Hostile
The Duke
- Messages
- 119,565
- Reaction score
- 4,544
[font=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-dolphins18jun18,0,7326285.story?coll=sfla-sports-front
Ricky Williams bulking up frame[/font]
By Alex Marvez
Staff Writer
Posted June 18 2005
[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] Eat, Ricky, eat.
Lift, Ricky, lift.
[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] Because before he can run effectively again for the Dolphins, Ricky Williams will need to regain significant weight and muscle.
Williams reportedly weighed 195 pounds in early May after returning from a trip to India that was part of holistic and yoga programs he embraced following his retirement from football. At that size, Williams would get squashed by the defenders he once steamrolled as a 230-pound tailback.
But those close to Williams, as well as some nutritional and strength-training experts, believe he won't have a problem bulking up before reporting to training camp in July.
"He wasn't away from football that long," said Kim Wood, who spent 28 seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals' strength coach. "If he can get his body chemistry right, it shouldn't be hard."
Agent Leigh Steinberg said Williams has started that process, even though he will not be able to emerge from retirement until late July under the rules of the NFL's substance-abuse program. Steinberg said Williams has resumed working with his former nutritionist and made arrangements to begin training at a South Florida facility even before he began driving back to the area earlier this week.
"He has a copy of the Dolphins' workout program with him, which he's been working on," said Steinberg, who estimated Williams has gained about 10 pounds since his return from India. "He's been lifting [weights]. He's very confident the key to his gaining weight and strength lies in a concerted lifting program.
"His weight has fluctuated throughout his pro career. He's been as low as 215 pounds and as high as 250. At 205 pounds, he's not a small person. He's just not as bulked up as you recall him."
Miami-based nutritionist Sari Mellman began working with Williams in 2002, when he no longer wanted to play in the 240-pound range like in New Orleans the previous season. After analyzing blood work, Mellman placed Williams on a customized diet, which took off about 20 pounds. Williams went on to lead the NFL in rushing that season with 1,853 yards.
Citing proprietary and privacy issues, Mellman didn't want to give details about her new plan for Williams. But she said Williams, who follows a predominantly vegetarian diet, should find it easy to regain sufficient weight.
"He was always great to work with," said Mellman, who has designed nutritional programs for dozens of other NFL players. "He was very disciplined and cooperative about everything. ... I expect that his endurance and capacity for lean body mass that he develops on these foods will be greater than it was before."
Although she said she doesn't know the details of Williams' strength-training regimen, Mellman said she has worked with enough clients in similar situations to know that he will be doing more weightlifting and less cardiovascular work because of the calories burnt by the latter.
"Obviously, they're not going to have him running five miles a day, but I'm sure he'll be doing mild cardio [training]," Mellman said.
Mellman said she designed Williams' new program so that he shouldn't undergo significant weight loss in training camp. Mellman said she recently worked to correct dehydration problems being experienced by boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who she said was losing 12 pounds during every training session. Mellman said De La Hoya cut that number to 4 pounds using her system.
Wood said he expects Williams to begin gaining weight rapidly once he settles into regular eating and training routines. Williams also will have the chance to recover physically once the regular season begins, as he will be unable to practice with the Dolphins while serving a four-game suspension for a third failed drug test for marijuana.
"He just needs to get back into an NFL regimen," Wood said. "Whether he likes it or not, the previous 15 years of his life, that's the way he has lived. Football people understand the guy can come back real quick."
One of them is tailback Ki-Jana Carter, who was unsigned for the 2000 season before resuming his NFL career with the Washington Commanders in 2001.
"When you go through the first couple of practices, no matter what kind of shape you're in, you're going to be sore because it's a different kind of running," said Carter, a Plantation resident who was the first player chosen in the 1995 draft. "All those drills can't prepare you for going out there doing 7-on-7 drills or team activities. But in another sense, a lot of guys were banged up from all the offseason workouts. I was just training on my own, and I felt pretty healthy.
"Ricky knows how to play. It would be like if he went to play baseball and came back after a year. You don't lose your skills in one year."
Alex Marvez can be reached at amarvez@sun-sentinel.com.
[/font]
Ricky Williams bulking up frame[/font]
By Alex Marvez
Staff Writer
Posted June 18 2005
[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] Eat, Ricky, eat.
Lift, Ricky, lift.
[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] Because before he can run effectively again for the Dolphins, Ricky Williams will need to regain significant weight and muscle.
Williams reportedly weighed 195 pounds in early May after returning from a trip to India that was part of holistic and yoga programs he embraced following his retirement from football. At that size, Williams would get squashed by the defenders he once steamrolled as a 230-pound tailback.
But those close to Williams, as well as some nutritional and strength-training experts, believe he won't have a problem bulking up before reporting to training camp in July.
"He wasn't away from football that long," said Kim Wood, who spent 28 seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals' strength coach. "If he can get his body chemistry right, it shouldn't be hard."
Agent Leigh Steinberg said Williams has started that process, even though he will not be able to emerge from retirement until late July under the rules of the NFL's substance-abuse program. Steinberg said Williams has resumed working with his former nutritionist and made arrangements to begin training at a South Florida facility even before he began driving back to the area earlier this week.
"He has a copy of the Dolphins' workout program with him, which he's been working on," said Steinberg, who estimated Williams has gained about 10 pounds since his return from India. "He's been lifting [weights]. He's very confident the key to his gaining weight and strength lies in a concerted lifting program.
"His weight has fluctuated throughout his pro career. He's been as low as 215 pounds and as high as 250. At 205 pounds, he's not a small person. He's just not as bulked up as you recall him."
Miami-based nutritionist Sari Mellman began working with Williams in 2002, when he no longer wanted to play in the 240-pound range like in New Orleans the previous season. After analyzing blood work, Mellman placed Williams on a customized diet, which took off about 20 pounds. Williams went on to lead the NFL in rushing that season with 1,853 yards.
Citing proprietary and privacy issues, Mellman didn't want to give details about her new plan for Williams. But she said Williams, who follows a predominantly vegetarian diet, should find it easy to regain sufficient weight.
"He was always great to work with," said Mellman, who has designed nutritional programs for dozens of other NFL players. "He was very disciplined and cooperative about everything. ... I expect that his endurance and capacity for lean body mass that he develops on these foods will be greater than it was before."
Although she said she doesn't know the details of Williams' strength-training regimen, Mellman said she has worked with enough clients in similar situations to know that he will be doing more weightlifting and less cardiovascular work because of the calories burnt by the latter.
"Obviously, they're not going to have him running five miles a day, but I'm sure he'll be doing mild cardio [training]," Mellman said.
Mellman said she designed Williams' new program so that he shouldn't undergo significant weight loss in training camp. Mellman said she recently worked to correct dehydration problems being experienced by boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who she said was losing 12 pounds during every training session. Mellman said De La Hoya cut that number to 4 pounds using her system.
Wood said he expects Williams to begin gaining weight rapidly once he settles into regular eating and training routines. Williams also will have the chance to recover physically once the regular season begins, as he will be unable to practice with the Dolphins while serving a four-game suspension for a third failed drug test for marijuana.
"He just needs to get back into an NFL regimen," Wood said. "Whether he likes it or not, the previous 15 years of his life, that's the way he has lived. Football people understand the guy can come back real quick."
One of them is tailback Ki-Jana Carter, who was unsigned for the 2000 season before resuming his NFL career with the Washington Commanders in 2001.
"When you go through the first couple of practices, no matter what kind of shape you're in, you're going to be sore because it's a different kind of running," said Carter, a Plantation resident who was the first player chosen in the 1995 draft. "All those drills can't prepare you for going out there doing 7-on-7 drills or team activities. But in another sense, a lot of guys were banged up from all the offseason workouts. I was just training on my own, and I felt pretty healthy.
"Ricky knows how to play. It would be like if he went to play baseball and came back after a year. You don't lose your skills in one year."
Alex Marvez can be reached at amarvez@sun-sentinel.com.
[/font]
