Numbered are the weekends of barbeques and pool parties with summer quickly coming to an end. Even though hot dogs and hamburgers will be put to bed until next summer, partying certainly doesn’t end with the warm weather. It’s called football season—and people gather to watch the games on their HD Plasmas nearly every weekend. Our football favorites have been hard at work on the off-season to make sure you get your Direct TV NFL Ticket’s worth.
I had the opportunity to sit down with James Ihedigbo, safety of the New York Jets, to talk about just what kind of work he's been doing to get ready for this season and what we as non-athletes can take from his regiment to be more physically fit. Obviously none of us are aspiring to have biceps the size of Ihedigo, but we can learn a thing or two from someone whose job it is to exercise and play a sport demanding the greatest in agility and strength. And if you are after the physique of an NFL player, good luck. His mammoth muscles are from some extremely hard work.
The super talented football player comes out of UMass and is in his second year playing in the NFL. James lives by the motto, "To whom much is given, much is expected.” He has never let natural talent stop him from working as hard as humanly possible. He was injured in training camp last summer and was out the remainder of the season so this year is big. That's where the hard work comes into play. Check out James in action in a typical off-season work out:
Now, I'm sure you won't be running to the nearest open field with a 75lb medicine ball and hoisting it over your head, backwards I might add, as James so effortlessly displayed above. So here are some tips from pro-athlete to Joe and Jane Average:
1. Cardio, Cardio, Cardio: He advises 30 minutes of cardio at least 3 times a week, this will even pump up your energy all week long.
2. Everyday Core Strengthening: Work on positions that engage your core strength like holding planks or as he refers to them as bridges. James adds yoga to his training often to keep the mind and body strong.
3. Medicine Ball: if you aren't careful, free weights and circuit training can be an inefficient and injury prone way to build overall strength. Using a medicine ball employs natural movement and therefore builds muscles evenly with less chance of improper form. Plus it's fun to do medicine ball excercises with a partner to keep you motivated.
4. A Heathy Diet: Ihedigbo’s fitness success also comes from smart choices in his diet. He grabs a piece of fruit instead of something sweet and loads up on grilled chicken and salad whenever he can.
When I asked James what keeps him motivated in the gym he modestly responded, "I want to be the best, I'm my own worst critic." We might not be striving towards the same goals of physical perfection as he is but his hard work and relentless attitude can be greatly appreciated and can be translated to fit into our own fitness goals.
