Rebuilding the Perfect Body

It’s Monday morning and everybody’s moaning and groaning for no particular reason. Me too, although not as much anymore--not after interviewing football player Ken Norton Jr. If anyone should be moaning on Monday, it’s Norton, linebacker for the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers.

“Monday, that’s the hardest day because you’re pretty sore, especially if you played a real bruiser-type game the day before. I’m going up against 300- to 400-pound guys,”--he’s 6 feet, 2 inches and 241 pounds--”running full speed into them and then trying to tackle the running back.”

After breaking his body down on Sunday, Norton, 31, starts building it up again first thing Monday, something he learned from his dad, former heavyweight champ Ken Norton Sr. The food part’s a cinch--in the mornings, fruit, and then carbo-loading and lots of chicken.

Question: Let’s say it’s Monday, the day after the game. Now what?

Answer: First thing is the hot tub because my muscles are sore. Then about two hours of total body workout--upper and lower body. That includes squat, bench, and I work everything by lifting the weights but not heavy, an intermediate way that is not overbearing but at the same time gives me a good workout.

Q: Then you’re done?

A: Then we’ll have meetings and review the Sunday game for about three hours, then go out and run sprints 30 to 45 minutes--50 yards about 14 times to keep your wind up. Then, Tuesday is complete rest. I try to get away from football, just get away from the working-out situation.

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Q: What helps you get away from the job?

A: I like to go to the movies, maybe read a good book, spend time with the kids [he and wife Angela have three children] or maybe go talk to an elementary school or a junior high school--just get away from any type of sweating.

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Q: When do you have to get back to it?

A: Wednesday, and I’ll break it down to the upper body with weights and, again, running sprints. Not as many--maybe about 10 50-yard sprints for about two hours. On Wednesday we have practice as well. We’ll go out and run through plays for 2 1/2 to three hours. And in between the workouts is a lot of film study.

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Q: Your day’s longer than I realized.

A: Yeah. My day goes from 7:30 to about 5. I think a lot of people who aren’t in football think we just show up on Sunday.

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Q: Well, you grew up watching your dad so you’ve always known how much it takes.

A: Right. He’d wake up early in the morning and go do his work and come back sweating, and I didn’t realize at the time but it was conditioning me--oh, it’s morning time, Dad’s running, it’s time to go out and work. So, for me, working out has always been a part of my life.

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Q: Psychologically you were prepared for a lot of physical exertion.

A: Right, psychologically it just comes naturally for me. If I’m not doing that now then I think I’m missing something. I mean, something’s not right.

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Q: What do you mean?

A: When I’m out running, I’m more relaxed. I’m happier when I’m just out in the open running. I’m more at peace with myself when I’m out running. I mean, I’m doing a lot of thinking. When I’m sweating it’s like, OK, life is good.

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Q: OK, we’re up to Thursday now.

A: So Thursday we’re doing the legs but with very light weights. You want your legs to be fresh and snappy by Sunday so you don’t want to do any heavy work. Then you go four or five hours in the classroom conditioning the mind, understanding our schemes and their schemes, and then back on the field for two hours going through what we did in the classroom and about five sprints.

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Q: The pace is lightening up.

A: As the week goes by, you lighten up so by the time Sunday comes you’re crisp and you’re sharp. So on Friday, practice time is shorter, your workout is extremely short. Friday’s a real crisp day. Want to get off your feet, want to get your feet up and just relax. Then Saturday is a relax day and a test day--a lot of sleep, a lot of watching TV, watching movies and some last-minute film study to prepare yourself for the game on Sunday.

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Q: Can you at least enjoy some popcorn while you’re watching TV?

A: Oh, yeah. As long as it’s low-fat.

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Guest Workout runs Mondays in Health.