LaDainian Tomlinson
by Roy S. Johnson; photography by Patrik Giardino
Print Article 
Email to Friend
Durkin, a local trainer who had worked with several Chargers, began working with Tomlinson individually in 2003. Durkin's area of emphasis is "joint integrity," which is based on the notion that optimum physical performance cannot be achieved if the body is not properly aligned. To assess his client's symmetry, some of the first exercises he had Tomlinson perform back then were balance moves requiring him to stand on one leg and pick up objects from the floor. Simple enough, right? Well, at that time, Durkin says L.T. was Baryshnikov on one side, a klutz on the other—something the team immediately set out to rectify. Why was Tomlinson's balance critical?
"Because it affects everything he does, in the gym and on the field," says Durkin. "Improper alignment means a player will unconsciously favor his stronger side, and tend to run in that direction when forced to make a cut. Any defensive coach will spot that and devise a defense to exploit it." After UT passed on Tomlinson, he became the fifth-best runner in Division I-A history at TCU; last season, Tomlinson didn't appreciate the Patriots' post-playoff victory antics on the Chargers' turf, and he told them about it; now Tomlinson hopes the Chargers will be celebrating in February.
In time, Tomlinson was able to do the exercises with equal dexterity, and he says the change has had an impact on the field. "I used to get knocked to the ground pretty easily when I got hit," Tomlinson says. "Now, I feel like I can keep my feet."
From the beginning, his 90-minute workouts with Durkin have seemed medieval. The trainer works Tomlinson from his toes (many exercises are performed barefoot) to his fingertips with a series of exercises that are based on movement, flexibility, functionality, core conditioning, and strength. There's a lot of jumping and balancing between BOSU balls, often while catching a medicine ball or football. "Football is a movement game," says Tomlinson. "You don't lie down, like you're on a bench press, and tackle somebody. Skill players want to be quick, strong, and agile, so you don't need to do a lot of heavy lifting, not all the time."
Of course, weight training is part of L.T.'s regimen: dumb- bell power cleans, bench, and shoulder work. He does not lift maximum weights (his max bench in college was 405; now he lifts about 330), but he completes up to five sets of four quick reps—mimicking football's 10- to 15-second bursts. "I don't focus on maxing out anymore," Tomlinson says. "Back in college, we were building ourselves up, so we had to max. Now I'm not trying to get big. I just want to feel strong."
During the off-season, Tomlinson's week looks like this:
MONDAY A day to loosen up. Emphasis on core training with Durkin, jump squats, split squats, exercises with medicine ball (throwing and bouncing).
TUESDAY Weight training, as outlined above, under the supervision of Charger strength coaches Jeff Hurd and Vernon Stephens.
WEDNESDAY Pilates and stretching. "As much as we all do to prepare ourselves to play, it still puts a strain on our bodies," Tomlinson says. "Without stretching, the muscles get tight, and when you get hurt in one part of your body, it's usually because you were tight somewhere else. Stretching may be boring, but it's the most important part of working out."
THURSDAY Weights again.
FRIDAY Upper- and lower-body training with Durkin. "A really tough day," says Tomlinson, who follows this workout with a deep-tissue massage.
THE WEEKEND Recuperate.
Read More > Pages
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
[on Facebook, Digg, Reddit and more]
