Christian McCaffrey explains how he got his viral bulging biceps
The biggest story in the NFL since the draft, at least among those not involving lawyers, might be Christian McCaffrey’s biceps.
Hey, it’s a slow time in the NFL. And, McCaffrey is surprisingly yoked.
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The Carolina Panthers running back was photographed at a workout, and it turned heads.
2️⃣2️⃣ coming for it all 😤 pic.twitter.com/WQRIttO1qQ
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 30, 2019
McCaffrey explained to ESPN’s David Newton the how and why behind his amped-up physique.
Christian McCaffrey has intense routine
McCaffrey and his trainer, Brian Kula, who also coached McCaffrey in track at Valor Christian High School near Denver, said his routine goes from Monday through Friday. He has three intensive training days a week.
Newton wrote the training days start with performance therapy on his body to check for any imbalances. Then a dynamic warmup and activation routine of linear and lateral development. Then McCaffrey hits the weights — we could guess that was part of it, based on the photo — and afterward recovers with massage, chiropractic work and sometimes sessions in the pool or sauna.
McCaffrey isn’t trying to look good at the beach this summer. All of his workouts have a purpose for football.
“Somebody has eyes on me all the time," McCaffrey told ESPN. “My training is very specific to my sport, so it’s a lot of fast, explosive movements. It’s very pertinent to exactly what I do on the football field, which is fast burst in short spaces. Every once in a while, I’ll get in the top end."
McCaffrey worried about speed, not size
McCaffrey said in the story he weighs 211 pounds, which is only six pounds more than he weighed at the combine. While it looked in that picture like he’s trying to add mass, the story said he’s focused on speed.
“To me, speed kills," McCaffrey told ESPN.com. “And the league is changing now, especially at the running back position, to where the faster you are, the more dynamic you are, not only with the ball in your hands, but running routes and being able to break tackles. That all has to do with speed.”
All the workouts also help with durability, which has been a big story this offseason. McCaffrey became a true workhorse back in 2018, logging 326 touches and rarely coming off the field. He told Newton he wants the ball as much as possible again, adding, “That’s why I train.”
McCaffrey was well known coming into the NFL, and was a bonafide star in 2018. He’s already been a star of this offseason, too.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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