16 AMERICANWAY
FEBRUARY 15 2009
H E A L T H
ILLUSTRATIONSBYCHRISPHILPOT
3
Prone Iso-Abs
(2 sets;20 reps)
Begin by lying face downwith your
feet together and forearms on the
floor. Draw your lower abdominal
region inward and squeeze gluteswhile
lifting your entire body off thefloor until you form a straight line from head to toe,
resting on forearms and toes. Hold, then slowly return to startingpositionwhile
keeping your chin tucked.
Train
Like
aPro
ERIKPHILLIPSKNOWS
pain. But as a veteran certified
athletic trainer and strength
coachwith 11 years in theNBA,
healso knows how tomitigate
it. After six seasonswith the
DenverNuggets, the33-year-old
Arizonanativemovedback to
thedesert to takea jobas the
PhoenixSuns’ head strengthand
conditioning coach. In thosefive
years, Phillips and the team’s
all-star training crewhave turned
theSuns intooneof the league’s
toporganizations in terms of
injuryprevention. “Theold-school
waywas to say, ‘Here’s an injury,
what dowedo?’ Nowwe’re
basically trying tofind injuries
before they happen,” saysPhillips,
who, alongwithagroupof
trainerswhohaveworkedwith
topNBA, NFL, andMajor League
Baseball players, recentlyopened
a state-of-the-art training
facilityoutsideofDenver called
SportXcel
.com). Based in the suburbof
Englewood, Colorado, thegym
focuses on three key areas—
stability, strength, andpower
—using stabilization training,
single-leg training (todevelop
everymuscle from theankles
to thehips), and core training.
When traveling, Phillips offers
thesefive easy (andhotel gym-
friendly) exercises thepros use
on the road.
—Michael Slenske
Fit foraPro
Gear favoredbyNBAplayers
ShaquilleO’Neal,
PhoenixSuns
Bodybugg
From$249
TheentireSuns team
SuuntoTeamPodSystemwith
ANTheart-ratebelts
From$4,270 (includesTeamPod,
10comfort belts, software, tripod,
batteries, and soft case)
PaulPierce,
BostonCeltics
Spalding iHoop
$1,299
“Growingup,wealwaysbrought
the radio,pumpedour favorite
music, andplayed for hours,”
remembersPaul Pierce.“Butwith
amusic systemalreadybuilt in—
that’s amazing.”
DerrickRose,
ChicagoBulls
AdidasChicago
BullsOn-Court
LongSleeve
ShootingShirt
$70
JordanFarmar,
LosAngelesLakers
HoopFarmYogaMat
$60
1
Stability-Ball Bridge
(2 sets;20 reps)
Lie on your backwith an appropriate-size stability
ball between your shoulder blades. Bend your
kneeswhile keeping your feet pointed straight
ahead, shoulder-width apart. Draw in your
abdomen, activate buttocks, and lift your pelvis as
far as possiblewithoutmoving your spine. Slowly
return to startingpositionmaintaining spinal
alignment.
2
Stability-Ball Squat
(2 sets;12 reps)
Start by placing a stability ball against
awall behind yourmidback. Under
control, squat downward, keeping your
knees aligned over your second and third
toes. To return, push through your heels,
activate glutes, and stand upright until
hips and knees are straight.
4
Front Step-Up toBalance
(2 sets;12 reps)
Standwith feet shoulder-width apart. Step
upwith the left leg, keeping your foot pointed
straight ahead and knee aligned over second
and third toe. Push through the heel, stand up
straight, andbalance on one leg. Keep your
right leg at 90degrees next to theweight-
bearing leg. Return slowly to start position and
alternate legs.
5
SingleLeg-BalanceReach
(2 sets;20 reps)
Beginwith your right leg slightly bent and hips in a neutral
position by tightening your abs andglutes. Extend the
left leg toward the rear and side at a45-degree angle,
tightening your glute, quad, and calf (triple-extension) in the
process. Stabilize for two seconds fully extended, then bring
your left foot back toward the right foot to neutral.
1.
My laptop— to catch up on e-mails andwatch all the funny videos onYouTube
and IBeatYou.com.
2.
NewYorkCity atMadisonSquareGarden. The arena has so
much history and is an amazingplace to play. Andbeing inNewYork is always fun.
There’s never a dull moment.
3.
TheMandarinOriental inMiami. They’ve always had
the best service, the restaurants are great, and I love the rooms.
—E.R.
1.
My laptop.
2
.
Indiana. I always playwell
there.
3.
My favorite city isMiami, so I’ll say
the Four Seasons inMiami.
BaronDavis
Guard, L.A.Clippers
DevinHarris
Guard,New JerseyNets
WeAsked,
TheyAnswered…
