When fans watch an NBA game, they see the dunks, the three-pointers, and the game-winning shots. What they don’t see are the countless hours spent in the weight room, training facility, and recovery sessions that make elite performance possible. As the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, Stephen Brindle plays a critical role in helping athletes prepare for the physical demands of the NBA season. In this exclusive Q&A, Brindle discusses his journey, training philosophy, injury prevention, and what it takes to help professional athletes perform at the highest level.
Tell us about your journey into strength and conditioning and what led you to the NBA.
Since you’re from the Burgh I’m gonna bring it all the way back to the Burgh! I hooped for Allderdice in the City League, and I started lifting weights at Skibo Gym at CMU. Equipment and bars were so rusty your hands and shirt would be orange when you were done LOL!! I also used to sneak into the weight room at the JCC in Squirrel Hill and lift. I’m a Christian and not Jewish, but they had a dope weight room haha. I didn’t really know what I was doing, just following stuff I seen in bodybuilding magazines, but I did gain some size and strength which helped me on the court.
Then I started studying exercise science at the University of Delaware. The curriculum required two internships my Senior Year. I did the first one at the University of Hawaii under Tommy Heffernen and absolutely fell in love with strength and conditioning. From that moment on in 2005, I knew I wanted this as my career path and I’ve never looked back. I also interned at Velocity Sports Performance in New Jersey. From there I went on to be a GA Strength Coach at Temple University where I worked with football, men’s and women’s basketball and lots of Olympic sports. I came back to Pittsburgh for a year to work at Pitt in 2009 after I obtained my master’s degree in Kinesiology- mainly working with Olympic sports. But my mentor Tim Beltz was head basketball strength coach, and I would help him out a lot with the squad. I spent over a decade at the University of Pennsylvania where I worked with over 15 different teams. I was Head Football Strength Coach and Head Basketball Strength Coach for a few years there (which is pretty much unheard of). I won over 10 rings with the teams there and started specializing in men’s and women’s basketball towards the end of my tenure there. I interned with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2018 season which was my first stint in pro sports. In 2021 I started working for the Milwaukee Bucks organization and was head S&C coach of their G League team the Wisconsin Herd, and assisted with the Bucks every day in the Herd off-season. I spent 2 years as an Assistant Strength Coach for the Sixers and fast forward to now and I’m going into my 3rd year as Head Strength Coach for the Sixers. It’s been an incredible ride and I take some pride in paying my dues. I started off at the bottom as an intern, worked at every level and here I am today in the NBA.
What does a typical day look like for you during the NBA season?
During the season there are normally two type of days- game days and non-game days. On home game days I normally get to the arena in the morning around 8:45am for shoot around which starts at 9:45am. My staff and I will write the different game day lifts up on the white board and set up equipment for the game day lifts before shoot around begins. Sometimes we may have a few guys lifting before shoot around as well. I double check the away space weight room in the morning and make sure it’s clean and ready to go for the visiting team. During shoot around I normally take the team through a movement prep warm-up on the court before practice and then help in whichever way I’m needed during practice. That might mean wiping the court after someone falls, helping to rebound during shooting drills or helping with hydration. After shoot around there’s normally a player or two who likes to get their gameday lift in. Then there’s a mid-day break. I always get my own lift in during this time- then come back to the arena normally at 3:45pm ish for a 7:00pm start. Players will come through the weight room in groups every 15 to 20 minutes for close to 2 hours leading up to gametime. Low minute players will typically lift before the game and high minute players will typically do movement prep and mobility work with us before their individualized shooting times. Right after the team meeting at 35 min on the clock, there are a handful of players that like coming in the weight room for individualized warm-ups. When the team goes out to the court around 15 min on the clock my staff and I go out and take certain players through more specific warm-ups at half court. During the game, I get to watch the game and cheer the team on- but there’s often players that have certain routines and want to stretch during time outs or do band resisted movements. After the game, we always have a handful of players lifting. Then it’s clean up time to make sure the arena is clean and ready for the Flyers who we share a weight room with. I’ll normally leave the arena by like 10:15pm-10:30pm so game days are definitely long days.
Non-gamedays are shorter. On practice days the staff is normally there about 2-2.5 hours before practice even starts. Some practice days we will have lift groups, but typically not the day after a game. I’ll get some programming stuff done in the morning and talk things over with my staff. During practice, I’m normally on court helping to rebound or clean up the floor if someone falls. I’ll also help with return to play rehab cases when a player is coming back from injury. Sometimes we’ll have a few guys lift after practice as well. Thankfully non-game days are shorter and we’re out of the building by late afternoon. When there are “optional” days at home or on the road those are short days, normally after a game day. Our staff goes in for about 3 hours for any players that want to come and get work in.
Most fans only see the games. What goes on behind the scenes to keep NBA players performing at an elite level?
There is sooo much. We’re keeping track of their GPS player loads and other metrics to make sure players are not over expended. Players are getting soft tissue work done on a regular basis, home and away. They are in the treatment room daily getting work on nagging issues and primed to go lift and play. Most of our players are lifting 2-4 days per week in-season even with a dense game schedule. Most of the time this is done on gamedays to keep high CNS (Central Nervous System) days high, and keep low CNS days, low. This takes lots of discipline and dedication to lift on gamedays. Players also have mobility/activation and tendon health routines they do every day with us, to stay healthy and be prepared to play. Many players have their own private chefs to cook them healthy meals at home, and we have elite chefs in our facility preparing great tasting meals for the team. We have a dietitian who is providing proper supplements and nutrition advice to our players. And that’s just the “Health and Performance” side of things. Coaches are constantly breaking down film for guys, PD coaches are giving the team scout team looks, and players are getting LOTS of shots up every single day. Many times, on non-gamedays players will come back to the facility at night to get more shots up.
How has sports science changed the way players train compared to a decade ago?
Everything is more quantifiable now. Mainly with developments in GPS data, we can monitor trends and avoid every practice being high-intensity, high volume, just for the sake of coaches desiring to practice hard every day. We can monitor fatigue levels better and know when to push players and when to pull back and have them focus more on recovery. We can also tailor their training through KPIs (key performance indicators) that we obtain through force plate jumps, isometric testing and velocity-based training measurements. We can individualize the training to help bring up weaknesses and to help an athletes’ strengths stay strong.
What are the biggest physical challenges NBA players face during an 82-game season?
It’s A LOT of games and travel. Nearly 3 times as many games as a typical college season, if you count pre-season games and playoff games. The biggest challenge is finding the balance on the “fitness/fatigue continuum”. In other words, doing enough in the weight room and on court so you are “fit” and have a high level of preparation, but not doing so much where that turns into fatigue that negatively effects performance. For first year players, getting used to the length of the season and the amount of travel is key. I was talking with a MLB strength coach recently and they play 162 games. But he said we travel more than they do since they normally do 3 or 4 game series in the same city. In the NBA you are constantly on the move and in different time zones. For veteran players, maintaining strength and keeping up with soft tissue work and mobility/movement prep stuff is key during ng a long season
How do you balance improving performance while reducing the risk of injury?
It comes down to training HARD and training SMART both on court and in the weight room. Finding the sweet spot of the appropriate volume that the athlete can tolerate, while minimizing fatigue is key. Athletes also need to lift consistently throughout the season as increased research comes out showing that consistent strength training reduces the likeliohood of injuries occurring. Injuries are bound to happen but we want to reduce the chances of them happening as much as we can. As I mentioned before, this also means keeping what’s strong, strong and turning weaknesses into strengths. This could mean improving range of motion, eccentric braking forces, first step quickness, calf strength, unilateral strength, power and impulse, hypertrophy and a host of other things. Those are just examples of a wide range of things someone may need to improve. Focusing on 1-2 qualities at a time is most realistic.
Recovery has become a major topic in professional sports. What are some of the most important recovery habits players should embrace?
Hands down the most important is SLEEP. So many good restorative things happen when we get adequate sleep. Next would be proper nutrition. High quality fuel is needed to play at the highest level. The proper amount of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals is essential. Taking certain supplements when needed is important too. Next up would be sauna, steam room and hot tub. Heat lubricates the joints and increases your red blood cell count. If the goal is to reduce inflammation in-season then cold modalities like cold tubs have their place too. Massage guns, foam rolling and other soft tissue devices are useful- mainly for the perceived improvement in range of motion after using them. (not necessarily due to tissue transformation, according to research)
What separates players who maximize their talent from those who don’t?
Everyone who makes it to the NBA is extremely gifted! They have a unique skillset and normally great genetics as well. They are the cream of the crop. The last guy on the bench who is the 18th player on the roster and on a 2-Way contract, would cook 99% of the people reading this interview lol. The players with GREAT HABITS will be the ones who maximize their talent. They consistently work on their game year-round, as well as take care of their bodies through proper strength and conditioning execution, nutrition implementation, and recovery modalities. I have seen some younger players get away with not putting in the extra work and taking care of their bodies the right way. But this catches up with you! Any vet I’ve ever talked to who played in the league for 10 years or more, talked about the importance of taking care of their bodies and staying consistent in the weight room.
How important is mental toughness when it comes to maintaining peak physical condition?
It is crucial. There are days when you will not feel like doing mobility work, explosive plyos, or lifting heavy weight. But you have to push past that and have intrinsic motivation or being internally motivated regardless of what anyone else says and who the audience is. The ability to put in the work when no one is watching. Team wins by 30- don’t get too cocky- still get in the weight room after the game. Team loses by 30- don’t get too down on yourself- still get in the weight room after the game. The most elite athletes I’ve been around have an impeccable confidence in their abilities on the court. This comes from prior preparation. Lifting, running and practicing when no one is watching, I heard Jalen Brunson mention that in his post-game interview after winning the finals. He was thinking back to all the PRIOR PREPARATION- just him alone in the gym in the summer prepped him to be an NBA champ.
What role does nutrition play in a player’s ability to perform at the highest level?
Proper nutrition is of upmost importance. You have to think about it like putting the proper FUEL into your car. If your vehicle requires diesel fuel or premium fuel, you have to put the right gas into your vehicle for it to run properly. Same thing with fueling your body. It’s important for athletes to understand the role of macronutrients. Athletes are going to need to rely on healthy forms of carbs to give them energy for the court and high protein for rebuilding muscle tissue needed for strength gains and hypertrophy. Healthy fats regulate vital hormones (like testosterone), protect vital organs, support joint and cellular health and help reduce post-exercise inflammation. Most of your calories should come from actual food as you’ll get more nutrient density due to more minerals, vitamins and antioxidants your body needs to function optimally. There are only a handful of supplements I recommend. Mult-vitamins, fish oil, creatine, whey protein, magnesium, beetroots and tart cherry. Most other stuff you see is a gimmick and not backed by research. If you’re a player reading this, look for the product to be “NSF Certified” as it will ensure there aren’t any hidden ingredients in it that could cause you to fail a drug test. Staying properly hydrated is critical as well!
Are there common training mistakes you see young athletes making today?
Absolutely! A lot of young athletes are victims of the internet. We have more information at our fingertips than ever before. But there is also more MISINFORMATION than ever before. A lot of young athletes think they need to focus on fancy movements or training modalities they see on Instagram. When the reality is these young athletes need to focus on the fundamentals. You don’t need to focus on fancy implements or training tactics when you can’t even do 20 good push-ups, 10 pull ups or squat your own body weight. Build the foundation first and focus on incredible technique on every movement. Young athletes don’t need to worry about chasing big weight numbers; they need to engrain proper movement patterns and then gradually add more weight as they get stronger. Their training doesn’t need to be overly complicated.
What advice would you give high school athletes who dream of playing college or professional sports?
Develop great habits now. Put in more work than others and surround yourself with friends and acquaintances who are going in the right direction and have similar goals as you. Bad company corrupts good morals so choose your circle wisely. Shine in your current role with your current team. Be a good teammate, have contagious energy, and be coachable. Set short term goals for yourself. Write them down and do everything you possibly can to achieve them. Master body weight movements first and then eventually start strength training with barbells and dumbbells and do plyometric training on a regular basis. Out hustle everyone else and also make sure your grades are on point as it will make it easier for colleges to take a chance on you.
Have you worked with any players whose dedication to training particularly impressed you?
What made them stand out?
Yes indeed. Our team won’t like it if I say names but there have been a handful. These players either arrived at the facility before the rest of their teammates, or they stayed later when their teammates had left the facility. They lifted hard after a win or a loss. They stayed consistent and never missed a lifting session. They’d ask for extra work when their training session was over. When I was in Milwaukee, I’d lift at the facility a lot after the workday was over and players had left the building. I’d be lifting at like 4:30-5:30pm and I’d see a certain player always coming back to the gym to get hundreds of extra shots up at night, when the building was completely empty. He’s now one of the league’s best shooters.
What is the most misunderstood aspect of strength and conditioning at the professional level?
There’s a tendency to think pro athletes have these super long 1.5-hour training sessions in-season with fancy sports-specific movements, when that is really not the case. Compared to the younger athletes we talked about earlier, pro athletes will do some more advanced training methods, but they still are performing the basics at a very high level. In addition, we use a concept called microdosing, in-season where the sessions are frequent but short and sweet. This allows us to get more training exposures without the negative effects of fatigue, that typically come with long grueling sessions.
Also, I think the general public doesn’t realize that it is very commonplace to lift after the games for most high minute players; in order to allow the next day to be a true rest day.
Looking ahead, where do you see strength and conditioning evolving over the next 5-10 years?
Technology is going to continue to play a big role. Right now, we can quantify almost everything; top speeds, accelerations, decelerations, jump height, peak power, rate of force development, bar speed, total weight lifted (tonnage),and a whole lot more. I think in the next 5-10 years we’re going to be able to gather even more metrics on key performance qualities. As AI (not Allen Iverson lol)continues more and more technological developments will be on the horizon. We are already seeing new machines that can attenuate different parts of a movement through greater eccentric or concentric overload. I think in the future we’ll see even more devices like that.
I actually think that certain gimmicks will phase out though as they always do. The tried-and-true methods will be relied on more and more; mastering body weight movements then gradually adding load over time and in different planes of motion; and focusing on sprint, jumping and landing mechanics. Even with advancements in AI actual in-person coaching will still be needed.