KAYVON THIBODEAUX ISN’T exactly a prototypical NFL pass rusher. While he’s not small by nearly any other standard—he’s 6’5” and 258 pounds, carrying plenty of muscle primed for explosive movement—he weighs about 20 pounds less than the average defensive end, which is how he functions in his primary role of crashing through offensive lines to sack quarterbacks. What he lacks in bulk, the linebacker has to make up in drive and grit, and more importantly, quickness and skill.
Those first two characteristics won’t be honed in a gym, but Thibodeaux can (and does) train to be more explosive so he can overwhelm the behemoth offensive linemen he faces on his weekly quest to get to the league’s passers. That all starts at his base, the legs, which he needs to be powerful and strong—but also flexible and fluid—to drive his pass rush. We caught up with the second-year New York Giants star at Athletic Gaines in Santa Monica, California, to check out his lower body training routine.
You might notice that heavy weights aren’t the focus of this session. There’s not a barbell in sight, as Thibodeaux uses mostly kettlebells. While he’s is undoubtedly strong—there’s no way he couldn’t be to be successful as an NFL pass rusher—the quality of his movements is a bigger concern. “My main mindset going into this workout is not only having a stronger lower body, but to also transition between workouts and through movements as fluid and as smooth as possible,”Thibodeaux says. “Playing football there’s a lot of weight, and you have to be able to transition that from side to side, up and down, and forward and back.”
Check out his routine below, and if you give it a try, put the same focus into quality of movement.
Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Lower Body Training Workout
The Warmup
Resistance Band Squat
1 set of 10 reps
Squat Position External Rotation
10 reps right, 10 reps left, 10 reps both legs
Banded Hip Lift
10 reps per leg
Resistance Band High Knee
10 reps per leg
The Superset Workout
Perform each superset for 2 to 3 rounds
1A. Kettlebell Swing
8 reps
1B. Kettlebell Sideways Lunge to High-Knee Hold
5 reps each side
2A. Lunge with Core Rotation
5 to 8 reps per side
2B. Power Plate RDL
10 reps per leg
3A. Kettlebell Front Squat
10 reps
Cooldown
Sumo Squat to Good Morning
5 reps
Want more celebrity workout routines? Check out all of our Train Like videos.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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