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For all of our fans who shoot us questions on our Twitter and Facebook Page, this one is for you. Each week, we will tap into our pool of editors and experts to help with any questions or challenges you are having with your fitness regimen. This week, we got some time with running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens. Rice gives us an inside look into his training routine as a professional football player and a Super Bowl champion.
How does training and working out differ from one position to another on the field?
“The NFL is all about crafting your body to the position you play. So if you’re a wide receiver, there’s going to be a lot more cardio involved in your workout because you’ve got to do a lot more running.
You know, running backs, a lot of us start the short burst, the fast twitch. Offensive linemen—a lot of their stuff is short movement, short burst, fast twitch, try to get things going.
But overall, you know, no workout can be the same for each position. So everybody has to have something different and I’ve always trained that way. I’ve trained in terms of position, not toward how a group will come in there and do the same thing. I never trained like that.”
What’s one of your favorite workouts or drills to do when you’re training? Least favorite?
“One of my favorite workouts is, I got into that CrossFit. I like the nonstop stuff. One of my favorite workouts is to run hills. And I like to do a lot of fast explosive stuff—like plyo boxes.
As far as lifting weights, I’ve always been good at bench and squat. I do box squats, where I get low and explode up for power. I do box jumps—all the stuff that I have to do really fast.
But, my least favorite actually is squatting. It’s not fun when you’ve got 500 pounds on the bar and have to do it.”
What do you think the key is to longevity and staying injury-free during the season?
“Taking care of your body. The No. 1 key is nutrition. The first thing you need to start with is nutrition. You could lift as much as you want, but if you’re not putting the right food in your body—the right fuel—nothing’s going to show for it.
But staying active is your normal routine. Actually train harder later in the season. You get banged up, but you just got to know how to nurse different injuries and stay on top of your lifting.”
Do you have a workout partner? And if so, what do you think is the most important quality in a good one?
“My high school coach is actually my training partner.
I’m not a guy who likes a whistle and says you’ve got to do this and do that. So if you’re going to be a training partner, you’ve got to just workout with me. And we push each other. He’s a younger guy, early 30s. So he’s in great shape and one thing we do is we push each other. We try things, and if we don’t like it, we go to the next.”
Finally, is there anything you’re looking to improve in yourself for the next season?
“I’m going back to the basics. I want to get back to doing some speed stuff. This off-season I’m working on speed. I know my power is there and I just want to work on the speed part of it again.”
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