It’s hard not to notice AFL players’ extremely toned physiques. They have some of the most fit looking frames in sport. Just take a look at their bulging biceps and toned torsos as proof.
In a single game they can cover about 15km so you can just imagine what is involved in maintaining their sculpted bodies.
It’s a process AFL star Taylor Adams knows all too well.
“It can be intense — in pre-season you’re doing about 40km of training a week, so it’s a lot,” the Collingwood midfielder told news.com.au
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“You’re burning about 1700 calories in just one (45 minute to one hour) training session.”
While many hope it’s a process that doesn’t involve too much hard work unfortunately there is no easy way to get those sculpted muscles with the boys spending, on average, up to five hours a day perfecting their figures.
“Our gym workouts are a lot more intense and a bit longer; we lift a lot heavier weights, we’re doing a lot of strength-based training,” Adams said.
“Because we focus on power it is important for us to build strength — so our days comprise of a strength-based session first, power phase and then we try to incorporate a functional phase.”
INTENSE TRAINING REGIMEN
Adams is out on the training track about five days a week at 7.30am for two hours before doing a 90-minute weights session.
The sessions involve two leg days a week, with dead lifts, squats and hamstring curls, to two upper body sessions (chest and back).
But it’s not all about the weights.
When Adams was in rehab earlier this year following surgery to resolve a tendon injury, he spent most of his time on a boxing bag.
“We use boxing as our source of cross-training. Pre-season we are doing massive kilometres on the weekend. We do about 15km in one game so a good way to top up your cardio or to work on your fitness is to jump on a boxing bag,” Adam said.
“When I was in rehab I was at 12RND Fitness, training a few times just to sharpen up and my heart rate up to maximum intensity without using my legs.”
The 26-year-old and his best mate and fellow Collingwood player Levi Greenwood went as far as purchasing two 12RND Fitness gyms in Melbourne because of their love of the sport.
“We both love getting involved in something outside of football,” Adams told news.com.au
The pair have had their sights set on co-owning something in the fitness industry for a while now, so when they stumbled across the new boxing concept, Adams said it was a “no-brainer.”
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When asked if it’s the secret behind sculpting his defined arms, he laughed and said, “Yeah, it does that too”.
“There are some similarities between what we do in the gym and what we do at 12RND but the training is quite different in some stages.”
Workouts replicate the physical demands of a 12 round championship bout with 12 x 3-
minute rounds and 30 seconds rest in between.
Each workout includes both boxing and the strength training required to condition athletes to their peak “fighting shape”.
Workouts last for 45 minutes with a new round starting every three minutes, so for Adams it’s a great way to amp his cardio levels, given how much running is involved in one AFL game alone.
‘DIET IS JUST AS IMPORTANT’
During the pre-season, players can also burn up to 3500 calories a day so diet is just as important as fitness.
“In pre-season it’s all about getting in as protein as you can. We’re pretty lucky in the pre-season because you can almost eat as much food as you want because of how much were burning during the day.
“So you have to replace that and even more so because over night your body is trying to recover and it’s using so much energy to do that.”
Players have a full-time dietitian to ensure they’re on track and undergo regular skinfold tests (measuring fat on skin) prior to games.
“I’m pretty particular about my diet. I like foods that make me feel better,” Adams said.
Generally, there’s a lot of protein shakes and supplements involved.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT FOOTY
While the young footy player is at the peak of his career, devoting his life and time to the sport, he is aware how important it is to set himself up for the future.
“I don’t want to rely on the skills we learn in footy, we do learn a lot of great things being involved in high pressure situations, but it’s still different to the real world.
“So for me getting involved in a franchise is the best way I can develop new skills having never done anything like this before.”
Both Adams and Greenwood have their sights set on expanding their franchise with the hopes of opening a third studio in the near future.
“Get yourself into a routine and that’s not just about fitness, it includes your sleeping patterns and what you eat.”
“It can be done year round, it’s not just a ‘Summer thing’.”
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