For all of our fans who send us questions on our Twitter and Facebook page, this one is for you. Each week we draw on our pool of editors and experts to help you with any questions or challenges you have with your fitness regimen. This week we have some time running back Ray Rice from the Baltimore Ravens. Rice gives us a glimpse into his training routine as a professional football player and Super Bowl champion.
How does training and training differ from one position to another on the field?
"The NFL is all about putting your body in the position you're playing. So if you're a wide receiver, your workout will involve a lot more cardio because you'll be running a lot more.
You know, running backs, a lot of us start with the short burst, the quick twitch. Offensive linemen - a lot of their stuff is short moves, short bursts, quick twitches, trying to get things going.
But overall, no workout can be the same for every position. So everyone has to have something different and I've always trained that way. I've been training in terms of position, not how a group can get in there and do the same thing. I never trained like that.”
What is one of your favorite moves or exercises when you work out? Most disliked?
“One of my favorite workouts is that I started CrossFit. I like the nonstop stuff. One of my favorite workouts is running hills. And I like to do a lot of fast, explosive stuff - like plyo boxing.
As far as lifting weights go, I've always been good at bench press and squats. I do box squats where I go deep and explode up for strength. I do box jumps - all the stuff I need to do really fast.
But my least favorite are squats. It's not fun when you've got 500 pounds on the bar and you have to do it."
What do you think is the key to longevity and being injury free throughout the season?
"Take care of your body. The #1 key is diet. The first thing to start with is diet. You can lift as much as you want, but if you're not giving your body the right nutrition - right fuel - nothing will show up for it.
But staying active is your normal routine. Train harder later in the season. You'll get beat up, but you just need to know how to care for different injuries and stay on top of things while lifting."
Do you have a training partner? And if so, what do you think is the most important quality of a good one?
“My high school coach is actually my training partner.
I'm not the type who likes to whistle and say you have to do this and that. So if you want to be a training partner, you simply have to train with me. And we push each other. He's a younger guy, early 30's, so he's in great shape and we're pushing each other. We try things and if we don't like it, we move on to the next one."
Finally, is there anything you would like to improve on yourself for next season?
"I'm going back to basics. I want to do some speed stuff again. This off-season, I'm working on speed. I know my power is there and I just want to work on the speed again."
