Body Like Reggie Bush
These prehab exercises prepare Reggie’s chest, upper back, shoulders and traps, so he can tackle the explosive movements to follow.
1) Press
• With light band resistance attached to stable object behind you, step forward into staggered position
• Hold handles at chest so band has tension
• Continuously punch arms forward and back as fast as possible for specified duration
Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds
Making Gaines: Make sure your back leg is straight and front leg is slightly bent, similar to a wide receiver’s stance. Focus on punching straight out, coming straight back and pressing to full extension.
2) Row
• With light band resistance attached to stable object in front, step back into even stance, creating tension in band
• Continuously drive elbows back and forth for specified duration
Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds
Making Gaines: Focus on body position— pushing your butt back [into a sitting position] and keeping your chest up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and row back as fast as possible without allowing your form to deteriorate. Players start to wear out at about 20 seconds. This helps warm up the shoulders and upper back.
3) Rear Shoulder
• With light band resistance in front, step back into even stance
• Hold handles so arms are straight in front and band has tension
• Keeping arms straight, bring handles back and overhead into V position; return arms to start position
• Repeat movement as fast as possible for specified duration
Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds
Making Gaines: Stand straight up and bring your arms straight out. We focus on this region because you see so many shoulder injuries in football. Players need to be strong there because they get hit there so often.
Core Circuit Reggie completes the following four core exercises as a superset, repeating the circuit four times. Not only does this strengthen his core, it is a great warm-up, according to Gaines. Use a 6-pound med ball if you’re a beginner, 10- to 12-pound ball if you’re an elite high school or college athlete, and 12- to 14-pound ball if you’re a professional.
1) Overhead Med Ball Throws
• Assume sit-up position, facing partner with med ball
• As partner throws ball, catch it and lower into sit-up
• Throw ball back to partner halfway up sit-up motion
• Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 4x15
Making Gaines: This works the overall front of the abs. Dig your heels into the ground, and keep the ball as high above your head as possible. Throw the ball back when you’re halfway up in a continuous motion.
2) Elite Ab Throws
• Assume sit-up position, facing partner with med ball
• Catch ball from partner’s throw; rotate right, then left, touching ball to floor on each side
• Throw ball back to partner in explosive motion
• Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 4x15
Making Gaines: This focuses on the oblique muscles. I tell Reggie to follow the ball with his eyes to get more of a twist and work more of the oblique muscles. [I] want [him] to get full extension when he throws the ball back from his chest to help warm up his upper-body muscles. It [is] important for a running back like Reggie to have strong obliques, because he is always twisting and turning and trying to break tackles.
3) Side Med Ball Toss
• Assume sit-up position with partner to left
• As partner throws ball from side, catch it and rotate right
• Touch ball to ground; immediately and explosively throw ball back to partner as you rotate left
• Repeat for specified reps; perform set on opposite side
Sets/Reps: 4x10 each side
Making Gaines: This works the obliques and abs. Given [how] Reggie bends and navigates his body through the field, he needs to be strong in the obliques. Again, he wants to follow the ball with his eyes and catch the ball out front. As soon as the ball touches the ground, he throws it back to me in one explosive movement.
4) Physioball Jacknife
• Assume push-up position with feet on top of physioball
• Keeping body stable, roll physioball toward hands by driving knees as high as possible and digging toes into ball
• Return legs to full extension; repeat in controlled fashion for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 4x10
Making Gaines: This hits the bottom half of the abs and also helps Reggie’s overall core stability and strength, which gives him a better foundation. You need a phenomenal core to be a great athlete in general. I have Reggie focus on making sure he keeps his body in a stable position while driving his knees as high as possible.
Resistance Training Gaines has Reggie perform exercise 1a for strength, then supersets it with 1b to work endurance.
1a) Alternate Dumbbell Incline Press
• Lie with back on incline bench, holding dumbbells with palms facing each other at upper chest
• Extend both arms toward ceiling, keeping palms facing in
• Keeping left arm locked out, lower right dumbbell to chest, then punch it toward ceiling
• Keeping right arm locked out, lower left dumbbell to chest, then punch it toward ceiling
• Repeat sequence for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 4x10 each arm
Making Gaines: We make sure Reggie keeps his arms turned in a punching motion, because there’s never a time in football when your arms should be out wide. You’re probably holding if they are out there. You have to be explosive and tight from the armpit and be able to punch straight up. Make sure to keep your arms locked out in close, not wide. This is a great stabilization exercise for upper-body muscles.
1b) Push-Up to Row
• Assume push-up position with light dumbbells in hands
• Perform push-up, then row with right arm
• Perform push-up then row with left arm
• Repeat sequence for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 4x16 [16 pushups with 8 rows per arm]
Making Gaines: Get into a good push-up position with legs spread about shoulder width. When you row, drive your arm up as high as possible and as close to your breastplate as possible. This helps tremendously with core stability, because it gets Reggie into an awkward position where he has to balance himself. On the football field, you are never in a standard position, where your weight is equally balanced.
2) Cone Touch with Resistance
• Set up two cones five yards apart, five yards in front of you
• Assume athletic stance with partner providing band resistance from behind you
• Holding football in left hand, explode forward at angle toward left cone, bend at waist, touch cone with right hand
• Backpedal with control to start position
• Transfer ball to right hand, then explode forward at angle to right cone
• Touch cone with left hand, then backpedal with control to start position
• Repeat in continuous fashion for specified duration
Sets/Duration: 4x30 seconds