The NFL offseason is a time for players to relax, but it’s also an important period for maintaining and improving their bodies.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has taken this to heart, implementing a weekly training plan that includes some unexpected types of workouts.
“Mondays and Tuesdays I usually work out my upper body and lower body,” Flowers told the US Sun.
He also focuses on eating right and has partnered with MyProtein to help him hit his daily protein target.
“To gain and maintain weight, I usually drink MyProtein vanilla protein shakes and have an acai bowl or a sandwich,” Flowers said.
“After that, I usually run routes or run hills or do something like a run just to stay in shape.”
Flowers found a way to incorporate some unexpected styles of training between strength and conditioning exercises.
One of the secrets to his success on the football field is actually Pilates.
You might not think of an NFL player being over the top when he walks into a Pilates studio, but Flowers said it’s an important part of his training regimen.
“Pilates has made me stronger,” Flowers said.
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“It helps me keep my core strong and continue to be powerful on the field. I’m incorporating that into my training and going from there.”
Flowers said Pilates is a workout she does every week on her days off.
“Every Wednesday. I have Wednesday off, so I do Pilates on Wednesdays,” Flowers said.
Pilates is an exercise that targets the mind-body connection as it requires a lot of control to execute some of the movements.
Pilates sessions include workouts that develop core stability, strength and flexibility, whilst supporting muscle control, posture and breathing.
Pilates training can also incorporate a variety of machines to vary the muscles you target and the intensity of your workout.
The US Sun was invited to join Flowers for a Pilates workout, where she trained on a reformer Pilates machine.
This type of equipment uses a sliding board that is resisted by springs of different strengths. Movements during training on a reformer machine focus on sliding the board using the resistance of the springs.
Training with Zay Flowers
Sports reporter David Scott
I was given the opportunity to train with Zay Flowers in a Pilates session and I underestimated how demanding the training would be.
I had never tried Pilates before, but I didn’t realize it would be so difficult. After an hour with Flowers, I was blown away.
He worked with me and didn’t even break a sweat throughout the session while I was shaking trying to do some of the moves.
“I saw you out there, you were shaking a little bit,” Flowers told me after practice.
“But you’re okay. It’s your first time, so I’ll forgive you.”
By the end of the session, I was screaming in muscles I never knew existed, and now I understand why professional athletes train in Pilates.
My core and legs are extremely sore and I feel like with more sessions I could improve my flexibility.
During the workout, Flowers did moves like squats and lunges, but most of the moves were focused on strengthening her core, with many of the exercises ending with core crunching and twisting movements.
The US Sun caught up with Flowers after about an hour of exercise and asked him how he was feeling.
“I feel good! I feel good,” he said.
The 23-year-old didn’t appear to break a sweat during training.
When asked jokingly if Pilates could help him get into the NFL, Flowers laughed and ended the question.
“I don’t know about that!” he laughed.
“It takes more than a few Pilates sessions to get there.”
