Dwyane Wade MVP Workout: How Flash’s Core and Speed Drills work Together to Achieve Optimum Explosiveness.

Dwyane “Flash” Wade of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Miami Heat is in the prime of his professional career.  At 28, “D-Wade” already has an impressive list of individual and team accomplishments, including:

NBA All-Star Game MVP, 2010.

• First Team All-NBA; 2009, 2010.
• NBA Scoring Champion, 2008-2009.
• Olympic Gold Medal (and leading scorer), Team USA, 2008.
• NBA All-Star Skills Challenge Champion: 2006, 2007.
• “Sports Illustrated” Sportsman of the Year, 2006.
• NBA Championship and NBA Finals MVP, 2006.
• 6-Time NBA All-Star, 2005-2010.
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004.

No wonder Lebron James left Cleveland to join him (and Chris Bosh) in South Beach…

In his quest for more NBA championships, Olympic gold medals, and better on-court performance, Wade pulls out all the stops.  For example, he enlists the help of Attack Athletics’ founder Tim Grover, best known for training Michael Jordan throughout his Hall of Fame career, every summer to get him into the best shape possible.

Speed Kills, but How?

While basketball players need to optimize several physical skills, speed is always near the top of the list.  Unlike track and field sprinters, who go all out for short distances in straight lines, NBA superstars like Wade must also be agile (i.e. start and stop on a dime, pivot, change directions, backpedal, etc.).

And here’s the thing – strong abdominal muscles are crucial for speed agility.  Dwyane Wade’s abs must immediately activate to accelerate away from the toughest defenders.  Therefore, core training is a must to improve speed.

Similarly, speed training can help you achieve a fantastic “six-pack”.  Speed exercises work your abs, and depending on your training intensity, you can burn off stubborn belly fat to better reveal the real you.

See, training your ab muscles are not all for show, although impressing your peers is a great benefit!

Seen D-Wade lately?

Some Dwyane Wade-style Exercises for Speed and Agility.

Dwyane Wade uses dozens, if not hundreds of core and speed exercises over a full NBA season.  For now, we’ll focus on two classics that work for future athletes, regular folks like us, and NBA All-Stars alike:

1. Core Exercise (Sit-up Routine; 2-3 times per week)

Goal: Strengthening abdominals, hip abductors.

Lying on your back, rest your heels on a wall so that your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor.  Extend arms straight above your head.  Lift torso and touch toes, then rotate to the right and touch both hands to the floor. Now rotate to the left and touch the floor on that side to complete one repetition.  Go for 30 seconds, rest 30-60 seconds, and repeat.  Stop when your current set falls behind the previous set.

Simpler Alternative: Maximize Classic Push-ups and/or Chin-ups within a time limit (e.g. 15 minutes).

2. Speed Exercise: T drill.

Goal: A classic measurement of how well you can change directions while moving at top speed.

On a basketball court (or dirt field), set up markers in the form of a T: 10 yards for the stem and 5 yards out to each side. Start at the base of the T, sprint to the top, side-shuffle 5 yards to the left, side-shuffle 10 yards to the right, side-shuffle 5 yards back to the middle, and then backpedal down the stem.

Simpler Alternative: Rectangle; 10 yards by 5 yards.

Parting Quote from D-Wade.

The NBA rewards controlled explosiveness.  As he faces off against Kobe, Dwight, and others, Dwyane Wade can draw on his speed and core training to outperform and inspire teammates to reach new heights.  He knows the path to greatness is a long one:

“I can’t always go 100 mph, because defenders will get used to my speed…But if I go slow at first, they’ll get caught when I decide to blow by them.”

Source: “Peak Performance: 5 Pillars of Success.”, www.menshealth.com.