This NFL off-season was a challenge for every player in the league, for obvious reasons. The lockout meant exactly that: players were unable to get into their team facilities to train. Some went back to their college alma maters, but Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice went one step further.
Rice trained in his old stomping grounds at New Rochelle High School in New Jersey with one of his former coaches, Rich Tassello, who still coaches the team's young running backs and defensive backs.
Tassello made the most of his limited resources. Rice was repping out with 100-pound dumbbells in the Huguenots' weight room [the heaviest set available], so to make more progress, he hit the beach, spending part of his days sprinting on the sand of New York's Jones Beach.
"Running on the beach is more intense than a flat surface and allows for less impact on your joints," says Tassello. "I highly recommend any athlete who has access to sand to incorporate it. You can apply everything you do on turf or grass to your beach workout."
Tassello was able to formulate a total body program that can be done on sand. Nike Sparq provided Rice with all the equipment he needed, including ladders, a weighted vest, hurdles, parachutes, resistance bands and med balls.
[Check the STACK blog for Part II of Rice's workout, coming later this week.]
Ray Rice's Beach Sprints
Resistance Band Sprints
Distance/Sets: 30 yards x 6-8
Shuttle Runs
Distance/Sets: 100 yards x 8
Coaching Points: Perform a thorough Dynamic Warm-Up beforehand // Allow for adequate recovery between sets // Stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids so cramping isn't an issue
Source: Rich Tassello
Photo: zimbio.com
