What a season (IV): Keys III - The Physical Form II

27/08/2009 13:28:00

As I commented in the previous article, since I arrived in the league (NBA), I had to strengthen my muscles a little to be a lot of minutes both offensively and defensively in the box, fighting and facing very strong players and very hard, physically far superior to me some years ago.

The notion that ab European player has on the hardness inside the box changes a lot when he arrives to the NBA. The physicist is a pillar in the preparation of the players and teams and no way to reach high performance without a proper body preparation. Examples as Marciulonis, Petrovic, Kukoc, who also won a lot of weight but never was a particularly powerful player, and the more recent cases of some Spanish players like Calderon, Sergio Rodriguez or my brother Marc show it.

I reached a point where I know my body well and know how to work it and how to prepare, thanks to the invaluable help of different trainers I’ve had throughout my career. Currently, and since 6 years ago, worked a lot with my trusted person, Joaquin, my physio and my coach, who along with the work I do during the season with the Lakers’ staff, which of course is first rate, make me very well cared and trained.

It is also important to note that international competitions with Spain means that since I didn’t play the European Championship in Serbia and Montenegro in 2005, had no more than a few weeks off in postseason. It largely determines the preparation, since it assumes that I have two pre-seasons per year: the Spanish national team, shorter and specific, and my team in the NBA, so the physical care needs to be much higher to prevent all kinds of different injuries.

On one hand it is good that can come to the preseason in the NBA in good physical tone, and having recently competed, but otherwise you have to go with caution because the risk of overload and injury is much greater. The work is very important in these cases: muscle-strengthening both the upper and lower train, work hard elasticity to prevent injury, as muscle gain and maintain a record from the first moment to the last, self-discipline is essential.

The fact that there is a competition prevents me to continue working at the specific level, and I take particular to emphasize the strengthening of joints or most important parts of my body: ankles, knees and back. Only in this way will get to have a tone appropriate for the preseason with the Lakers, while I shall have achieved keep working and improving in order to give my best with Spain.

See you,

Pau