Sneakers

Each day Reggie showed up at Elite Athletics, he faced an intense, total-body training session. And nothing made him happier, because he was one step closer to becoming the strong, tackle-breaking back he set out to be. "From the time Reggie started earlier this summer until now, he's made a dramatic improvement," recalls Travelle Gaines, Elite's director of pro athlete development. "He would come in every day, ready for the challenge to get better. And you would see a different person each day. You could see him transforming into the person and athlete he wanted to be. I figured out that any time you take God-given ability and add hard work, you get a player like Reggie Bush—and very rarely does that come around."

Prehab Resistance Series

Before Reggie starts his intense strength training, Gaines works to get his upper-body muscles firing as quickly as possible. These prehab exercises prepare Reggie's chest, upper back, shoulders and traps, so he can tackle the explosive movements to follow. Watch video of Reggie Bush prepping for his weightlifting session.

With light band resistance attached to a stable object behind you, step forward into a staggered position. Hold the handles at your chest so the band has tension. Continuously punch your arms forward and back as fast as possible for the specified duration. Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds.

Make sure your back leg is straight and front leg is slightly bent, similar to a wide receiver's stance. Focus on punching straight out, coming straight back and pressing to full extension.

With light band resistance attached to a stable object in front, step back into an even stance, creating tension in the band. Continuously drive your elbows back and forth for the specified duration. Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds.

Focus on body position - pushing your butt back into a sitting position and keeping your chest up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and row back as fast as possible without allowing your form to deteriorate. Players start to wear out at about 20 seconds. This helps warm up the shoulders and upper back.

With light band resistance in front, step back into even stance. Hold the handles so your arms are straight in front and the band has tension. Keeping your arms straight, bring the handles back and overhead into a V position, then return your arms to the start position. Repeat this movement as fast as possible for the specified duration. Sets/Duration: 2x30 seconds.

Stand straight up and bring your arms straight out. We focus on this region because you see so many shoulder injuries in football. Players need to be strong there because they get hit there so often.

Reggie completes the following four core exercises as a superset, repeating the circuit four times. Not only does this strengthen his core, it is also a great warm-up, according to Gaines. Use a 6-pound medicine ball if you're a beginner, a 10- to 12-pound ball if you're an elite high school or college athlete, and a 12- to 14-pound ball if you're a professional.

Assume the sit-up position, facing your partner with the medicine ball. As your partner throws the ball, catch it and lower into a sit-up. Throw the ball back to your partner halfway up the sit-up motion. Repeat for specified reps. Sets/Reps: 4x15.

This works the overall front of the abs. Dig your heels into the ground, and keep the ball as high above your head as possible. Throw the ball back when you're halfway up in a continuous motion.

Assume the sit-up position, facing your partner with the medicine ball. Catch the ball from your partner's throw. Rotate right, then left, touching the ball to floor on each side. Throw the ball back to your partner in an explosive motion. Repeat for specified reps. Sets/Reps: 4x15.

This focuses on the oblique muscles. I tell Reggie to follow the ball with his eyes to get more of a twist and work more of the oblique muscles. I want him to get full extension when he throws the ball back from his chest to help warm up his upper-body muscles. It is important for a running back like Reggie to have strong obliques because he is always twisting and turning and trying to break tackles.

Assume the sit-up position with your partner to the left. As your partner throws the ball from the side, catch it and rotate right. Touch the ball to the ground. Immediately and explosively throw the ball back to your partner as you rotate left. Repeat for the specified reps, then perform the set on the opposite side. Sets/Reps: 4x10 each side.

This works the obliques and abs. Given how Reggie bends and navigates his body through the field, he needs to be strong in the obliques. Again, he wants to follow the ball with his eyes and catch the ball out front. As soon as the ball touches the ground, he throws it back to me in one explosive movement.

Assume the push-up position with your feet on top of the physioball. Keeping your body stable, roll the physioball toward your hands by driving your knees as high as possible and digging your toes into the ball. Return your legs to a full extension. Repeat in a controlled fashion for the specified reps. Sets/Reps: 4x10.

This hits the bottom half of the abs and also helps Reggie's overall core stability and strength, which gives him a better foundation. You need a phenomenal core to be a great athlete in general. I have Reggie focus on making sure he keeps his body in a stable position while driving his knees as high as possible.

Gaines has Reggie perform the Alternate Dumbbell Incline Press for strength, then supersets it with the Push-Up to Row to work endurance.

Lie with your back on an incline bench, holding the dumbbells with your palms facing each other at your upper chest. Extend both arms toward the ceiling, keeping your palms facing in. Keeping your left arm locked out, lower the right dumbbell to your chest, then punch it toward the ceiling. Then keeping your right arm locked out, lower the left dumbbell to your chest, and punch it toward the ceiling. Repeat sequence for the specified reps. Sets/Reps: 4x10 each arm.

We make sure Reggie keeps his arms turned in a punching motion, because there's never a time in football when your arms should be out wide. You're probably holding if they are out there. You have to be explosive and tight from the armpit and be able to punch straight up. Make sure to keep your arms locked out in close, not wide. This is a great stabilization exercise for upper-body muscles.

Assume the push-up position with light dumbbells in your hands. Perform a push-up, then row with the right arm. Perform a push-up, then row with the left arm. Repeat sequence for the specified reps. Sets/Reps: 4x16 (16 pushups with 8 rows per arm).

Get into a good push-up position with legs spread about shoulder width. When you row, drive your arm up as high as possible and as close to your breastplate as possible. This helps tremendously with core stability, because it gets Reggie into an awkward position where he has to balance himself. On the football field, you are never in a standard position, where your weight is equally balanced.

Set up two cones five yards apart, five yards in front of you. Assume an athletic stance with your partner providing band resistance from behind you. Holding the football in your left hand, explode forward at an angle toward the left cone. Bend at the waist and touch the cone with your right hand. Backpedal with control to your start position. Transfer the ball to your right hand, then explode forward at an angle to right cone. Touch the cone with left hand, then backpedal with control to your start position. Repeat in a continuous fashion for specified duration. Sets/Duration: 4x30 seconds.

We do this with Reggie to get him sprinting forward and really force him to dig because of the resistance. As the resistance increases, he has to pump his arms and legs more violently and concentrate on his form. You don't want so much resistance that it breaks down your form, though. His body is being propelled backwards, so he is forced to squeeze his ab muscles to control his body. It improves body control and helps him learn to deal with resistance, very similar to dragging a defender. This will definitely help him shed off tacklers.