Every off-season for the past seven years, Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro running back, has met up with Brian Kula, C.S.C.S., a trainer he's worked with since eighth grade. They talk about any injuries and any niggling pain from the previous season, do a battery of strength and movement tests, and then create a program "to turn CMC back on."
What they're turning on is primarily strength and speed and, when combined together, power. "We try to hit everything on the force-velocity curve," explains Kula. "On one end, you're emphasizing force-think slower moves, like heavy deadlifts and sled pulls and pushes. In the middle, it's plyometrics, sometimes with weight, and on the top end it's sprint drills without weights." For each touch point on the curve, there are various exercises, and Kula curates a four-month program to gradually raise McCaffrey's levels.
We connected in mid-June, just before the 49ers' training camp, and Kula told me the five-eleven, 210-pound McCaffrey is as strong as ever. Although he "doesn't chase numbers in the weight room," McCaffrey is deadlifting in the mid-500-pound range, the same as when he entered the league in 2017. Even more important for a running back than brute strength or straight-line speed, says Kula, is something somewhat nebulous, what he calls "being twitchy." "That good quick twitch is when you apply force, driving hard to the ground, and then fire off the ground rapidly," he says. "Christian is firing on a different level right now."
この記事は Men's Health US の September - October 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Men's Health US の September - October 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
THE NEW CHANGE MUSCLE MAKERS
WITH SYSTEMIC ISSUES both inside and outside the health-and-wellness industry, fitness professionals from marginalized backgrounds have long been held back.
ROCK BERMUDA
Cliff-jumping! Lunker-landing! Wreck-diving! I've lived on and off the Isle of Devils for 30 years. These are my five favorite adventures.
AWESOME-IFY YOUR SALMON
Chef CHARLIE MITCHELL says the key to balanced food and fitness is a little bit of everything.
BEET THIS!
Supplement makers say beet powders and juices help your heart and your workouts. We got to the root of those promises.
THE THROAT
Soreness, dryness, coughing-throat stuff can be the worst. Here's how to tell when something's up in there and feel better fast.
ARE YOUNG PEOPLE AGING FASTER?
And is that why cancer is striking earlier and earlier?
THE BAD DOCTOR
When patients kept nearly dying at asurgical center in Dallas, nobody thought it might be an inside job. Here’s howateam of medical investigators uncovered the disturbing truth— and how you can protect yourself from quacks, hacks, and downright dangerous docs.
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH HIM
Well, not literally. But in the \"gnawing rat\" theory of productivity, making peace with your metaphorical pests might be the quickest way to stop procrastinating and finally ditch dread.
PUT YOUR SAVINGS TO WORK
... with big returns, no hassle, and way less financial stress.
THE STRESS LESS GUIDE ΤΟ MANAGING MONEY
Don't worry: Creating a budget has nothing to do with it.
