When it comes to basketball players, height is widely considered as the dominant physical trait. However, in order to gain successes on the court, basketballers need more than their height. That is why NBA scouts nowadays thoroughly assess various body characteristics of young talents and wingspan is among the criteria. Candidates that have long wingspans could compete equally with taller opponents in offense and defense. Needless to say, the question of “how to get longer arms?” is discussed/debated by basketball players around the globe.
You are interested in learning how to increase wingspan naturally? If that is so, you come to the right place. Below, you would be introduced to everything basketballers should know about wingspan including the way it aids the players and how to get longer arms. Once you get a grip of the fundamentals, you would be able to figure out what to do to boost your performance under the basket. Overall, you need more than physical traits to gain fame in basketball but the following information could help you take advantage of your natural gifts.
The Influence Of Wingspan: Summary
Learning how to get longer arms is one thing but itâs slightly hard to be committed unless you know for sure what the added length offer to basketball players. Here is a quick overview of the value of wingspan to people that play basketball.
As you might already know, wingspan is the term people used to describe the end-to-end length of a personâs arms and hands. To measure wingspan of a particular individual, itâs necessary to make sure that his/her arms stay parallel to the ground at shoulder height. In basketball, possessing a long wingspan allow ordinary players to “play taller” than they actually are which means a lot. When it comes to blocking shots, rebounding, intercepting and so on, wingspan is an asset that proves virtually indispensable to the play style of basketballers.
Considering the role of wingspan, itâs no surprise some of the most accomplished players in the history of the NBA also have long wingspans. The 8-time All-Star, 8-time All-NBA Team honoree and 5-time All-Defensive Team Dwight Howard is known to have a wingspan of roughly 89 inches. Kevin Durant, a player with 2 NBA championships, 2 Finals MVP Awards and 4 NBA scoring titles also possesses a wingspan of 89 inches. Holding numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding, durability…, Wilt Chamberlain got a huge wingspan with estimates range from 92 to 100 inches.
On the basketball court, if your arms could reach further than your opponents, you have an edge in the game. Regardless of your position, having long wingspans increase your chance of success at securing the ball, throwing passes and scoring. For that reason, players with short wingspans would experience significant difficulty playing against opponents that have extended armâs length. Every year, players that join NBA Pre-draft Camp have their wingspan measured in addition to height, weight, standing reach,…
Increasing The Wingspan: A Couple Of Exercises Recommended By Experts
As with other physical traits of a human body, itâs nearly impossible for people to change their wingspan overnight. However, if you remember to perform stretching exercises on a daily basis then you should be able to extend the reach of your arms eventually.
- Dumbbell Row
Being a simple workout that adds some length to the arms, Dumbbell Row is an excellent day-to-day stretching exercise for novice basketball players. To get the most out of the workout, itâs essential that you refrain from twisting the weight as you pull it to the hip. Moreover, donât constantly bounce the dumbbell up and down. Instead, get into a lat stretch position and casually transits into a full positive contraction. Although it might seem easier to hold the weight close to the body, you should keep your elbow as wide as possible at all times.
- Deadlift With Chains
Besides increasing the wingspan, Deadlift With Chains workout also helps to build up your strength. In order to manipulate the loaded bar, you have to rely on muscles of the posterior chain which stimulate growth. The presence of the chain indeed take the level of difficulty up a notch but that would provide more benefits compared to the average deadlifts. The setup causes the bar to reach its heaviest weight at the top of the motion so itâs of utmost importance that you maintain maximum force on your muscles.
- Unilateral Lat Pulldown
In the case you have access to a unilateral lat pulldown, there is an exercise that you could try out. Start with a full stretch and palm facing in (also known as the neutral grip). As the weight gets lower and lower, let your palm gradually turn toward the floor until it touches your chest. The workout is quite useful when it comes to developing the lats and as your back muscle start to grow, your wingspan would follow suit. Considering the movement of the unilateral lat pulldown, your lats should feel every pound of weight from extension to contraction.
- Pronated Grip Pull-Up
In the stretching exercise category, few bring as many benefits as Pronated Grip Pull-Up. Aside from extending the overall reach of your arms, the pull-up helps with your upper body endurance as well. While some people utilize weight belts to also optimize the chin, itâs best that you avoid the practice altogether. By front-loading with weight belts, your pelvis is going to be exposed to downward forces which often compromises the mechanic of your upper body. In such a scenario, the risk of back injury is increased by a large margin.
- T-Bar Rows
Workout using T-Bar Rows permits people to promptly reach optimal compression, contraction and range of motion with relative ease. In this exercise, you have to pull the weight into your midsection, squeeze the scapula and then steadily lower the eight for a full stretch. As always, maintaining tension is the key to stimulate growth.
