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The winning streak for the Golden State Warriors may have started with the legendary ‘signing of the toaster’ incident. However, by the time Warriors beat Cavaliers by 9 points to win their second title in 3 years (and 5th overall), every single basketball lover knew who the most valuable player was! While Kevin Durant aka Durantula went “God-Mode” to have an average of 35. 2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 5.4 assists per game, we made ourselves busy snooping around the secret of his super-human performance and his mesmerizingly fit body! Want to know what keeps KD running? Keep reading.
As a professional basketball player, Kevin Durant’s focus during the workout is essentially on agility and strength with the emphasis on the core as well.
Kevin Durant’s Agility And Core Workout:
At 6’9 and weighing 240 lbs, Kevin Durant is a man-mountain and yet on the basketball court, he’s everywhere. Here are the workouts that give KD his legendary agility.
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Thoracic Spine Extension: This improves mid-back mobility and helps strengthen the shoulder muscles. It also improves the posture, increases the flexibility of chest muscles and helps prevent back and neck injuries. Kevin Durant performs 2 sets of 30 reps each.
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Rotational Med Ball Throws: This exercise helps build the explosive power which allows Kevin Durant to jump higher and run faster. The med ball throw allows for the extension of the ankle, knee and hip. This is done for 3 sets of 8 reps each.
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Split-stance Overhead Core Matrix (forward, rotational and lateral): This helps the NBA star build a stronger core while achieving greater stability on the basketball court. This is done in 2 sets of 8-10 reps each.
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The Secret Behind The Durantula’s Massive Strength:
Apart from the breathtaking moves on the court, Kevin Durant is also known for his massive strength. But this was not always the case. Few people know that once upon a time this star basketball player had struggled while lifting weights. So how did this once lanky basketball prodigy transform into ‘The Durantula’ today? Let’s find out.
Three-Way Med Ball Single Leg Romanian Deadlift: This improves the balance and strength in the leg muscles. This exercise works his hamstrings but also requires an advanced level of balance and control. After all, it’s performed on one leg and is performed in 3 sets of 10 reps each.
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Single Leg Dumbbell-to-Press: This helps engage muscles like the abductors, glutes and quads which help build more balance and development of the lower body. This is done in 3 sets of 8 reps each.
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Basic Overhead Press: This is widely considered to be one of the best exercises for the shoulder muscles. The overhead press helps build the tremendous upper body mass and strength crucial to stealing, blocking, dunking and passing. This is performed in 3 sets of these with 10 reps each.
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Med Ball Multi-planar Lunge On Core Board: This is beneficial in building KD’s leg strength and helps him transition from awkward position to a ready position extremely fast on the basketball court. This is performed in 3 sets of 10 reps each.
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The Fuel For Kevin Durant’s Unstoppable Engine:
Kevin Durant puts a lot of emphasis on his nutrition. And though his career keeps him travelling, KD hardly ever compromises on his diet. While he prefers a balanced diet, the focus is on consuming enough protein.
A pre-game meal of fish and fresh veggies source a key source of energy for the big league basketball player. His post game meal consists of more fulfilling items like steak or chicken with rice along with fresh fruits, oats and flavoured yoghurt.
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Besides the balanced diet, the other most important thing for Kevin Durant is, hydration. This is also where most us fail. Durant’s day begins with the intake of 350ml water within 30 minutes of waking up and continues with regular water breaks throughout the day.
A relentless fitness regime, a balanced diet, regular hydration and an overall disciplined lifestyle work as the crux of Kevin Durant’s success as a professional basketball player. In fact, if all of us can even take a leaf of Kevin Durant’s lifestyle, life would be so much fitter right? We surely think so, what do you think? Let us know by commenting below.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is purely research based and the workouts mentioned in herein are suggested by Gympik’s expert trainer.
Banner Image Source: Sports Illustrated
