@Jim_Eichenhofer
It’s apparently not enough that Anthony Davis is honing his three-point shot this summer.
He’s Hulking up as well.
Per Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com (h/t Bleacher Report), Davis, who is listed at 220 pounds, has packed on 12 pounds of muscle this offseason. And Eichenhofer posted the pictures to prove it:
Through diet/lifting, Anthony Davis added 12 pounds this summer, now up to 253: http://t.co/ine0G8FS0j pic.twitter.com/PgronLG9yf
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) August 27, 2015
Well, this is kinda scary, in large part because it means Davis has gained 33 pounds since entering the league.
The 22-year-old is already a superhuman lab experiment, and he hasn’t even reached his prime. The lone knock against him is his durability. He’s missed a good chunk of time through his first three NBA seasons, though that hasn’t stopped him from leaving an indelible, here-I-am-world, eat-your-heart-out mark on the league.
Beefing up could help him with his durability issues, if we can even call them that.
Emphasis on “could.”
Davis will be ferrying around more weight, which could take a toll on his speed and explosion. But he’ll also be more fit to wage basketball warfare against traditional power forwards and burly, lumbering centers. The added muscle will act as extra cushioning for those routine nicks and bruises. At the very least they’ll leave him better equipped to dole out some nicks and bruises of his own.
How has Davis transformed his body in a matter of weeks, you ask?
Without a lengthy commitment to USA Basketball this offseason, Davis has been able to consistently focus on a weight-training routine and modifying his diet. He spent a combined total of eight weeks in Los Angeles and Anguilla working daily with new Pelicans head strength and conditioning coach Jason Sumerlin, who continues to adjust the approach of Davis, a noted pizza lover.
“Our first phase was portion control,” said Sumerlin, taking over for Carlos Daniel, who left to further his education in the training field. “I wanted Anthony to eat more than he does, actually, because that’s the only way to gain weight. You have to get more protein, more calories. He’s never going to cut out pizza, but I finally got him to eat seafood, for the first time ever. He had salmon. He also has a chef now, so he’s become more adventurous when it comes to food and his diet. Changing his diet is a huge thing and probably half the battle.”
The second aspect of Davis’ muscle increase came from spending extensive time in the weight room with Sumerlin, getting on an uninterrupted lifting routine.
“He has been lifting consistently, doing all the small things perfectly and efficiently,” Sumerlin said of Davis’ regimen. “We are more consistent in his lifts and his corrective exercises. He’s lifted a lot more weight – he’s stronger than he’s ever been.”
Eichenhofer also notes that Davis has been able to maintain about 10 percent body fat, thus allowing him to retain his athletic/explosive frame.
Again, this is scary.
Today’s great NBA players take care of their bodies with psychopathic-like commitments (see: LeBron James). Davis, already great, is now traveling down that route. I mean, he has a chef. At the age of 22, he actually has his own chef.
Don’t worry, though. He can afford it.
While his record $145 million extension, which kicks in for 2016-17, looks like a bargain, it’s actually a lot of money.
