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Conditioning is not "punitive,'' UM Canes coach Golden says; And NCAA hits UCF with sanctions
Just a little more than two days before the Hurricanes take to Greentree Field with Coach Al Golden and company to embark on a new season.
And what a year Golden has been through. He was asked the other day about the things he didn't anticipate a year ago at this time. He got right to some off-the-field issues -- NCAA investigation not included.
"The three things that jump out to me that we have identified as areas that we need to make progress in -- and are making progress -- that I would have never guessed going to the University of Miami,'' he said, "are conditioning, strength and nutrition.''
*He mentioned the combination of those three factors "and what it means to our team in terms of how we execute and how we play, perform in the fourth quarter and don't atrophy as the season evolves.
"I'm just saying in particular that teams that really don't have discipline in terms of their strength and conditioning, that really don't pay the price in the whole off-season, have a hard time staying strong and being as strong in November [as] they are in September -- have a hard time finishing games. There were a lot of opportunities where we did not finish.
"It's my team. It's not a function of the players; It's a function of what we demand and expect.''
Golden said he is using a nutritionist, educating players about what they should eat and drink, and monitoring their body weights -- "holding them accountable [and] creating more competition in the weight room.
"We didn't have a bencher [who could lift] over 400 [pounds] a year ago and now we have three. We didn't have anybody who could do 225 [pounds] 30 times, a year ago. Zero. Now we have 11.''
Golden said the players are holding each other accountable in the weight room and "not treating conditioning as punitive.''
UM running back Mike James, one of the best lifters on the team, pound-for-pound, told me he's in the best shape of his life at about "223, 224 pounds," and went from 375 to 400 on the bench, 500 to 525 in the squat and 310 to 320 in the power clean.
Cornerback Brandon McGee said he improved his squat max from 385 to 415 and is benching 300 now, up from 255.
Conditioning is not "punitive,'' UM Canes coach Golden says; And NCAA hits UCF with sanctions
Just a little more than two days before the Hurricanes take to Greentree Field with Coach Al Golden and company to embark on a new season.
And what a year Golden has been through. He was asked the other day about the things he didn't anticipate a year ago at this time. He got right to some off-the-field issues -- NCAA investigation not included.
"The three things that jump out to me that we have identified as areas that we need to make progress in -- and are making progress -- that I would have never guessed going to the University of Miami,'' he said, "are conditioning, strength and nutrition.''
*He mentioned the combination of those three factors "and what it means to our team in terms of how we execute and how we play, perform in the fourth quarter and don't atrophy as the season evolves.
"I'm just saying in particular that teams that really don't have discipline in terms of their strength and conditioning, that really don't pay the price in the whole off-season, have a hard time staying strong and being as strong in November [as] they are in September -- have a hard time finishing games. There were a lot of opportunities where we did not finish.
"It's my team. It's not a function of the players; It's a function of what we demand and expect.''
Golden said he is using a nutritionist, educating players about what they should eat and drink, and monitoring their body weights -- "holding them accountable [and] creating more competition in the weight room.
"We didn't have a bencher [who could lift] over 400 [pounds] a year ago and now we have three. We didn't have anybody who could do 225 [pounds] 30 times, a year ago. Zero. Now we have 11.''
Golden said the players are holding each other accountable in the weight room and "not treating conditioning as punitive.''
UM running back Mike James, one of the best lifters on the team, pound-for-pound, told me he's in the best shape of his life at about "223, 224 pounds," and went from 375 to 400 on the bench, 500 to 525 in the squat and 310 to 320 in the power clean.
Cornerback Brandon McGee said he improved his squat max from 385 to 415 and is benching 300 now, up from 255.
