body exercises (squats, lunges, jumps) are safe to do before shooting without a long rest