Get Ray Allen's Stamina
via Brandon Guarneri | Photos by Brian Babineau
The Boston Celtics strength and conditioning coaches, Walter Norton Jr. and Bryan Doo, worked overtime to get Ray Allen ready. "We were concerned about getting his joints to move well again," says Norton, "as well as strengthening his lower body, from his ankle to his knee to his hip." Most athletes, the trainers say, tend to be quad-dominant, so they had Allen train with resistance bands to recruit his glutes when running or jumping.
"When he's on the court," says Doo, "we want him to use all his muscles, not just his quads." The bands also help Allen focus on proper mechanics. "In an effort to get him more explosive, we've had to try and teach him how to land all over again," says Norton. Allen performs nearly every exercise in an athletic position to simulate how his body moves on the hardwood.
He may have a band around his ankles or knees while squatting, lunging, or reaching.
"He'll train in shoes one day and bare feet the next to change the stimulus," Norton adds. Allen might stand on one foot while a staff member throws him medicine balls at different heights,allowing him to work on his balance.
"He has to use muscles in his core to slow the ball down," says Doo. This sort of functional training, combined with Allen's attitude, has kept him healthy and performing at a high level this season. "Ray is a pro," Norton says. "He definitely understands the value of what we do."On Game Day...
Ray Allen rarely forces a bad shot on the court, so it's no surprise that his discipline extends to pregame training rituals. Before tip-off, Allen sticks to a rigid schedule so he's always ready to rain his sweet jumper from anywhere on the floor.
8 A.M. Wakes up, reads the paper, eats Aunt Jemima pancakes made with blueberries, a super food rich in antioxidants. 10 A.M. Attends morning shoot around at training facility in nearby Waltham, Mass., just to get his blood flowing. NOON Eats lunch. Usually a lean turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread.1:30 P.M. Takes a two-hour nap. "This is my time to relax and recharge," he says.
3:30 P.M. Eats pregame meal prepared by his fiancée—generally baked chicken and rice with broccoli. "I ate too many heavy starches when I was younger and it seemed like my legs were always heavy starting games," Allen says.
4 P.M. Arrives at TD Banknorth Garden three hours before tip-off. Runs through rigorous shooting drills, simulating every possible shot he could take in the game. He launches about 200 shots in an hour and on a good day will convert 170.
5 P.M. Stretches and replenishes with two peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches on wheat bread, plus 32 ounces of water.
7 P.M. Game time. Between his pregame work and his off-season workout regimen, Allen knows he's ready for almost anything. "When I'm on the floor, I'm not going to break down," he says. "I'm not going to be breathing heavy or panting. I'm either chasing somebody or they're chasing me. But I can outlast them. When that happens, I'm going to make my move and get my shot off before they can stop me."
10 P.M. Postgame cooldown with his feet in a tub of ice. "Just my feet for 15 minutes," he says.
11:30 P.M. Bedtime. There's another day of preparation on the horizon.
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