At first I joked about it. Yeah, I wanted to train with the
football team. That sounded like fun. As long as I was just talking
about it, and never actually had to do it. So you can imagine my
surprise when I approached UCLA Strength & Conditioning coach
E.J. “Doc” Kreis, and he invited me to come work out
with the football team one early August morning just before the
season started. Buoyed by my conversation with Kreis, I also tried
talking my way into training with other Bruin teams this summer. I
wanted an in-depth look at how these athletes practice, and to see
how an everyday person might fare when faced with the same workout
regimen. Ultimately I broke it down into three sections — speed,
strength, and conditioning. I participated in speed drills with the
UCLA women’s basketball team, lifted weights with the
football team, and attempted to practice with the men’s water
polo team. To say the least, this entire ordeal was harder than I
expected.
Flexing Our Muscles Dazed and somewhat in awe
as I entered the Acosta Center, I flew down a stairwell labeled
“Speed, Strength, and Conditioning”, entered an
unmarked door, and took my first peek inside. What I saw was a
weightlifter’s dream. Pristine weights. State-of-the-art
equipment. Nothing but the best for UCLA athletes. The concept of
team was present everywhere I looked, with every sport being
represented with their logo emblazoned on the walls with the center
figure in the gym being a gargantuan glass replica of John
Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. I was still gazing at the walls
when I spotted Kreis. “Good you’re ready,” he
said with a smile. “We’re going to get you in.”
My partner, if you will, for the day was second-year fullback Jimmy
Stephens. Warming up with him on the bicycle, I wanted to know what
kind of punishment Doc dishes out to his athletes.
“It’s an unbelievable experience, never done anything
like this before in my life,” Stephens said. “But, now
my body is acclimated and everything, but the summer before my
freshman year, when I came in here couple of times and worked out,
I was drained for the day.” “It’s great though,
you get a new respect for it, because Doc will treat you
right.” Right? Stephens remembers a 5 a.m. winter wake-up
call where the team had to run as many miles as they could in 15
minutes without loafing, quickly followed by weightlifting in which
they were forced to max out. On a “normal” day, the
team has workouts twice a day for the entire week lasting nearly
two hours followed by practice. “I’ll be honest with
you, I thought about quitting a couple of times,” Stephens
said. “But you know what you just have to focus yourself and
remind yourself constantly why you’re here and what
you’re doing it for.” We were still talking when a
swarm of UCLA football players entered the facility, the stragglers
racing to the center of the room. It was our first work out. I
figured that since it was just a warm-up that it would be nothing
difficult. Not difficult for them, but for me that was another
story. “Get him a 10,” Doc said. The other guys got a
20-pound weight. In what seemed like synchronized swimming, pairs
of legs shot up into the air in unison with weights resting on our
shins. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7…70 barked out the players. Not too bad I
thought. “Lets go, that was pretty good Bryan you’re
showing off,” Doc said. “Now 80.” Halfway through
the second set my body began to tremble. It got to a point where it
almost seemed like I was going through a seizure. But, all I was
thinking was don’t drop it, hold it, keep going. 80. Whew.
Last set – 100. I closed my eyes and went to my happy place.
Somehow the shaking lowered to a 4.0 trembler and I managed to last
to a 100. The team then moved into the weightlifting portion of the
training. As the guys began pumping iron, they felt their vocal
chords needed exercise as well, joining in on the chorus of the
Temptations’ “My Girl” blaring on the speakers.
But I was apprehensive. Not about the singing, but about the
lifting. I can hold my own, but these guys are huge. There’s
no chance of trying to one-up someone. Joining Stephens and I were
senior safety Ben Emanuel II and running back Jason Harrison. The
guys started out clinging 55 pounds on each side which translates
to 155 pounds total, including the bar. They did six repetitions
followed by ten-pound increments, and finally capped off by adding
80-pound weights onto each side. I was downright afraid for my
back’s sake to take this on, so I just watched. “I got
used to it halfway through my first year, it’s an adjustment
you have to make,” Harrison said It would take me my whole
career at UCLA to get used to this. We went onto squats, with
20’s hanging on each side. After just standing there and
watching, the guys told me to give it a try. I put up a solid set.
Eight reps? No problem. “There you go, get to work,”
Doc said. Soon enough I found out his philosophy or his solution to
everything – when in doubt, add more weight. But more importantly
what he emphasizes the most is good form, good technique,
confidence, feet, and “depth, depth, depth.” After a
second set of squats, we pulled out the bench and began working the
chest. I usually start out with 45s on each side. Sophomore
defensive tackle Robert Garcia managed to put up four plates on
each side. That’s 405 pounds. Something tells me I’m
not in Wooden anymore. Next we proceeded to the EZ-Bar, an
apparatus that involves you laying down with a bar across your
chest working forearms. Let me tell you, it’s not that easy.
I could only hit up a few sets, and my arms felt like the sockets
were going to pop out. Later that day I caught up with a couple of
guys who could empathize with me a little bit ““ incoming
freshmen basketball players Arron Afflalo and Josh Shipp. As he
lifted the EZ-Bar, Afflalo turned to Kreis. “It hurts,”
Afflalo said. “Am I doing it right?” “Yea,
you’re doing it right, just add more weight, and you’ll
be fine,” Kreis said with a smile. Still he was all smiles
after his workout. “Feels good,” Afflalo said.
“Just trying to get stronger. We are all getting a lot
stronger. We can feel it.” Afflalo, who now weighs 214
pounds, has gained six pounds since the beginning of the summer.
Shipp, 208 pounds strong, has put on 16. Capping off the football
workout was the Hammer Jammer, a machine that works on your
explosiveness to lift players off their feet. It’s like a
bull rush where both hands are at your side and you have to thrust
upwards into the air while stepping forward to gain momentum. At
180 pounds of weight, I couldn’t quite explode. I felt like
my Nike soles were going to pop. My hands, arms, and shoulders were
aching from trying to extend my arms upward. We finished at 11:43
a.m., about an hour and a half after I had arrived. The guys
weighed in and I was treated to the most relaxing and soothing part
of the day, a Metrex shake. I was no longer dehydrated, but I was
still exhausted. Get me a hot bath and some Bengay. “You
should’ve been here at 6 a.m. last week, are you here for the
honeymoon or what?” junior linebacker Justin London said.
After just a couple hours of enduring what the football team goes
through daily, I can see why Kreis enjoys his job. “The thing
I’ve been most encouraged with is attitude, inspiration and
vision of each team of these players,” Kreis said.
“They take it upon themselves to better their performance of
what we did yesterday. We look forward to tomorrow and we’re
going to get there.” Contrary to what I thought,
there’s no messing around. They stick to the schedule, the
plan, the workout, and they push it hard every minute they are in
there. No wasted motion. After only one workout, I was motionless,
unable to lift my arms the following day.
Breakfast at Barrett’s I was still
exhausted from the football workout a few days later when I arrived
at Drake Stadium at 7 a.m. for day one of my summer workouts with
the women’s basketball team. But after football, I figured I
could handle anything. That was before I tried the shuttle run.
It’s a 50-yard sprint back and forth that players have to do
for six times in order to be considered a set. They do three sets,
with only a three-and-a-half minute break in between each one. The
players get tested every year before the beginning of fall quarter.
In preparation for Sept. 29, the day before school begins,
Associate Coach of Strength & Conditioning Kerri Barrett has
the team run mock-tests every Friday during the offseason. In my
head I thought this was a simple task. Knowing guards have to
finish in 56 seconds and post players in 58 seconds did not deter
me. What’s the hardest or worst that can happen? I found out
the hard way. “Booty Lock.” But I still had 24 hours
before the shuttle run. Today was supposed to be an easy practice.
We started with a light jog, nice and easy followed by a series of
stretching exercises and leg workouts to loosen up the calves, hips
and legs. Later we all paired up and this is where the fun began.Do
you remember what it feels like to be tied to one of those kiddy
lines that parents have attached to their child’s back. Well,
I do now after being hog-tied to “The Bullet Belt.”
Designed to do a loaded run/sprint with resistance, the Bullet Belt
is fashioned to increase speed while maintaining proper running
mechanics. Clip, snap and I had a belt fastened onto my waist with
a single cable being held behind me by junior forward Emma Tautolo.
Ready. Go. Off went Emma hauling me from one end to another. When
it was my turn, I began dragging Emma behind me. While maintaining
proper form and looking up to the sky, I began feeling a burning
sensation creeping up in my thighs. By the end of practice, I was
confident. I had done OK today. Surely the shuttle run was nothing
to lose sleep over. “The shuttle is more mentally hard than
physically, but if you put them together it can be difficult for a
normal person,” junior guard Nikki Blue said. “But each
Friday leading up to the shuttle you’ll probably worry about
it the night before, worry about it all morning, it’s really
a tough test.” “What happens if you don’t make
it?” I scoffed. “Breakfast Club.” she answered.
“You don’t want to be in there. You gotta wake up at 6
a.m. to do extra work.” No sweat. I arrived at Drake Stadium
again the following morning, ready to face the shuttle run.
Sophomore guard Noelle Quinn gave me some last-minute pointers.
“Pace yourself, and watch out for “˜booty
lock’,” she said. I lined up, with Quinn on my right,
sophomore Shaina Zaida on my left and on the far left freshman
Lauren Pedersen. Oh boy I thought, 56 seconds. Off we went 50
yards, stop turned back, 50 yards again. 56 – Noelle and I crossed
the finish line ahead of the other two. I was definitely winded.
Out of shape? I didn’t think so. During my rest time I
realized I expended most of my energy on the first run. The second
one didn’t go as well. 59 seconds. Right behind Noelle and
Shaina. I flopped to the floor, legs cramped, back hurting, cotton
mouth, and all I could think of was water. I started in an upright
position on the last one as exhaustion took over. Then it hit.
Suddenly a sharp pang surged through my legs, up my thighs, and
then it stopped there. I was hampered like a man with a wedgy. I
drifted further and further back. I saw Noelle face-to-face, which
means she was way ahead. I heard shouts of GO, GO, GO and I knew I
had to finish strong. 63 seconds. Breakfast Club here I come.
“When it’s over, you’re like “˜ooo
it’s over, it’s great let’s go
home,'” senior Sissy Pickett said. “We’ve
ran this every Friday for the A and C quarters, you get used to it
but it still kicks your butt. I dread the shuttle.” My
hamstrings were tightening up and I asked her what’s the
remedy for “booty lock” because I think I’ve got
it. “All I can say is you better do some figure fours or
hamstrings’ stretches, or else you’ll be sore for the
next two days.” Blue was next up. 53 seconds, 54, and 53
again. Does this mean they’re expecting me for breakfast?
Objects of Affection Having underestimated the shuttle run, I
was far from overconfident a few days later when I headed to the
pool for water polo practice. In fact any shred of confidence I
might have had was gone after a quick conversation with UCLA coach
Adam Krikorian. I asked him if he thought his athletes were the
most conditioned at UCLA. “Yeah,” he said. Without a
doubt? “No question about it,” he said.
“It’s not even close. I might get some heat from the
other coaches, but you can talk to all the nutritionists, those
physiological doctors, scientists, I would guarantee that every
single one of them would say our sport is the most physically
demanding. In all aspects.” He was right. It makes sense
because there’s never a moment of rest in the sport. The
players are constantly eggbeatering, or churning their legs rapidly
to stay afloat. But it’s not that easy. First try
eggbeatering by yourself – that’s the easiest it gets Next,
eggbeater with a guy hanging on you Not enough? Eggbeater and
wrestle with someone at the same time. Now try to do this for
seven-minute quarters that in actuality last 15 minutes and you
have a sense for how conditioned these athletes must be in order to
be at the top of their game. And since 70 percent of the game is
underwater, there’s no telling what guys do down there.
Grabbing, kicking, kneeing, punching. You name it players have
tried it. I asked Krikorian if another UCLA athlete would be able
to handle a water polo practice. “Last a practice?” he
asked “No way. I welcome any athlete that wants to try to
come up here and practice with us for one practice and if they can
make it through this, without taking a rest, they have a spot on
the team.” Now while I would have loved to join the team for
a practice (clears throat), I know I wouldn’t have been able
to last one minute. Eggbeatering for an extended period of time is
tiring enough let alone passing, shooting, or wrestling with
someone. Krikorian agreed with me. So I took a vested interest in
reporting from the sidelines for once. Practices include
scrimmaging, going over offensive, defensive sets, two hours worth
of swimming and conditioning, and an hour or so worth of leg
conditioning. Swimming conditioning includes up to 8,000-meters.
Now leg conditioning was something I wanted to see. These athletes
do more than just eggbeater. They eggbeater while holding
five-gallon water jugs and steel rods over their heads. Two-meter
man, senior Ted Peck, exploded from the water holding the 5-gallon
Sparklets jug above his head. His face grimacing with pain. His
arms trembling. His shoulders slopped and his legs kicked furiously
to stay afloat. Slowly but surely Peck began spinning the jug, a
technique he says that quickens the pace of the water to exit from
the jug. I’m sure seconds became hours. As the jug finally
emptied, he sank to the bottom taking advantage of the brief rest.
Next, freshman Manga Santos gave a crack at emptying the “The
Big Dog” as Peck likes to call it. At the time he seemed to
sink like the Titanic, but the guys urged him on. Santos
didn’t sink. Instead his tree-like arms and shoulders allowed
him to maintain for the full 35 seconds for the jug to empty. Peck,
swallowing what saliva he had remaining in his arid mouth,
described how he felt after practice. “My legs are
shaking,” he said. “I can’t walk too well, but
hopefully it’ll pay off, if it doesn’t I won’t be
too happy. “I’ve been doing that since I got here. You
never get used to it, it’s a struggle every time,
that’s why Adam likes it so much, he likes to put you through
a little pain before the season starts.” Krikorian had the
guys empty the Sparklets bottles six times. When asked if his other
teammates could do it, Peck answered surely. “I know some of
“˜em can do it, they have some good legs. But, I know some of
them would just drown and it would be pointless.” The
Sparklets exercise enables the two-meter men to simulate what it
feels like to have an opponent tug and wrestle with you. On the
other hand, the perimeter players worked on eggbeatering for a
longer frequency above water. Each of the individuals had their
hands in the air and their shoulders and stomachs above the water
as they eggbeated side-to-side building up endurance. If that
doesn’t seem insane enough, the goalies, senior Joseph
Axelrad and sophomore Will Didinger, had some crazy things to lift.
They had medal rods they placed on the shoulders while treading
water. They even had plastic chairs they had above their heads. But
the most impressive feat was the bench that weighed about 45 pounds
that both Axelrad and Didinger held above the water. After holding
the bench I pulled Axelrad aside and before I could even ask him a
question he wanted to move somewhere else. “Lemme lean on
something,” he breathed in exhaustion. “Yea we’re
tired, but we still have some juice in us,” a heavy-breathing
Axelrad continued. “But, we do stuff like this all the time,
we’re used to holding awkward things above our head.”
Krikorian is also known to strap 15-pound weight belts on players,
have them toss medicine balls in the water, and also tread water
while holding 25 pound weights for intervals of three minutes. This
sort of training has gone on for awhile in the UCLA program, in
fact, Krikorian had to do similar exercises when he was a player
under current U.S. women’s national team coach Guy Baker.
“It’s payback time,” Krikorian said.
“I’m kidding.” I laughed. We both knew he
wasn’t.