Louisville Basketball: Strength and Conditioning a Stark Contrast Under Chris Mack
Louisville basketball’s new head coach brings a different strategy when it comes to his team’s strength and conditioning.
New Louisville Men’s Basketball coach Chris Mack made some quick changes to the Yum! Center practice facilities upon his arrival to campus.
The weight room, lined with treadmills for years, added more weights, and removed a lot of the cardio machines. New Strength and Conditioning Coach Andy Kettler- who spent the last decade at West Virginia- went to work immediately, and has the Cards already looking like a different team.
Under Rick Pitino, Louisville was one of the most in-shape teams in the country. Pitino was notorious for punishing players during practice by making them hit the treadmills after making even the smallest mistakes. Low body fat measurements were a pre-requisite for playing time, and Pitino’s Cards often outlasted teams in the waning moments of games.
Mack and staff, however, take a completely different approach. The 2018-19 Cards are getting SWOLE.
https://twitter.com/LouisvilleMBB/status/1021168010596237314
I mean, VJ King looks like he ate another VJ King. Ryan McMahon is starting to show definition? Goodness!
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Clearly, the Cards will be taking a different approach to conditioning under Mack- which could be a great change of pace.
The Cards are certainly going to need that added muscle mass in Mack’s system. He preaches toughness, making extra hustle plays, and his defense just flat out does not work unless you rebound and limit second-chance points.
One could argue that Pitino’s methods were a bit excessive at times. The team is going to get their running in on the floor during practices. The same mental discipline that Pitino wanted to achieve by running players could be put into practice in the weight room.
And that is exactly what Mack and Kettler are trying to make happen.
https://twitter.com/LouisvilleMBB/status/1006160089194139649
Darius Scary. Khwan Forearms. VJ King of the weightroom. Ryan McD*mn! We have no shortage of corny nicknames.
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The work that the team is putting in now in the weight room is going to pay dividends throughout the season. Game-deciding plays are often made because of the training regimen put into place in the off-season.
The Cards are ready to flex their muscles in 2018.