At 6"11 and 265 pounds, Dwight Howard is a powerful man. However, this wasn't always the case. He has put some hard work in at the gym and gotten much stronger since his rookie year in the NBA. In fact, since that time he has improved his bench press from 180 to 365. He has pretty much doubled his strength! So what type of workouts is he doing to get such impressive gains? Well, let's take a look...
Joe Rogowski, the personal trainer of Dwight Howard, has to be given a lot of the credit for the strength gains Dwight has gotten. He has given him workout routines that focus on gaining muscle mass and improving explosive power. Joes says that one of the key elements is to consistently change up the workout routine. This will shock the muscles and they will not be able to adapt to the same workout. Joe sets Dwight Howard up on a combination of plyometric and strength workouts. The plyometrics help Dwight's speed and agility and heavy weight training will help him gain strength and power. A few of the most important exercises that Joe has Dwight Howard do are listed below...
Bench Press - Dwight mixes this up using the straight bar and dumbbells. Rogowski likes to have Dwight perform the pyramid routine. The pyramid he uses is 10-8-6-4-2. Another area Dwight changes the routine is by rotating flat, incline and decline bench.
Leg Press - Although squats are a better overall strength workout, Joe has Dwight use the leg press machine instead. Dwight has a slight hyperextension in his back and Joe does not want to risk injuring him. Leg presses are very safe for him and it still allows him to workout with very heavy weight.
The Perfect Push Up - One of Dwight's favorite exercises is the push up. He performs many of his push up routines at his home. In fact, he integrates his push ups into video game sessions. For example, when he's playing a boxing game (his favorite), Dwight does a set every time he knocks someone out. Role-playing game? Every time he dies, he pumps out as many push-ups as possible.
Dwight Howard's 39 inch vertical leap is pretty impressive. The plyometric and speed drills that Joe Rogowski incorporates into Dwight's workouts help keep him flying above the rim. Those powerful Dwight Howard dunks that we like to watch should continue for years to come. Box Jumps, sprints and the jump rope are a few of Dwight's favorite exercises to help him improve his vertical leap.
If you would like more information about Dwight Howard and his vertical leap check out the links I have below:
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