Strength Training for Female Athletes

with Andrea Hudy,
Director of Sports Performance for UConn Women's Basketball;
2025 NCAA Women's National Champions;
Head Coach, Basketball Strength and Conditioning at The University of Texas from 2019 to 2021;
University of Kansas Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance from 2004 to 2019;
while at Kansas, the Jayhawks produced 35 NBA Draft picks, including 11 Lottery selections, and won the 2008 NCAA Championship;
Labeled as Kansas' "secret weapon" during the 2011-12 Men's Basketball Season;
2017 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Impact Award recipient;
2013 NSCA National College Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year;
UConn Sports Performance Coach from 1995 to 2004;
primary sports performance coach for the 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 NCAA National Championship teams for the Women's Basketball program, the 1999 and 2004 Men's Basketball program and the 2000 Men's Soccer NCAA Championship.

"Andrea Hudy was instrumental in a lot of the success that we enjoyed during her time with our program. It is not a surprise that success has followed her with any program with which she has worked. There are not very many, if any, better strength and conditioning coaches in the country. -- Geno Auriemma

Andrea Hudy lays out a strength training plan and exercises to help you build a better conditioned athlete who can stay powerful for longer periods of time. Hudy has been called KU's "secret weapon," as she is the only female strength and conditioning coach in men's Division I basketball.

Coach Hudy takes the time to discuss proper technique for each individual exercise in the workout and recommends exercise prescriptions for many movements. She explains the importance of the triple extension - the coordinated extension of the hip, knee, and ankle joints - which can occur vertically (jumping), linearly (running), and laterally (shuffling/skating).

Her goal is to "increase the amount of ground reaction forces a player generates in the weight room while performing the triple extension, which will transfer to the court in the form of better mechanical efficiency when the athlete is no longer under resistance."

Some of the 45 drills used include box jumps, walking lunges, Romanian dead lift, plate up chop, dumbbell curls, alternate sit ups, and swiss ball hamstring curls--resisted and un-resisted. The drills are broken up into five programs: Muscle Endurance, Work Capacity Circuit, Power Output and Strength, Strength, and Speed Strength, each with the specific sets/reps indicated for optimum results!

Here's a closer look at how the workout is organized:

• Mondays: Muscle endurance super setting box jumps and hip lifts followed by a total-body work capacity circuit.
• Tuesdays: A high load, high intensity, and low volume power output and strength session. This includes super setting split box jumps with swiss ball hamstring curls, dumbbell squats with hip hickers, and three more super set exercises.
• Thursdays: A total-body strength training workout.
• Fridays: A speed/strength session with the super set focus on overcoming gravity as fast as you can.

Acknowledging that not every athlete is in top condition when beginning a strength training program, Hudy offers ways to lower the difficulty level of certain exercises until athletes are strong enough to properly perform the basic technique. As athletes continue to build strength, they can progress through various levels of challenge Hudy provides to continue getting stronger.

Andrea Hudy gives you the necessary tools to build and maintain your athletes throughout the whole year. Use this video in combination with Coach Hudy's Developing Speed, Agility and Quickness for the Female Athlete (GD-04195A) for the ultimate 1-2 punch!

66 minutes. 2013.