BTT Special: The Dwight Howard Workout

Since the NBA Playoff Series get the most of us wondering how the players perform, as if their fatigue levels never hit the red zone, we bring you another BTT Special --- the Dwight Howard Workout.



Dwight’s Strength Training
by Josh Staph
Dwight craves heavy weight, so once a week he and Rogowski head to the Magic weight room to perform the following heavy lifts. “This training is a pure strength and power workout,” Rogowski says. “Sometimes Dwight likes to meathead out and lift a lot of weight and get strong. I let him know that lifting these heavy weights is good for his strength and psyche, but we need to counterbalance it with some stability, balance or proprioception exercises, which we do once or twice a week.”
Use Dwight’s three preferred lifts to feed the meathead within.

Bench Press
• Lie with back on bench, gripping bar slightly wider than shoulder width
• Keeping lower back on bench and elbows tight to sides, slowly lower bar until it touches chest
• Drive bar up until arms are straight
• Repeat for specified reps
Coaching Points: Keep core activated and don’t arch back
Sets/Reps: 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 1x4, 1x2 (increase weight each set)
Rogowski: The bench press is about total upper-body power and strength. Dwight uses this pyramid rep scheme to build endurance, strength, and, most importantly for his position, the power of his fast twitch muscle fibers. In basketball, we’re not trying to overdo it with weight, especially in season. That’s why we don’t do maxes with one rep. The last set of two reps is generally a weight Dwight can handle comfortably while still stressing his muscles.

Lat Pulldown
• Sit on Lat Pulldown machine and grip bar overhead, slightly wider than shoulder width
• Without rocking back, pull bar down in front until it almost touches upper chest
• Allow bar to rise back to start position until arms are straight
• Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 2-4x10-12
Rogowski: This is one of the main rebounding exercises Dwight does. When you’re getting close to 20 boards a game, you have to be strong with your upper body, pulling down. This also counterbalances any chest exercises we do that day. We always like a 1:1 relationship with chest-to-back work. We really work on good posture and balanced strength with our guys so we can avoid any shoulder injuries.

Leg Press
• Assume position on Leg Press machine with feet slightly wider than hips
• Lower weight sled with control until knees are bent 90 degrees
• Drive weight up by extending legs to start position
• Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3-4x6-8
Rogowski: We like to do multi-joint exercises when possible, and this is a great one for the lower body. It gets all the muscles around your hips, knees and ankles stronger. We generally go heavier on this, because it is a safer exercise. You’re not putting the back at risk, like other exercises do, such as the squat, [which makes] taller players’ backs go into hyperextension. For someone like Dwight, who already has back hyperextension, we try to stay away from that. We keep the reps low since we go heavy on this.

The Perfect Push-Up
Even when he’s at home, Dwight is getting better. “I do a ton of push-ups at my house,” he says. “Perfect push-ups.” Dwight’s referring to a new training tool that uses rotating handles to create a more natural push up motion. You’ve most likely seen the commercial by now.
Dwight integrates his push-ups into video game sessions. For example, when he’s playing a boxing game (his favorite), Dwight does a set every time he knocks someone out. Role-playing game? Every time he dies, he pumps out as many push-ups as possible.
Leave it to Dwight to go beyond the norm. Instead of doing sets of standard push-ups, he uses some of the more difficult positions with the equipment. Check out his favorites below.

Reverse Grip Push-Up
Perform push-ups with hands rotated on handles, so that palms face forward
Sets/reps: 3x15-20
Dwight: I really feel this in my biceps.

Squat with Push-Up
From standing position, squat down and place handles on floor in front of you. Kick feet back and assume push-up position. Lower body while rotating hands to face each other; then drive up and rotate hands back to start position. Jump feet to hands and stand up. Repeat.
Sets/reps: 3x15-20
Dwight: This is great cardio and works my whole body.





Article by Josh Staph taken here