Basketball while trying to gain quality muscle

[tankbird]

I am 40 and played basketball in college. I have been lifting seriously since sophomore year of college. I have continued to play basketball throughout the years and while my conditioning, body fat, and leanness have been great I could never gain weight.

I realize this was due to the massive amount of bball I was playing. I love both bball and weight training. In April of 08 I sprained my ankle very severely and had to give up bball for the past couple of years. During this time I was able to go from a weight of 176 up to 192. Some of this was bodyfat but still prob around 10%.

I recently started back playing basketball in a league usually twice a week. How do guys my age balance the soreness of playing basketball with your workouts? Do you factor it into your weekly plan or just do your normal lift?

I guess my question is can you do both? play bball and gain quality muscle?


I should be able to answer this for myself since I am the case study but just curious if anyone else tries to do these 2 and what issues you have as a result?

[dutter]

when trying to gain muscle i really limit my cardio work. i play softball in the summer on a league. i try to balance the two but softball is far less demanding then basketball. it dose take some of my time away that would be spent at the gym. to keep or maintain your hard earned gains you may need to add more calories and rest to compensate for the added demands on your body. i guess you need to ask yourself how much do you love basketball.

[x-trainer ben]

I am 40 and played basketball in college. I have been lifting seriously since sophomore year of college. I have continued to play basketball throughout the years and while my conditioning, body fat, and leanness have been great I could never gain weight.

I realize this was due to the massive amount of bball I was playing. I love both bball and weight training. In April of 08 I sprained my ankle very severely and had to give up bball for the past couple of years. During this time I was able to go from a weight of 176 up to 192. Some of this was bodyfat but still prob around 10%.

I recently started back playing basketball in a league usually twice a week. How do guys my age balance the soreness of playing basketball with your workouts? Do you factor it into your weekly plan or just do your normal lift?

I guess my question is can you do both? play bball and gain quality muscle?


I should be able to answer this for myself since I am the case study but just curious if anyone else tries to do these 2 and what issues you have as a result?

To make this easy, full court basketball is like running 5-6 miles(Richard Hamilton comment) so running distance like that burns muscles. Unless you overcompensate with protein, or stay back and "run less" i can't see you muscling up unless you tweak something else.

[Bob45]

I know if I enjoyed both I would do both. If a little something gets taken out of the other...oh well.

[socket]

As the hardgainer that I am, the two can't go together. this is why I have a bulk season in the winter, where I work on max lifts and eat everything under the sun and do very little cardio........And then I have my cut season where I eat very clean and train for definition. I run track, play soccer and basketball, mess around with some mauy thai training, tons of abs exercises, and I don't worry about the amount of weight I'm pushing/lifting.

[silverlightning]

just keep lifting heavy and eating quality protein, carbs, fats. i used to play Bball and lift(heavy) in my 20's. all it did was get me lean.

[buff_dad_dy]

I would continue to do both. You are not having to support yourself or a family with either of these activities and obviously you enjoy both very much.Choice is simple.You live one live and should live it to its fullest. Deep inside i'm sure you will miss one or the other.

I played in a high tier competitive mens ball hockey league for years until my knees were in so much pain (about 4 years ago)that i had to give up the hockey as i walk 20km per day to support my family and my knees could no longer take the punishment. Then after sitting going stir crazy, i took up lifting as an outlet. Deep inside i want to go back and play hockey and when i have the knee surgery and all is well, i will as i loved the sport. I also played a lot of B'ball into my mid 30's. I warm up saturday mornings before i lift shooting around,etc...

Best of luck!

[tankbird]

Thanks for the input. I have never heard that playing basketball would be like running 5 or 6 miles although I have no doubt that it is.

I think what has been said here is correct. Especially at my age it will be difficult to add muscle while playing basketball, but you just have to look at the positive side and be thankful you are getting a good cardio workout and the weight lifting is keeping you strong and hopefully helping stave off injuries.

I just enjoy lifting. I have a hard time taking off days. I like being in the gym whether it be playing ball or lifting, but there has been many a day where it seems my time is wasted as far as building muscle because I would say lift from 10 am until 11 am, then I would go and play noon basketball for 1 hr and completely lose my pump and be pretty well exhausted for the afternoon. I would do this for 3 or 4 days a week.

Like I said I have only recently went back to playing basketball, but after my league is over I will most likely go back to lifting for an hour then going and playing ball during the noon hour and at least get more cut/lean. I am finding it difficult to accept putting on any bodyfat during "bulking up" anyway. It really feels better to be leaner at 176 LB as opposed to 190 with a little extra around the waist.