tlongII
11-19-2007, 05:01 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1195446340227160.xml&coll=7
During knee rehab, he's packing on muscle -- and could lose his athleticism
Monday, November 19, 2007JASON QUICK The Oregonian Staff
Greg Oden is getting big. As in ripped. Muscular. Monstrous.
In fact, the Trail Blazers rookie center, who has put on 29 pounds of mostly muscle since July, has become so big, so quickly during his post-microfracture knee surgery rehabilitation that the team this weekend redirected his weight-lifting program to focus less on bulk and more on core strength.
The concern is that Oden, now weighing 282 pounds, will put unnecessary stress on his surgically repaired right knee by carrying around extra weight. He started the summer weighing 253 pounds after undergoing a tonsillectomy in July, and was around 260 pounds when he had microfracture surgery in September.
Since the surgery, he has been lifting five to six times a week, primarily using dumbbells to work on his upper body.
"He's one of those guys whose body just takes to it," said Bobby Medina, who is in his 11th season as the Blazers strength and conditioning coach. "Shawn Kemp was like that. Jermaine O'Neal was that way. Their bodies just eat it up."
The results of Oden's weight-lifting efforts have been dramatic. Oden's biceps and shoulders are bulging and defined, to the point where coach Nate McMillan stopped in his tracks upon seeing him after a workout this week on the Blazers' four-game trip.
"Yeah, I saw that the other day," McMillan said. "And that's why I went and talked to Bobby. We don't want that, him bulking up. I don't think that helps him. If you start that now, he won't be able to move. We want him to be quick and athletic as opposed to being bulky and big."
McMillan's observation, and subsequent strong feelings, prompted a series of conversations. In Philadelphia, he spoke with Blazers athletic trainer Jay Jensen, who is supervising the rehabilitation of the knee, and also to Medina, who is coordinating the workouts.
The trio agreed to shift directions, which was later supported by general manager Kevin Pritchard, who had a late-night phone conversation with McMillan on Saturday night.
"We are all on the same page," Pritchard said. "We don't want him to get to 300 pounds. What we want is him to be strong, but we don't want him to be bulky. We want him to be athletic, that's his strength, and we have 10 months to get there."
The first stages of the new workout regimen were put into action Saturday before the Blazers played Washington. As usual, Oden put in an hour workout before the game, but this time he worked with large, rubber bands that provide resistance instead of the 75-pound weights he would use to do shoulder press and dumbbell bench press exercises. He also started working with a medicine ball to strengthen his abdominal and back muscles.
"Me and Bobby aren't going to do as much strenuous stuff now," Oden said after his workout. "Today we just did stuff on my shoulders with the bands. And now we will take two or three days off between."
Oden is taking the new direction in stride. On the one hand, he says, he has become enamored with his new physique, saying he wouldn't mind getting bigger.
"Personally, how I feel is that I think I need to get bigger -- like to the point where my shirts don't fit and they are too tight," Oden said. "That's how big I want to get."
But at the same time, Oden understands McMillan and Pritchard's reasoning.
"They raise good points," Oden said. "I don't want to get too big, so when I come back I'm actually slower and can't move like I used to. You have to keep in mind that being faster than people is one of my strengths."
Jensen says Oden's weight gain is almost completely muscle, as evidenced by his body-fat percentage, which has remained the same as the day they drafted him -- an impressive 7.9 percent. Because of Oden's body-fat percentage, Jensen has little concern about the weight gain, pointing out that Oden's weight will level out now that he is off crutches, which will enable him to start burning calories by doing more exercises.
"He is big, no doubt about it, but he hasn't had anything else to do lately but lift, which he works really hard at," Jensen said. "And right now it's not an issue because he's not doing any pounding on the knee."
McMillan said he envisions Oden evolving into a body like former San Antonio star David Robinson, or current Miami center Alonzo Mourning.
"Those guys are not bulky," McMillan said. "Some people think you need that bulk to play in this league, but I think he'll get bigger just by aging. I mean, he's only 19. I would much rather him be wiry-strong than bulky, especially coming off this surgery. When you are talking about putting on extra weight and having to carry that weight on a surgically repaired leg, that's not good."
Oden said he thinks the whole issue is much ado about nothing. He said it's only natural for him to gain weight because he hasn't been able to exercise. Last year, as a freshman at Ohio State, he began the season at 280 pounds after recovering from surgery on his right wrist. By the end of the season, he was playing at 275 pounds.
"I'd like to play at 280, that's my goal," Oden said.
A factor on the Blazers' side is time. Oden still has 10 months left on his recovery timeline, and both he and the team are learning about his body as they go.
"This is just the first phase (of Oden's rehabilitation)," Medina said. "The next stage is to get him toned and keep his athleticism. The problem now is he likes it, he sees the results in himself and he likes how powerful he feels. So we have to get into his mind that we have to shift gears and that he can have both the power and athleticism."
Jason Quick: 503-221-4372; [email protected] To read "Behind the Beat" blog, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/ behindblazersbeat
During knee rehab, he's packing on muscle -- and could lose his athleticism
Monday, November 19, 2007JASON QUICK The Oregonian Staff
Greg Oden is getting big. As in ripped. Muscular. Monstrous.
In fact, the Trail Blazers rookie center, who has put on 29 pounds of mostly muscle since July, has become so big, so quickly during his post-microfracture knee surgery rehabilitation that the team this weekend redirected his weight-lifting program to focus less on bulk and more on core strength.
The concern is that Oden, now weighing 282 pounds, will put unnecessary stress on his surgically repaired right knee by carrying around extra weight. He started the summer weighing 253 pounds after undergoing a tonsillectomy in July, and was around 260 pounds when he had microfracture surgery in September.
Since the surgery, he has been lifting five to six times a week, primarily using dumbbells to work on his upper body.
"He's one of those guys whose body just takes to it," said Bobby Medina, who is in his 11th season as the Blazers strength and conditioning coach. "Shawn Kemp was like that. Jermaine O'Neal was that way. Their bodies just eat it up."
The results of Oden's weight-lifting efforts have been dramatic. Oden's biceps and shoulders are bulging and defined, to the point where coach Nate McMillan stopped in his tracks upon seeing him after a workout this week on the Blazers' four-game trip.
"Yeah, I saw that the other day," McMillan said. "And that's why I went and talked to Bobby. We don't want that, him bulking up. I don't think that helps him. If you start that now, he won't be able to move. We want him to be quick and athletic as opposed to being bulky and big."
McMillan's observation, and subsequent strong feelings, prompted a series of conversations. In Philadelphia, he spoke with Blazers athletic trainer Jay Jensen, who is supervising the rehabilitation of the knee, and also to Medina, who is coordinating the workouts.
The trio agreed to shift directions, which was later supported by general manager Kevin Pritchard, who had a late-night phone conversation with McMillan on Saturday night.
"We are all on the same page," Pritchard said. "We don't want him to get to 300 pounds. What we want is him to be strong, but we don't want him to be bulky. We want him to be athletic, that's his strength, and we have 10 months to get there."
The first stages of the new workout regimen were put into action Saturday before the Blazers played Washington. As usual, Oden put in an hour workout before the game, but this time he worked with large, rubber bands that provide resistance instead of the 75-pound weights he would use to do shoulder press and dumbbell bench press exercises. He also started working with a medicine ball to strengthen his abdominal and back muscles.
"Me and Bobby aren't going to do as much strenuous stuff now," Oden said after his workout. "Today we just did stuff on my shoulders with the bands. And now we will take two or three days off between."
Oden is taking the new direction in stride. On the one hand, he says, he has become enamored with his new physique, saying he wouldn't mind getting bigger.
"Personally, how I feel is that I think I need to get bigger -- like to the point where my shirts don't fit and they are too tight," Oden said. "That's how big I want to get."
But at the same time, Oden understands McMillan and Pritchard's reasoning.
"They raise good points," Oden said. "I don't want to get too big, so when I come back I'm actually slower and can't move like I used to. You have to keep in mind that being faster than people is one of my strengths."
Jensen says Oden's weight gain is almost completely muscle, as evidenced by his body-fat percentage, which has remained the same as the day they drafted him -- an impressive 7.9 percent. Because of Oden's body-fat percentage, Jensen has little concern about the weight gain, pointing out that Oden's weight will level out now that he is off crutches, which will enable him to start burning calories by doing more exercises.
"He is big, no doubt about it, but he hasn't had anything else to do lately but lift, which he works really hard at," Jensen said. "And right now it's not an issue because he's not doing any pounding on the knee."
McMillan said he envisions Oden evolving into a body like former San Antonio star David Robinson, or current Miami center Alonzo Mourning.
"Those guys are not bulky," McMillan said. "Some people think you need that bulk to play in this league, but I think he'll get bigger just by aging. I mean, he's only 19. I would much rather him be wiry-strong than bulky, especially coming off this surgery. When you are talking about putting on extra weight and having to carry that weight on a surgically repaired leg, that's not good."
Oden said he thinks the whole issue is much ado about nothing. He said it's only natural for him to gain weight because he hasn't been able to exercise. Last year, as a freshman at Ohio State, he began the season at 280 pounds after recovering from surgery on his right wrist. By the end of the season, he was playing at 275 pounds.
"I'd like to play at 280, that's my goal," Oden said.
A factor on the Blazers' side is time. Oden still has 10 months left on his recovery timeline, and both he and the team are learning about his body as they go.
"This is just the first phase (of Oden's rehabilitation)," Medina said. "The next stage is to get him toned and keep his athleticism. The problem now is he likes it, he sees the results in himself and he likes how powerful he feels. So we have to get into his mind that we have to shift gears and that he can have both the power and athleticism."
Jason Quick: 503-221-4372; [email protected] To read "Behind the Beat" blog, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/ behindblazersbeat