He’s been to the All Star game six times, captured a scoring title and won two gold medals as a part of the USA national team. There’s really only one major goal left for Carmelo Anthony: bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to New York City, the place where he was born and calls home today. 

Anthony hopes his work this past off-season will finally get him there. He says, “Every year I feel like it’s a new start for me. That comes from the way I train and my mindset. I feel like it’s a new day. I feel like I’m a rookie again.”

Anthony’s game—and his body—have developed immensely since he was a 19-year-old, 220-pound cornrowed rookie with the Denver Nuggets. He says, “I’ve gotten into great shape and toned up a lot since then. I’ve lost a lot of my baby fat.”

Today, weighing a solid 230 pounds, Melo is a powerful physical presence on the court. He thrives in isolation and relishes contact, which allows him to create space, open the floor and score in a multitude of ways, from backbreaking step-back jumpers to slashing drives to the hoop.

His physical style of play means that Anthony’s body must be strong and durable enough to handle punishment. This past off-season, looking to mix up his workouts, he flew to Los Angeles to do some training on the beach and experiment with different dieting techniques. But his commitment to strength training in the gym was as strong as ever.

Here are some of the moves that helped Melo become a force on the hardwood.

Single-Leg Resistance Band Row to Triceps Push-Down

• Stand on one leg holding a resistance band in front of your chest.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your elbows back to perform a row.
• Push your hands down to straighten your arms, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Return to the start with control.

Sets/Reps: 3×8 each leg

Stability Pad Bicep Curls

• Stand on two stability pads with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing in.
• Bend your elbows to curl the dumbbells to your armpits, keeping your elbows close to your sides as you move.
• Lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
• Repeat for the specified number of reps.

Sets/Reps: 3×12

Dumbbell Push Press

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells at your shoulders.
• Lower into a quarter squat.
• Simultaneously extend your hips, knees and ankles to drive out of the squat position and push the dumbbells overhead.
• Lower the dumbbells to your shoulders to return to starting position.
• Repeat for the specified number of reps.

Sets/Reps: 3×8

Photo: Wikimedia Commons