Sabrina Ionescu is a basketball sensation, dominating on the court for the New York Liberty in the WNBA and as a gold medalist for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics. Hailed as one of the greatest college basketball players in history during her time with the Oregon Ducks, Ionescu continues to inspire fans with her drive and determination.
Recently, Ionescu gave a glimpse into her workout regimen by sharing a video on Instagram featuring her training sessions with her coach. From lunges and squats to jumping rope and glute bridges, her routine demonstrates the strength and agility required to excel at basketball’s highest levels. With an unyielding focus on fitness and skill development, Ionescu proves that hard work and discipline are key to achieving greatness.
Ionescu is seen doing lunges in her Instagram video. They are considered a type of unilateral training. ACE Fitness states that they have a lot of benefits. “Unilateral training is a more effective way to build functional strength (than using both legs) because these types of movement mimic other everyday motions, like walking and climbing stairs — and not just to the working leg. Research suggests the strength gains to the nonworking side are about half of the strength gains of the working side.”
Ionescu is also seen doing squats in her Instagram video. Allina Health states that squats have a lot of benefits. “The squat is one of the all-around best exercises to do for your lower body. It strengthens and tones muscles in your thighs, butt and calves and improves posture, balance, flexibility and inner core strength. Squatting also improves bone mineral density to keep your bones strong.”
Ionescu is also seen jumping rope in her Instagram video. Jumping rope is a great way to stay in shape. ACE Fitness states, “Jumping rope can help improve your coordination. Jumping rope is a cyclic activity, which means you perform it for a steady, regular cadence. The steady cadence and rhythm of jumping rope can help improve the coordination between your eyes, feet and hands.”
Another workout that Ionescu is seen doing in her Instagram video is glute bridges. NASM states that this exercise has a lot of benefits. “When performed as a stabilization exercise, glute bridges activate the glutes to function as they are supposed to in other movements like squats, deadlifts, walking, and running. Adding weight progresses glute bridges into a strength exercise, which can build strength in the glute muscles. By increasing glute activation and strengthening the glutes, not only will your form get better in other exercises, but you might also gain the added benefit of reduced low back pain in your everyday life.”
Basketball is the main thing that Ionescu does to workout. The sport has a lot of health benefits. Fitness Advisory states, “The objective of a basketball game is to score as many points as you can by getting the ball through the hoop of the opposing team. So far that sounds pretty simple. But along the way you’re burning calories and building skills – hand-eye coordination is just one. Catching rebounding missed shots is another skill that requires a great degree of full-body coordination, since you have to observe the ball and jump to grab it at the right moment. Dribbling, another basic basketball skill, allows you to train your motor skills. Once you’ve mastered hand-eye coordination, you’ll no longer have to look at the ball while dribbling it.”