Height/Weight: 6’3”, 175 lbs
Current team: Portland Trailblazers
Years in NBA: 6
Previous teams: Washington, Denver, Milwaukee
College: Maryland
Last week I was invited to speak to the campers at the Steve Blake Basketball Camp in Germantown, MD. After I did a 15 minute demo and got the entire camped warmed up and stretched out; I had a chance to sit down with Steve and talk about his training. Steve is a class act and a great guy. I have always admired the way he plays because he is unselfish, fundamentally sound, plays to win, and he makes those around him better. Please note, I have paraphrased his answers, these are not verbatim. I didn’t use a recorder; I merely scribbled notes as fast I could when writing down his answers!
Q: At what age (or grade) did you first start lifting weights?
A: I actually started a program my freshman year in high school because I was always pretty skinny and thought adding muscle would help my game. I really started to take it serious my junior year of high school. Our whole team lifted then; we were on a pretty structured program. I continued to lift whenever I could my senior year at Oak Hill.
Q: How do you feel like it helped your game?
A: The added size and strength helped me compete against older players and prevented me from getting knocked off the ball. I only weighed 155 lbs in high school! I am only 175 lbs now (note: this makes Steve one of the lightest players in the entire league). But don’t let my weight fool you; I am pretty strong!
Q: Why do you think strength & conditioning for basketball players is important?
A: Proper strength and conditioning can help in every area of basketball; improves quickness, the ability to jump, gives you a quicker first step, and makes you tougher on defense. It also helps to ward off injuries.
Q: What does your off season training program consist of now?
A: I had shoulder surgery about a month ago; so I have been taking some time off. Normally I only take a few weeks off. But my off season program consists of a lot of balance/stability work and a lot of core work. I work closely with Bob Medina (Trailblazers’ strength & conditioning coach) as well as take some martial arts classes. Martial arts helps with everything; flexibility, balance, and core strength. I also work with our shooting coach. In the Blazers’ offense I only get shots, and they are spot up shots, from a few specific areas on the floor. So I shoot hundreds and hundreds of spot up jumpers from those spots every day. I try to practice smart as well as hard!
Q: What is the biggest difference between playing in college and in the NBA?
A: Everyone in the NBA is big, strong, and very athletic and the game is unbelievably fast.
I would like to extend a special thank you to Steve for taking the time to speak with me.
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Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com