Best Shape of My Life
Written by Dave Diehl, Wednesday August 05 2009
I spent the last 5 weeks before training camp going back and forth between Chicago and New Jersey. In NJ, I worked out at Joe DeFranco’s gym, working on strength, power and explosion, using weights and rubber bands. In Chicago I worked out at Attack Athletics with Tim Grover, the guy who trained Michael Jordan, working on quickness, agility and balance, side-to-side, lateral movement. In both places I did conditioning.
I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life right now.
I’m excited that we’re back in training camp. There are always some little butterflies heading in, though. I got here a day early so I could check in, get my keys, get settled in my dorm room and get in the locker room so I didn’t have to rush the first day of camp. That day I woke up, had breakfast and relaxed before camp officially started.
By 1 p.m. the first day of camp you had to have a weight/body fat test right away. There are certain goals everyone has to make after having 5 weeks away from the team. Then we have the conditioning test, which is 10 half-gassers, up and down each sideline and back, under a certain time.
I did the test before camp last Tuesday to make sure I could, just to ease my mind, and I felt great afterwards.
I know I’ve done everything I can to make myself a better football player and help the offense.
It’s just one of those things, every year you have to come back to training camp and reestablish yourself, who you are, reestablish your identity, regardless of how many years you’ve been in the league. This is my 7th training camp and I still feel that way. I want to show how hard I’ve worked in the last 5 weeks away from the coaches, that I’ve done everything in my power to come in in the best shape I can be in and show that I’m willing to work again to earn my position. Even though I’ve been a starter for 6 years, nothing is ever given to you in this league.
Don’t get me wrong, I took some breaks, too. I love Chicago-style pizza and I made sure I got some. You have to splurge sometimes, even though you’re working hard, because before you know it summer is over and look, it’s time for training camp.
The way I look at it, each year is more important than the year before. Each season is completely different. As a team, you come to training camp and set the standard for how you’re going to compete, how you’re going to prepare. What we do now reflects on what we’re going to do the rest of the year.
Heading into last season we were Super Bowl champs, now we have a chip on our shoulder. We didn’t play a good enough game our last game of the season to move forward, and that still lingers in my mind. That’s the type of thing you use as motivation to push yourself in the right direction.
Dave Diehl is an offensive lineman for the New York Giants. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.davediehl66.com. Find him on Twitter as davediehl66.
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