Blog

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation." - Arthur Ashe

Today, I’m writing the second article in our monthly series, “Taking Flyte," showcasing friend and partner Steve Weatherford’s advice on topics relating to health, fitness, and wellness. Last month, Steve reflected on the ups and downs of 2015. Today, Steve shares his thoughts on how he prepares to perform at his best: before, during, and after a big event.

There’s no bigger event for a professional football player than the Super Bowl. Steve shared how he mentally prepared throughout his experience with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants won 21-17 over the New England Patriots and Steve played a pivotal role, pinning three punts within the Patriots' 20-yard line (two within the 10-yard line) which created field position havoc for the opposition. So, how did he mentally prepare for the biggest event of his life? We asked him.

Entering the Super Bowl, how did you mentally prepare for the big event?
Weatherford: “You treat it like anything else. I draw my confidence from knowing that I did every single possible thing up to that point to prepare myself for that one moment to be the greatest in the world. It's not that I had to go do yoga and find my Zen. For me, hard, hard, hard freaking work in the off-season is where I get my confidence.”

I’ve seen this hard work first-hand myself. We discussed how he prepared for the Super Bowl while we worked out in a marathon session that included an intense Core Flyte workout and what he calls “ARMageddon,” an all-out assault on every area of the tricep and bicep muscles. My arms felt like jelly for a couple of days after!

You’re playing in the Super Bowl. The stakes are high. How did you stay mentally focused?
Weatherford: “Nobody was having more fun in that game than I did. I was celebrating. I was hopping around. I was having fun. I was giggling. I know that you're only as good as your next play. For me, my first punt at the Super Bowl led to two points for us [a safety on Pats superstar Tom Brady]. That's as good as it gets for a punter. It's about being excited that you did well and then letting that go and focusing on the next play. Same thing if you had a bad one. If you have a bad one you let that go… short-term memory is key.”

Steve reminds those of us who know him that you can perform at a high level and have fun at the same time: they are not mutually exclusive. The important thing is to focus on your role and execute well each step of the way. In fact, for many people, having fun helps them stay loose – especially in a high-pressure situation – which can improve performance.

You won the Super Bowl. How did you mentally absorb such a big win?
Weatherford: “It’s important to celebrate. If you asked me before the game, ‘How many beers would have after you won the Super Bowl?’ I would have told you ‘all of them!’ But after the Super Bowl, I’m not kidding you, I went to the Super Bowl post-party and there were celebrities everywhere and everyone is partying and having a good time… but I had one drink, a Jack and Coke. I drank that drink and I looked at my wife and said, ‘I don’t want to feel any different. I’m not drinking anymore.’ With the euphoria that came from a lifetime of preparation to achieve a lifetime goal, I didn’t want to feel any different. I didn’t need alcohol to feel any different. I had just one drink. I enjoyed the celebration for about three hours with my mom, my dad, my in-laws, my son, and my daughter. I ended up going to bed around two in the morning. That was earlier than every single one of my teammates.”

Steve is a fun guy. His energy is insane. At the Super Bowl, he was as excited as anyone. At the end of the day, however, he was able to keep the achievement in perspective and enjoy it for what it was: the pinnacle of athletic accomplishment. And he did it with his family, which now includes two more children. And who knows… maybe while he was celebrating he was secretly thinking about his next workout!

We’d love to hear from you. How do you mentally prepare for a big event? Comment below or on our Facebook page or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

P.S. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR FITNESS UPDATES! CLICK THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!

The average career for NFL players is astonishingly short: 3.3 years overall and 4.9 years for kickers and punters. It's easy for those of us watching professional football players on TV, in a stadium, or through the lens of fantasy football points to miss the fact that these well-trained athletes are human. We put them on a pedestal when they succeed and we trash them when they don't perform well.

March, I met John Carney while I was working out with our Flyte Fitness partner Steve Weatherford in Southern California at John’s gym, Carney Training Facility. John and Steve were using Core Flyte stability trainers to train themselves, their NFL friends, and John’s clients. My first impression of John was that he is incredibly humble, very knowledgeable in exercise techniques, and open-minded with a thirst for learning and improving.

John Carney, now 51 years young, has a lot to be proud of. He is one of the most celebrated kickers in NFL history. He has 2,062 points scored (fifth in NFL history), played 23 seasons in the NFL, is one of two NFL players in history with four decades of active play, and was the oldest ever to play in a Pro Bowl at age 44.

Last week, John and I spoke about his NFL experience, his training program for kickers and punters, and his philosophy on fitness and longevity.

An Unlikely Road to the NFL
Growing up in Palm Beach, Florida, John loved soccer and played on his high school’s soccer team. Despite his passion for soccer, football was calling him. John recalled, “If you were a male at our high school, it was expected that you would try out for the team.” He initially tried out as a wide receiver, but felt that his soccer experience plus “a little bit of work” would get him on the field as a kicker and a punter.

John went to a kicking camp in Fort Lauderdale led by NFL kicking star Garo Yepremian. He made the junior varsity team as a kicker and a punter his sophomore year. Then, he played on the varsity squad his junior and senior years.

And that's where his football career nearly ended. John said, “I never really planned on playing football after high school. I wanted to play collegiate soccer, but I didn’t receive a lot of phone calls for soccer.”

John walked on to the football team at Notre Dame, which was his father's favorite school. Notre Dame had then, and still has now, one of the most competitive and storied programs in all of college football. John followed fellow high school teammate Alonzo Jefferson, Florida’s all-time leading rusher at the time, to the Golden Dome.

As a freshman at Notre Dame, John made the traveling team as the kickoff specialist. He proceeded to earn the field goal duties his sophomore through senior seasons. It was an exciting experience for John: “I loved the challenge to kick against exceptional programs like USC, Penn State, and Miami,” he said.

John had an outstanding career at Notre Dame. His 51 field goals remain the most in history. Despite John’s talent and track record, it wasn't easy for him to make it into the NFL. He went undrafted and it took him three years to break through and make an active NFL roster for the regular season. Reflecting back, John said, “The long road paid off. I had an opportunity to work my craft and get better and stronger and more serious about becoming an NFL placekicker.”

"Bullying is killing our kids." - Cat Cora, chef

While bullying isn't new, cyber-bullying is quicker, easier, and has a wider reach. Just as we can now protest by tweeting a brief note followed by a hashtag, bullies can hide behind the comfort and secrecy of their social media apps.

The first major bullying research was conducted by Norwegian psychologist Dan Olweus in the 1970s. Olweus was motivated by a series of school-age suicides by victims of bullying. He found that bullies seek to gain the affection of others while picking on those they view as vulnerable. Gay and lesbian teens get bullied up to three times more than their heterosexual peers.

I imagine nearly all moviegoers rooted against bullies Biff Tannen in Back to the Future and Regina George in Mean Girls. We empathize with the "little guy." Back in the school hallways, however, life is very different. Bullies generally get away with their behavior because bystanders tacitly support them by not intervening. The consequences of bullying can be catastrophic. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for adolescents in the U.S. and the number one cause in many countries across the globe. Social isolation – often through bullying – is a significant driver. With nearly 20 percent of students in the U.S. reporting that they are being bullied on school property, this is an important issue for us to address.

We have published blogs on research that touts the benefits of exercise on mood, stress, and energy. However, until now there has not been a comprehensive study on the impact of exercise on suicide rates of bullied children.

A study by the University of Vermont evaluated the impact of exercise on suicide rates of teenagers who report being bullied. Over 13,500 high school students who were part of the CDC's National Youth Risk Behavior Survey were carefully tracked. The bullied students who were physically active four or more days per week had a 23 percent lower rate of suicidal ideation and attempts compared with bullied students with less regular activity. The more active group also reported reductions in sadness.

The study's lead author, Jeremy Sibold, associate professor and chair of the Department Rehabilitation and Movement Science at the University or Vermont, said, "Even if one kid is protected because we got them involved in an after-school activity or in a physical education program it's worth it."

This finding comes out at a time when physical education programs are getting slashed across the country. Although physical education has been linked to reduced obesity and improved academic performance, it is being sidelined in favor of classes that are fixated on boosting test scores. Harvard professor Dr. John J. Ratey, said, “There is shrinking P.E. for our kids,” Dr. Ratey. “P.E. teachers are fighting like cats and dogs to hold the line on their jobs and worth, at the same time as there is a dawning awareness that we have missed the boat.”

Nearly half of all high school students reported that they had no physical education classes in an average week, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The University of Vermont study concludes: "Considering the often catastrophic and long-lasting consequences of bullying in school-aged children, novel, accessible interventions for victims of such conduct [such as physical activity programs] are sorely needed."

René Veenstra, a sociologist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, says that 85 percent of bullying cases occur to gain attention. Let's work on increasing the attention that is given to proven measures, including exercise, to help victims of bullying.

We'd love to hear from you. How have your experiences with bullying affected you and how has exercise helped you deal with them? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

P.S. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR FITNESS UPDATES! CLICK THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!

“It's kind of a catch-22: Strength in women isn't appreciated, and vulnerability in women isn't appreciated. It's like, 'What the hell do you do?' What you do is you don't allow anyone to dictate who you are.” – Actress Jada Pinkett Smith

On Saturday, Serena Williams won Wimbledon in a dominating performance, giving her 21 career Grand Slam singles titles. There has been heated debate by sports talking heads and sports fans alike about Williams’s role as the best female athlete ever, and even the best athlete of either gender of her generation. At age 33, she’s the oldest woman ever to win Wimbledon and shows no signs of slowing down, having won the last four Grand Slam tournaments.

Despite her enormous athletic success, she has faced a different kind of pressure that male athletes nearly never have to endure. Williams has a muscular build, with large triceps, biceps, shoulders, and quads. She is a physical specimen unlike any tennis player ever. She has received criticism for her muscularity, as many deem it non-feminine. In a sport where fashion and looks, rather than talent, often garner the most attention, women’s tennis can place a brutally judgmental spotlight on its participants.

Even though strength and larger muscles may help Williams’s competition get closer to her level, many opt not to bulk up in order to “remain more feminine.” These body image issues are powerful for women at elite levels.

Off-the-court endorsements have made Maria Sharapova, the world’s number two player, the highest-earning female athlete for over a decade. She’s slender and blond. And like many women and girls, she says she wishes she were thinner. Sharapova says, “I always want to be skinnier with less cellulite; I think that’s every girl’s wish.” Sharapova has stated that she avoids weight training.

Agnieszka Radwanska, currently ranked number seven in the world, has over $18 million in career earnings. However, when it comes to becoming stronger, she has declared that looks matter to her and as a result she avoids bulking up. Her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, says Radwanska wants to maintain her slim physique because of her perception of a relationship between muscularity and gender, “First of all she’s a woman, and she wants to be a woman.”

I’ve written about the pressure girls and women feel to stay thin. The wow stat that all of us should keep in the front of our minds is that 80 percent of ten-year-old girls have been on a diet. Personal trainer and YouTube workout star Amy Kiser noted in our interview earlier this year that she avoided lifting weights for years because she was so afraid of gaining muscle. Ironically, she blames her avoidance of weight work for keeping her from getting healthy.

Williams is a terrific role model for women and girls. She shows them that it’s beautiful to be strong and healthy. Particularly in a sport in which there is a glass ceiling on physique for women, it’s considered “unsexy” to have muscle by many fans and critics and by players themselves. Unfortunately, Sharapova’s and Radwanska’s perspective is the norm, not the exception. German pro, Andrea Petkovic, says, “I’m self-conscious about what people might say. It’s stupid, but it’s insecurities that every woman has, I think. I definitely have them… I would love to be a confident player that is proud of her body.” Petkovic shudders at seeing photographs displaying herself hitting backhands that show her bulging arm muscles. She says that the pictures make her feel “unfeminine.”

There is clearly a lot of progress yet to be made. Right now, Williams is leading the way towards breaking the glass ceiling that values looks over success. Williams says, “I realized that you really have to learn to accept who you are and love who you are. I’m really happy with my body type, and I’m really proud of it... I talk about it all the time, how it was uncomfortable for someone like me to be in my body.”

We'd love to hear from you. What do you think about the internal and external pressure on female athletes to stay slim? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

P.S. DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR FITNESS UPDATES! CLICK THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!

To say that Steph Curry of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors has had an incredible season is an understatement. The 27-year-old point guard led his squad to the league’s best regular season record, earned the league MVP award, and has the top-selling jersey. Now, his team is one win away from its first NBA championship. Curry’s statistics are terrific, but it’s his play which is mesmerizing. He moves on a dime to evade defenders, routinely dribbles behind his back and between multiple opponents, and most notably, he can shoot lights out. He has the quickest release ever recorded, taking him a mere 0.4 seconds to get his shot off. Curry holds the records for most three-pointers made in a regular season and in a post-season.

Plagued by Ankle Injuries
Today, the slim six-foot-three-inch Curry doesn’t have a problem competing with – and embarrassing – larger athletes with his skills. Not long ago, however, he was struggling mightily with lingering ankle problems. From 2010-2012, Curry sprained the same ankle 10 times and underwent ankle surgery to repair torn ligaments twice. A mere three years before this MVP season, Curry missed over 50 games due to his ankle injuries. Curry’s ankles weren’t seen as the weapons that help him shift, dodge, and cross over: they were dubbed “paper mâché,” “taffy,” and “tissue paper” by NBA insiders and ESPN talking heads.

Enter a Rehab Genius
Keke Lyles joined the Warriors as the team’s director of athletic performance in the summer of 2012. Lyles is a rehab and prehab expert who is well-known for his astute ability to identify the root causes of movement dysfunctions and for his extensive use of biometrics to monitor athletes. Lyles is creative and relentless at finding ways to make some of the top athletes in the world perform better. Often, the techniques he employs are unconventional. For example, Lyles had Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala wear a Jawbone wristband to track his sleep, remove his TV from his bedroom, and store his cellphone in his bathroom at night time, all to improve his quality of sleep.

Finding Curry’s Hidden Weakness
When Lyles joined the Warriors’ staff, Curry had repeatedly but unsuccessfully worked on strengthening his ankles to prevent future injuries. Curry was in the midst of battling his debilitating ankle issues with no resolution in sight. Lyles evaluated Curry’s movement and looked well beyond his ankles. He had Curry perform numerous poses and movements to identify the root cause of his ankle problems. Lyles’ concluded that Curry had a weak core. In particular, Curry’s hips and glutes needed strengthening. Curry was putting too much pressure on his ankles because his core was not providing the stability needed for him to make all the quick and creative moves on the court.

Strengthening the Core
In a March blog, I wrote, “The core is a facilitator. It controls the force of other muscles in our bodies. To use a basketball analogy, the core is the point guard, ‘dishing off’ to the other muscles, such as the quads, biceps, and pectorals, to ensure they perform their duties.” There’s no better example of the core’s ability to repair and prevent injury than Curry’s experience with Lyles. Lyles had Curry focus on improving his balance and strengthening his core. Curry began a core-focused regimen, with emphasis on developing his hips and glutes. He became a lot stronger than he looks. Now, Curry deadlifts 400 pounds, the second most on his team, despite being one of the lightest players. Curry’s play didn’t look any different to most of us, but in reality it changed significantly. Lyles said, “[Before] Steph really liked to use his ankles to control everything, but now he's using his hips instead.”

Fast forward to this season. Curry missed only two games and wowed basketball fans worldwide. Curry’s dramatic improvement was noticed by experts across the league. ESPN NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh said, “Core power is the secret that unlocks Curry's magic… Now, as Curry weaves through defenders, he's not counting on his ankle to provide all the stability – instead the larger muscles of his core are doing a lot of the work to hold his leg in place.” Tonight, Curry will lead his Warriors against LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers in a closeout game in the NBA finals. If the Warriors win, they will be NBA champs. What a difference the core makes.

We'd love to hear from you. What do you think about Curry’s transformation? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for fitness updates by clicking the box at the top of this page!

Millions of us forked over money, and perhaps more importantly, time and mental energy, to watch the uber-hyped Mayweather-Pacquiao fight last Saturday. Or should I say Sunday, as it was delayed nearly an hour and pushed into the A.M. due to cable companies’ challenges managing the high demand. In the declining sport of boxing, it was the biggest moment in decades. For many Americans, it was a considered a snoozer, proving frustrating to watch grown men hugging more frequently than exchanging power punches. The fight brought in a lot of money for a small group of people, but the widely-held conclusion that boxing is all about money is wrong.

“A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.” - Henry V. Porter, sportswriter

March Madness is upon us! If you noticed many of your colleagues happened to “get ill” last Thursday and Friday or mysteriously left the office after lunch on those days, it’s probably because they didn’t want to miss what many consider the best sporting event of the year: the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Games start around noon and wrap up close to midnight. Bars are full. Brackets are full. Dozens of teams and their fans are full of hope. Many get sucked into what’s colloquially referred to as “March Madness.” The rest seem not to understand why so many people care so much about a basketball game… or during other times of the year, why there’s so much passion for a football game, tennis match, or even a golf tournament. Sports matter to many of us. They matter a lot. The most important reason for this is that there are moments in sports that transcend sports, going well beyond a simple game to make us feel something or learn something deeply important. Basketball has had many of these moments.

Fandom and the Origin of March Madness

My brothers and I have been devoted University of Maryland Terrapins (“Terps”) basketball fans for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we had season tickets and went to most of the team’s home games. In the ’80s, the Maryland basketball program went through a very difficult period which included the tragic death of star Len Bias, the departure of longtime coach Lefty Driesell, and NCAA rules violations that led to sanctions preventing participation in post-season play. In the early ’90s, seats were cheap and the team wasn’t very good. Despite these challenges, our family enjoyed attending games and rooting for the Terps. Loyalty is the beauty of being a true fan. As ESPN columnist Bill Simmons says, “Once you choose a team, you're stuck with that team for the rest of your life.” When Maryland lost in the second round of the tournament Sunday night, I was upset. It was the end of their – very strong – season. I fall victim to the madness of March every year my team is fortunate enough to be included in the tournament. The origin of the term “March Madness” goes all the way back to a high-school basketball tournament in Illinois. In 1939, a writer for the Illinois High School Association coined the term “March Madness” when he wrote about that tournament. Henry V. Porter wrote, “A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.” Three years later, Porter wrote a poem, "Basketball Ides of March," in which he declared, "A sharp-shooting mite is king tonight/ The Madness of March is running." It wasn’t until 1982 – the year that freshman Michael Jordan sank the winning basket for the NCAA champion North Carolina Tar Heels – that the phrase “March Madness” was used during coverage of the NCAA tournament by CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger. And the rest is history.

As maddening as sports can be for fans and for those who cannot grasp why fans take sports so seriously, as Porter said, sports can be used to keep us sane and put life’s challenges into perspective. My favorite sports-related quote is from John Wooden, legendary coach of UCLA’s basketball team, who said, “Make every day your masterpiece.” Wooden didn’t just focus on athleticism or speed, he emphasized the importance of humility, learning from mistakes, and acting with strong character.

5 Basketball Moments that Show Madness in March Can Matter

1. Texas Western’s NCAA Tournament Victory

In 1966, Texas Western men’s basketball team coach Don Haskins started five black players and made it to the NCAA championship game. Their opponent was a powerhouse: the University of Kentucky. Kentucky was coached by Adolph Rupp, who had an all-white team. The game took place at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland, home of the University of Maryland. Much of the south did not have integrated sports teams. Texas Western was victorious 72-65. The win proved that the best players weren’t always going to be white. Just a few years after the historic win, all major southern sports conferences ended segregation.

2. J-Mac’s 20 Off the Bench

Jason “J-Mac” McElwain was born with autism. He was in love with the game of basketball and served as the manager of the Greece Athena High School basketball team because he wasn’t able to make the team. In 2006, McElwain was closing out his senior year. In the last game of the season, the team had a large lead entering the final stretch. Coach Jim Johnson handed McElwain his own jersey and put him in the game with four minutes left. McElwain missed his first two shot attempts but would not miss again. He hit six three-point shots and a deep basket to score an astonishing 20 points. Fans rushed the court to celebrate his amazing play.

3. Sportsmanship in the Midwest

High school basketball arch rivals Milwaukee Madison Knights and the DeKalb Barbs were set to play yet another hotly contested game in February 2009. Sadly, Madison’s team captain Johntell Franklin watched his mother die from cancer in the hospital before the game was to start. Franklin said his mom would have wanted him to play and he was determined to do so. Franklin arrived at the game, shocking his coach and teammates. Madison’s coach assumed Franklin wouldn’t play, so he didn’t include him on the official active roster. The game was close. In order to let Franklin play, an automatic technical foul would be called, giving the rival DeKalb squad two free throws. DeKalb’s coach David Rohlman told the referees he didn’t want any such foul to be called, but the referees stuck to the rules. When Franklin came into the game, a technical was called, sending DeKalb’s David McNeal, the team’s best free throw shooter, to the line for two shots. Coach Rohlman and McNeal had a quick chat before the shots, agreeing that McNeal would intentionally miss both shots. He practically air-balled both shots. McNeal said, “I missed them because it was just the right thing to do at the time. And him losing his mom, it really got to me.” Both teams and the arena gave a standing ovation honoring the great show of sportsmanship.

4. Bo Kimble’s Tribute to Hank Gathers

Years before the “one-and-done” era, two friends played basketball together on the same Philadelphia high school team, enrolled at the University of Southern California together, and transferred after one year to Loyola Marymount… together. Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble were both gifted athletes, and they valued their close friendship. Gathers was left-handed, whereas Kimble was right-handed. Gathers led the nation in points and rebounds his senior year in college. On March 4, 1990, Gathers collapsed during a game and died from a heart-muscle disorder. Loyola Marymount made a run during that year’s tournament, reaching the Elite Eight, despite the loss of its best player. In each tournament game, when Kimble first reached the free throw line, he shot left-handed in honor of Gathers. Kimble made all three of his left-handed free throw attempts during the tournament. Even as a professional, Kimble continued to pay tribute to Gathers by shooting his first free throws left-handed.

5. Jim Valvano’s Legacy

Jim Valvano was a coach, broadcaster, and inspiration for the underdog. Whether it was taking on heavily-favored teams or battling cancer, Valvano had a strength and charisma that were unmatched. Valvano’s N.C. State University team won the 1983 NCAA tournament against all the odds. To get into the NCAA tournament, his team had to win its conference tournament. They beat Michael Jordan’s North Carolina squad and Ralph Sampson’s University of Virginia team in back-to-back games. State kept winning – in dramatic, close games, including a double overtime game in the first round, two one-point games, and a buzzer-beating dunk against top-seeded Houston to secure the championship. Despite his great success as a coach, and later as a broadcaster, Valvano is best remembered for his battle against cancer. Ten years removed from his NCAA championship, Valvano walked up the stage at the 1993 ESPY Awards event and delivered an inspirational speech. Valvano implored his audience: “Don’t give up… don’t’ ever give up.” He said, “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.” Valvano died less than two months later, but his legacy lives on through his V Foundation for Cancer Research, his family, and our memories.

We'd love to hear from you. What is the most inspirational sports story for you and why? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

While most Americans prepare to sink into comfortable couches, overeat, and watch the big game this Sunday with family and friends, there are two teams preparing to compete in the Super Bowl. DeflateGate press conferences aside, the players on the Patriots and Seahawks are getting ready for one of the biggest competitive nights of their lives. Last minute workouts and strategy sessions may make the difference between runner-up and Super Bowl champion. However, in order to make it to the big game, NFL players need to work hard to prepare for a grueling season, compete with some of the best athletes in the world, and ultimately prevail. Today, we salute five NFL players with exceptional workout discipline who have gone well beyond the call of duty to make their bodies a competitive advantage.

Here are 5 Super Bowl Workout Habits of Elite NFL Players

1. Jerry Rice, Wide Receiver

Rice is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in NFL history. He was a key member of three Super Bowl champion teams with the San Francisco 49ers and was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times in 20 seasons in the NFL. Rice became a legend for his record-setting career on the football field. Off the field, often training alone, he followed a disciplined and intense workout regimen that kept him at the top of his game for such a long period of time. During the off-season, when many athletes rest, Rice had a six-day-a-week routine that he created to keep himself in shape. His typical regimen consisted of morning runs that included sprinting up the steepest parts of hills, and afternoon weight training sessions that were so tough that when his teammates joined him, they would often get sick from the intensity. Oh, and this doesn’t include actual team practices in which he was known for staying longer and hustling harder than anyone else.

2. Rod Woodson, Cornerback and Safety

Woodson was a dangerous defensive player for 17 years in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, and holds the NFL record for most interceptions returned for touchdowns. Like Rice, Woodson didn’t take time off from staying in shape. Woodson said that during his career, he “maintained a foundation of working out throughout the whole offseason; either riding a bike, jogging on the treadmill or jogging around the neighborhood. I kept a foundation there, so once I wanted to get back into high-core training, I already had a baseline set.” Woodson had a big sweet tooth during his playing days: “I loved ice cream, I loved chips and I loved candy,” he said. Despite his not-so-perfect eating habits, his strenuous workouts kept him in great shape and enabled him to be one of the fastest players in the league.

3. C. J. Spiller, Running Back

Clifford "C. J." Spiller is a 27-year-old running back and return specialist for the Buffalo Bills, who’s coming off an injury-plagued year. Despite this, Spiller is considered one of the fittest players in the NFL due to his speed and jumping ability. He eats healthy, runs hills, pulls sleds, and practices mixed martial arts to improve his conditioning. Bottom line for Spiller: “I do a lot of exercising,” he said. Spiller gets away from chilly Buffalo during the off-season and trains in California. He said, “When I’m in California training, they have the sand dunes and we do a lot of workouts there as well. Even when I do take a little mini-vacation, I’ll wake up early and go run on the beach.”

4. Jared Allen, Defensive End

Allen is a stud defensive end for the Chicago Bears, better known for his years devastating offenses as a Minnesota Viking. Allen is a five-time Pro Bowl honoree with over 130 sacks in his career. At 6’ 6” and 270 pounds, he keeps his power a top priority. Allen focuses on weightlifting during the off-season. His leg squat, power clean and deadlift regimens go into the 300-plus pound ranges. His all-time squat record is 605 pounds. Wow. “I think the most important part of the game for any football player is leg strength. All your explosion comes from your legs,” Allen said.

5. Steve Weatherford, Punter

The punter is perhaps the least respected player on a football squad; however, Weatherford is noted for his epic physique. He is a member of the New York Giants and made critical punts in their 2012 Super Bowl victory, which led Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport to contend that Weatherford should have been the MVP of the game. Weatherford said much of his determination comes from what he calls “little man” syndrome. Weatherford said, “As a kid, I was always very athletic and very fast. I was always good at sports. I wasn’t big and I wasn’t strong. When I was 13, going into my freshman year, I decided that if I was going to be the short guy on the team, I’m going to work as hard as I can to get the most out of my body.” Weatherford stresses the importance of not relying on one’s talent alone. He said, “Ability will only get you so far. It’s all about football all the time. Even though I don’t play an athletic position, I still try to take that same mindset of: If it’s not going to help me get better at what I want to get better at, then I’m not going to do it. I work really hard at my craft, but I also work hard in the weight room, and I’m very disciplined with my diet as well.”

We'd love to hear from you. What professional athlete’s workout regimen has inspired you? Comment below or on our Facebook page at facebook.com/flytefitness, or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg

Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness