We spent the day with Michael Lorenzen in the weight room, as he showed off his amazing workout routine to us! Lorenzen combines a ton of stretching and flexibility exercises on top of some intense lifting with Mets' pitcher Noah Syndergaard! Check it out for yourself.
What is the best workout program for baseball players? The baseball season is quickly approaching so we have some great workouts & programs specifically tailored for those athletes. Learn more here and try them out!
No one knows more about improving bat speed than Bob Alejo (former strength and conditioning coach of the Oakland A's and now the Personal Conditioning Coach of NY Yankee's Jason Giambi). Learn how Bob gets his athletes to have a blazing fast swing!
Bodybuilding is an activity that not only can be used for bigger musculature and less fat, but also for increased performance in sports. In this case … baseball. Use this detailed strength training program to improve your game!
Check out the best assists from around the league in Week 18! Including crazy passes from LeBron James, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo! Get More Wit the NBA App The NBA App from Amazon
Tower Of Power: Lifting Helps Bulls Center Joakim Noah Rule The Paint from Bodybuilding.com
Joakim Noah has all the genetics a man could want, but this Chicago post player is still
one of the hardest-working men in the NBA.
You are an NBA shooting guard, and this is what you live for: final seconds, tie game,
the ball in your hands. You pass on a jump shot and beat your man off the dribble into
the paint, looking to dunk. The center slides over and you envision him on a poster.
Seconds later, you realize the error in your judgment as 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah sends you
and the ball crumpling to the floor, stuffed. Size matters in the NBA, but Noah doesn't just
block those shots because of his height and wingspan, both of which are immense.
The New York native is renowned for hustle, hard work, and an uncanny knack for finding
the ball.
Professional Pedigree
Noah isn't just another big body who developed a talent for rebounding. Athleticism and
physical genetics can be traced back generations in Noah's family. His father, Yannick
Noah, won the 1983 French Open.
His mother, Cecilia Rodhe, was named Miss Sweden 1978 and placed fifth in the Miss
Universe pageant. Joakim's grandfather, Zacharie Noah of Cameroon, led CS Sedan
Ardennes to the Coupe de France in 1961. They weren't just all competitors—they were
all winners.
Noah seems to have been destined for stardom, and basketball gave him his biggest
chance to shine. He was born in New York, lived in France for a decade, and then
moved back to the Big Apple, where he starred in prep hoops. Colleges took note.
He accepted a scholarship to Florida and helped lead the Gators and coach Billy
Donovan to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006-07. Joakim was named Most Outstanding
Player in the 2006 Final Four. Three players from those teams were drafted in the top
10 of the 2007 NBA Draft. Noah went ninth that year to the Chicago Bulls.
2013 was Noah's best season as a pro. He was named to the All-Star and All Defensive
teams. In one monster game against Philadelphia, he tallied 23 points, 21 rebounds,
and 11 blocks, joining a list of NBA Hall-of-Famers (Olajuwon, Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal)
as the only players to record that particular triple-double.
Championship Conditioning
Noah's Arc
NCAA Champion 2006
Final Four Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Champion 2007
9th Overall pick 2007 NBA Draft by Chicago Bulls
NBA All-Star 2013
Plays for French National Team
How do basketball superstars stay in elite condition year after year? It takes more than
hundreds of shots taken each day. With the help of his trainer, Alex Perris, Noah commits
to training year-round. The pair has worked together since 2007, Noah's rookie campaign.
During the season, Noah must stay flexible due to the rigors of games and road trips.
"I switch around my training routine a bit," Noah says. "I still hit the weights, but not as
hard. I do lots of core training and stretching, plus I work with a specialist who keeps me
flexible and limber."
In season, Noah makes it a point to do some sort of training 5-7 days per week. He trains
with weights twice per week, focusing on compound movements. His cardio is taken care
of since he already practices or plays several times each week. He does corrective work
with team trainers and practices yoga for flexibility—a top priority for basketball players.
He also hits his core 5-7 days per week.
After the 82-game season—or more if the Bulls reach the playoffs, and they have every
season since 2009—is over, Noah takes a brief break to recover. Then he settles in to a
more consistent six-day split under the watchful eyes of Perris. Perris makes sure no two
weeks are the same.
Noah's body has no chance to adapt to anything and it keeps the program from getting
boring. Noah does pool workouts with big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, as well as core,
yoga, and of course basketball training.
The weights get heavier each offseason, allowing Noah to improve his size and power,
so that he can bang under the boards with the NBA's other giants. "This past offseason,
we laid down the foundation with classic compound movements such as deadlifts, squats,
bench press, power cleans, clean and press, and military press just to name a few," Perris
says.
"For conditioning we did a lot of jogging, sprinting, jump roping, and on-court basketball
workouts. There are also hill workouts, sprinting with bands, and biking. The results were
outstanding. Joakim gained 15 pounds of lean muscle and his strength increased
dramatically."
Joakim's Six-Day Split
Monday
Morning: Basketball
Evening: Weight Training/Core
Tuesday
Morning: Pool Training
Evening: Yoga
Wednesday
Morning: Basketball
Evening: Weight Training/Core
Thursday
Morning: Pool Training
Evening: Massage
Friday
Morning: Basketball
Evening: Weight Training/Core
Saturday
Yoga
Sunday
Rest
Joakim's Sample Workout
When Joakim lifts weights with his trainer Alex Perris, the focus is getting in and out the
gym in fewer than 45 minutes.
They keep the workouts fast paced and the weights heavy. The workout consists
of four supersets, followed by two abdominal exercises.
Training is only part of the overall equation. The biggest piece of the muscle puzzle is what
you feed the body after your training or game is over. That is the most important moment
for your body to take in quality nutrients. Noah relies on Perris to handle both his training
and nutrition.
Endurance is vital to ballers. If your tank is empty in the fourth quarter, victory will not be
yours.
"Joakim has a healthy and balanced diet," Perris says. "Joakim will eat 6-8 meals per day
with 2-3 of those meals as protein shakes. Protein and good carbs are always high, while
fat and sugar remain low. We prepare a lot of fish, chicken, steak, greens, fresh fruit, and
veggie juices. For the most part he eats clean, but he occasionally splurges on a cheat meal."
Joakim and Alex both rely on BSN supplements to back up their training and to assist
with their overall nutritional intake. "BSN Supplements have been a big help to Joakim
in a lot of ways," Perris says. "Syntha-6 is a staple we use year-round. Protein shakes
are a big part of the diet.
During the season they are a great way to keep his calories up. Whether it is post-training
or at night, he loves the quality and taste. N.O. Xplode has been great for pre-workouts in
the offseason. Cell Mass has assisted his strength gains and muscle addition."
Joakim has to stay strong; he can't wither when the game's on the line. "Keeping my calories
up is always a concern," Noah says. "Syntha-6 and True Mass have been saviors for me.
With my schedule, getting in five daily meals is sometimes impossible. Having my shakes
handy has been huge!"
Joakim's Stack
BSN Synth-6: post-workout, at night, or after games
BSN N.O. Xplode: 2 scoops before workouts in offseason or before games during
Orlando Scandrick joins Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe to discuss Dallas Cowboys' QB Dak Prescott's contract situation and the potential for signing the New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady.
6 Great Alternatives To The Standard Barbell Squat from Bodybuilding.com
Avoiding squats because of lower-back pain? Do one of these worthy substitutes instead for comparable gains in strength and size.
Can you imagine being the basketball player who replaced Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls? Or Tim Cook, the guy who followed Steve Jobs at Apple? Or the quarterback who will replace Tom Brady when he hangs up his cleats? Talk about big shoes to fill.
You may feel that same sense of incredulity as I discuss leg exercises that are alternatives to squats. Yes, the barbell back squat is the "king of exercises," and I'm as big a fan of the move as anyone. But if you're concerned that squats will increase your risk of injury—or you just flat-out don't like doing them—then don't perform them in the traditional sense.
I do strongly recommend, however, that you include some form of squatting motion in your training program on a regular (at least weekly) basis, as it's a fundamental movement not only in the realm of training and athletics, but in real life as well. I know barbell squats can be tough on your lower back and knees—trust me, I've had back issues myself. But there are many different squatting variations that can relieve the strain on these vulnerable areas yet still provide a stimulus to the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and the rest of the body comparable to putting a barbell on your back and banging out reps.
Below are six such exercises. Plug any one of these moves into your leg routine where "barbell squat" shows up, and you can reap (mostly) the same strength and muscle-building benefits offered by the "king."
Why It's Sub Worthy: It's still a barbell squat, but the position of the bar on the front of the shoulders makes a huge difference. For one, front squats place a higher proportion of tension on the quads than the glutes compared to back squats, so it's a great exercise for anyone looking to bring up his or her frontal thighs.
Front Squat
But more important for those with lower-back issues, front squats force the torso to remain more upright than back squats do (otherwise the bar will fall forward and drop to the floor), thus relieving some of the strain on the spine.)
Key Training Tips: Cross your arms over your chest to build a "shelf" for the bar to rest on. Feel free to use a clean/rack grip if that's your preference. Descend to a point at which your thighs are beyond parallel with the floor.
Why It's Sub Worthy: This exercise is often referred to as the Jefferson "deadlift," but the upright nature of the torso more resembles a squat than a traditional deadlift, where you're forced to lean further forward because the bar is in front of both legs. With this version, you're straddling the bar. That upright torso is the main reason people with bum lower backs prefer the Jefferson.
Jefferson Squat
Key Training Tips: Keeping your core tight, chest out, and back flat, stand up with the bar by forcefully extending your hips and knees, pressing through your heels. Reverse the motion, letting your glutes track backward, to lower back down. When your thighs reach parallel or the bar touches the floor, drive up to the standing position.
Why It's Sub Worthy: Zerchers are another great squat variation for taking stress off the lower back. The bar sits significantly lower on the body (at the midsection, not up high on the back), which reduces the compressive forces on the spine considerably. Similar to front squats, Zercher squats require you to maintain a more upright torso, and they also allow you to achieve a greater depth at the bottom.
Zercher Squat
Key Training Tips: Rack the bar well below shoulder height in a power rack. Position the bar in the crooks of your elbows with your arms bent at least 90 degrees. Bend at the knees and hips, letting your glutes track backward, to lower yourself into a squat. When your quads reach parallel with the floor, drive up forcefully through your heels to the standing position.
Why It's Sub Worthy: This exercise goes by several different names, perhaps because it's something of a cross between a squat and a lunge—the feet are staggered, with one directly in front of the body and the other directly behind. It's this lunge orientation that allows you to keep your torso perpendicular with the floor and clear from the excessive forward lean that often causes lower-back strain.
Also, keeping one foot behind allows you to plant the front foot as far forward as necessary to keep that front knee safe from undue stress. With this movement, you have the option of either putting a barbell on your back or holding dumbbells.
Key Training Tips: If you're holding dumbbells, you may be limited by your grip strength; in that case, use the barbell version. Bend your forward knee and hip to lower your body until your same-side thigh is parallel with the floor. Reverse the direction, driving up forcefully through the forward heel to the start position, using the back foot for balance.
Why It's Sub Worthy: Anyone who bashes the Smith machine for not being "functional" hasn't opened up his or her mind to all the function this training tool has to offer. Where squats are concerned, the Smith machine offers a couple of great benefits in particular:
It allows you to safely overload the lower-body muscles with heavy weight to spark new gains in both size and strength, because you don't have to worry about keeping your balance.
It lets you adjust your foot position to target different areas of your legs. For example, placing your feet further forward (something you can't do with a barbell) targets the glutes for those who want to emphasize that area.
This forward foot position also reduces your shin angle, which takes pressure off your knees. Think of it the same way you would lunges, where taking a larger step forward keeps your knees from tracking over your toes.
Smith Machine Squat
Key Training Tips: This is an especially good choice when you do squats later in your leg workout (which you might do when you want to go lighter, as the legs will already be prefatigued). When using an angled machine rather than one in which the bar strictly travels straight up and down, always stand inside the unit, and face outward to better match the natural arc of the bar.
Why It's Sub Worthy: At first glance, this exercise may look a bit odd, like you're doing a deadlift the wrong way, because the bar is behind your legs instead of in front. But this is by design; in fact, the barbell hack squat has been around for many decades, a lot longer than the hack-squat machine you see at most commercial gyms today.
This move is unique because the weight is behind you, and there's less strain placed on the lower back compared to a standard deadlift because you're not forced to lean so far forward. This version makes it much easier to keep your weight back over your heels, which is where you'd want it be when doing a regular barbell squat. This is a key benefit for anyone with lower-back issues.
Key Training Tips: Your palms can either be both facing forward or staggered so that one faces forward and the other back—whatever you prefer. Keep your back flat (not rounded) and your spine in a neutral position on both the positive and negative portions of each rep.
For more training programs, as well as nutrition and supplement articles to complement them, check out Jim Stoppani
Jim Stoppani holds a doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of Connecticut and has been the personal nutrition and health consultant to numerous celebrity clients, including...
Semi Ojeleye's page on Basketball-Reference.com lists the many nicknames of the Boston Celtics wing: Muscles Jesus, The Ox, Thor, The Ojeleye Factory, The Man Made of Granite. Clearly, Ojeleye's 6-foot-7, 240-pound physique has made quite an impression in the NBA, from the moment he broke in with a 2017 scouting report on DraftExpress that referred to his "thick, jacked frame."
If you ask Ojeleye, he's always been like that and he always will be.
"I looked strong when I was young, but I think with or without lifting, I'd still be fit, because that's how my dad is and he has never lifted a day in his life," he says.
Paul Fabritz, Ojeleye's Los Angeles-based offseason strength and conditioning coach, agrees, but he also thinks Ojeleye is selling himself a little short.
"Semi's genetics are the best of anyone I've ever worked with, and I work with a lot of NBA players," Fabritz says. "But he also works very, very hard. He'd have a decent NBA body if he never stepped in the weight room, but because he does, he has one of the best bodies in the NBA."
Body Of Work
This season with the Celtics, Ojeleye has been putting that body to work. Though he doesn't always register double-digit minutes, the defensive specialist steps up when it counts. Eleven times this season, Ojeleye has played more than 20 minutes, and he has logged more than 15 minutes six times. Ojeleye’s minutes typically rise against teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, which have big men who handle the ball and crash the rim. Celtics coach Brad Stevens called on Ojeleye to handle them.
"I prepare like I'm going to play 48 minutes every game," Ojeleye told WEEI.com. "I try to be in shape. I try to keep my body right. In my mind, going into every game, I'm playing every minute. So, if I'm called upon, it's not a surprise."
Ojeleye and teammates Tacko Fall (left) and Grant Williams (center) team up with the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club at a community outreach event.
Ojeleye has been working out since he was in the sixth grade, when his parents put him in a conditioning program to get fit for AAU basketball. In high school, he copied the lifting program his older brother Victor was given at Kansas State, but Ojeleye's serious lifting started when he entered Duke University in 2013 and began training with sports performance coach Will Stephens.
"At Duke, we took it to the max," Ojeleye says. "We went big with the Olympic lifts, leg presses, and squats, and I got really strong—but almost too strong for basketball. I didn't feel like I could move on the court."
After two seasons at Duke, Ojeleye transferred to Southern Methodist University, where he met strength coach Carlos Daniel and his focus shifted from lifting big to mobility, flexibility, and being functionally strong on the court. During the 2018 offseason with Fabritz, the focus was again on mobility. Ojeleye had trouble getting into his hips and moving well in low positions, and balance was an issue, all of which limited his ability to make moves on the basketball court.
"There were a lot of things I couldn't do, but Paul is a magician," Ojeleye says. "My mobility didn't match my strength. He gave me a base so I can be more explosive and also stabilize my movements."
With mobility no longer a glaring weakness, Ojeleye and Fabritz had a new objective for the 2019 offseason.
Going Harder For Longer
"The goal this summer was to go harder, longer," Ojeleye says. "The guys who succeed in the NBA are the guys who can go the hardest, the longest. So, we did more sets, increased reps, did sets to failure, and there was always a cardio component, either the bike or running on the treadmill, at the track, or in the sand."
Fabritz and Ojeleye worked out together five afternoons a week, in between Ojeleye's morning and evening on-court basketball training sessions. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were for lower-body and agility workouts, while Tuesdays and Thursdays were for upper-body, core, and endurance work.
"Our workouts are always general, designed to improve a certain trait, be it mobility, flexibility, or strength," Fabritz says. "About 20 percent of the exercises are basketball-specific, but all of them will help Semi in-game."
For basketball-specific moves, they use a medicine ball in place of a basketball.
"It's the perfect size and shape, and you can use it to mimic single-leg landings and lateral movements," Ojeleye says.
Alternatively, Ojeleye will work on cuts, drop-steps, decelerations—moving one way aggressively, then stopping on a dime—and other on-court footwork as Fabritz resists him with a power band around his waist.
Traditional gym activities rarely involve a barbell because Ojeleye packs on muscle too easily and has to slow down. Last offseason, his deadlift quickly and easily topped 450 pounds. Fabritz realized that one heavy exercise a week was enough to maintain Ojeleye's strength.
"Instead of a barbell bench press, we'll use dumbbells, and it'll be with a hip lift mixed in so it is a core exercise as well," Ojeleye says. "It's funny, kids always ask me, 'How much do you bench? How much do you squat? What are your numbers?' And I'm like, 'I have no idea.'"
Ojeleye does hip and ankle mobility exercises every day. He loves pull-ups. He hates single-leg squats, is still working on perfecting the kettlebell Turkish get-up, and has a love-hate relationship with the sand dunes in Manhattan Beach. As Fabritz says, there are very few holes in his fitness.
"Semi can move weight, he can move weight fast, he has explosive power and can express force very, very quickly," Fabritz says. "A lot of big guys can't do that. Semi has good lateral speed and quickness, and he's one of the fastest athletes on the track. He'll outrun anyone in a 40-yard dash. And he recovers better and more quickly than any athlete I've ever seen. He's really the full package."
3-And-D
Ojeleye, 25, is now in his third season with the Celtics and is showing his potential to be a highly productive 3-and-D player—someone who specializes in defense and shooting 3-pointers. Ojeleye has proven he has the strength to defend big men and the quickness to defend on the wings, but what makes him invaluable off the Celtics bench is his ability to check athletic freaks, such as LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who are simultaneously big, fast, and highly skilled.
His improved mobility and conditioning allow him to be more offensively aggressive, as well. His 3-point shooting percentage has improved dramatically, from 31.5 percent last season to around 37 percent this season.
"Last year I made my mark playing defense," Ojeleye says, "but I think I have a lot to offer on the other end, too."
Interested in finding a workout plan to help improve your athleticism for basketball and other sports? There are plenty to choose from in BodyFit by Bodybuilding.com
DURHAM, N.C. (February 24, 2020) – Howard University women’s basketball team fell on the road at North Carolina Central (NCCU), 71-89, thanks to hot shooting from the Eagles.
(Photo Credit – Rodney Pierce)
NCCU shot over 69-percent (18-of-26) after intermission, including 85-percent (11-of-13) in the third.
Four Bison reached double figures despite the Eagles’ hot shooting, led by third-year sharpshooter Jayla Thornton (Newark, N.J.) with a team-leading 18 points. Senior guard Ayonna Williams added 16 points and seven dimes in the loss.
NCCU led throughout the first period and nearly midway through the second until sophomore forward Krislyn Marsh (Duncanville, Texas) scored a fast break layup to put the Bison ahead, 28-27, at the 6:39 mark.
Howard took control in the second period, extending their lead as much as five on multiple occasion, but North Carolina Central would close the gap to one at the break, 38-37.
NCCU’s Kieche White drilled a trey ball moments after halftime to spark a 16-5 run and give the Eagles a double-digit lead at the 5:12 mark, 53-43.
HU fought back and sliced the deficit to single digits, but North Carolina Central regained the momentum, thanks to a 33-point third quarter that gave the Eagles a 12-point advantage after three, 58-70.
Williams cut the margin to nine, 67-76, with more than five minutes remaining, but NCCU took control and finished the contest on a 13-4 spurt, 71-89.
Marsh and fellow classmate Gia Thorpe (Pittsburgh) each had 11 points in a losing effort.
For NCCU (10-16, 7-6 MEAC), Paulina Afriyie notched a double-double (24 points and 15 boards) while White and Anissa Rivera netted 21 and 23 points, respectively, in the win.
Saturday (Feb. 29), HU concludes its long five-game road trip in Norfolk, Va., against Norfolk State. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. inside Echols Hall.
Two days later (March 2), Howard returns to The Mecca where the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks await. The action starts 5:30 p.m. inside Burr Gymnasium.
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