Develop Speed and Power With Ray Rice's Off-Season Beach Workout: Part II

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is one of the toughest guys to tackle in the NFL. His combination of strength and quickness gives him the ability to pound it between the tackles and go up the middle—plus he can bounce it around the outside and get to the edge.

In Part I of Rice's off-season beach workout, New Rochelle High School assistant coach Rich Tassello shared details about the RB's off-season outdoor sprinting routine.

Rice was able to do an upper body and plyometric program in the sand at NYC's Jones Beach—perfect for an athlete on summer vacation who lacks access to his or her normal gym. Tassello says, "We would incorporate Double Leg Hops—plus Tuck and Squat Jumps, and Single-Leg Hops." Rice then did a set of Forward, Lateral and Reverse Hops to simulate the way his body moves through space during a game.

"This was all Ray's hard work," says Tassello. "I didn't reinvent the wheel. I just took what I've learned and liked over the years and put together these workouts." Tassello actually did the program with Rice, side by side. Below is Part II of their beach training:

Ladder Drills

• Select and perform several ladder drills
• Do one set of each all the way through; repeat four times

Sets/Reps: 4x16 drills for 15-20 min.

Push-Up/Sprint Combo

• Do one set of Push-Ups
• Perform a 15-20 yard sprint
• Rest and repeat

Sets/Reps: 4x10-15

Crab Drills

• Walk on hands and feet with stomach toward sand
• Count one full-body movement as a rep

Sets/Reps: 4x10-15

Plyo Hops

• Perform hops forward, backward and laterally

Sets/Reps: 4x10-15

Source:  Rich Tassello
Photo:  lesterslegends.com