Shapiro’s Mailbag: July 31, 2008

Kings strength and conditioning coach Daniel Shapiro is responsible for designing and implementing the team’s in-season and off-season strength and conditioning programs while working closely with the training staff and doctors to monitor player nutritional needs and injury rehabilitation. During the off-season, Shapiro will answer questions pertaining to players’ training regimens, eating habits and any other questions Kings fans may have regarding strength, conditioning and nutrition.

To have your question considered, please submit it to online@arcoarena.com. In addition, the e-mail must contain “ATTN: Shapiro Mailbag” in the Subject line

Daniel, what are the three best plyometric exercises when trying to increase one’s vertical jump for basketball? The exercises you know must be included for someone who is serious. Thanks, Gary

Shapiro: ”Thanks for the question Gary. Plyometric exercises are designed to increase all types of power, explosive and jumping movements — vertical, horizontal, lateral, multi-planar, first-step, etc. One could be working on horizontal plyometric exercises and it can still benefit one’s vertical power. I say this because I believe it’s important to train with a multi-planar approach to plyometric training. One shouldn’t only work on vertical jumping. Lateral, horizontal and multi-planar loading and repetitions are essential in basketball. However, to answer your question, ‘What are my top three plyometric exercises for vertical jump training?’ It’s a tough question because I like so many. But, the easiest exercises I can advise that aren’t extremely intense are: Double-Leg Squats Jumps (with or without the resistance of a medicine ball or bungees), Single-Leg Medicine Ball Box Jumps (jumping off one leg and landing with that leg on an elevated box while holding a medicine ball as if it were a basketball you were about to lay up or dunk) and Medicine Ball Backboard/Rim Touches (repetitive jumping with the resistance of a medicine ball while keeping the ball above the head and touching the rim/backboard on each jump). Again, when doing these exercises, the resistance, reps and sets should be determined by a professional trainer. Good luck with your hops!”

Daniel, I am a 15-year-old that is looking to increase my agility and upper body strength in order to be a better player at the varsity level. If you have any insight into how I can increase my agility and strength, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Nick

Shapiro: ”Thanks for the question Nick, and I commend you for wanting to put in the extra work to be a better player. This is a very tough question to answer because at 15, without knowing anything about you, it’s unlikely you’ve had much agility or strength training. If this is the case, the word I want you to remember is CONSISTENCY. At your age, you can achieve great increases in agility and upper body strength with a periodized agility and strength program recommended by a certified trainer. To start on your own, I’d begin with doing agilities twice weekly and weight-training 2-to-3 days per week. I advise you have one of your high school basketball coaches or strength and conditioning coaches help you with this, and make sure to grab a teammate or two to get better with you! Best of luck in the upcoming basketball season, Nick.”

Hello Daniel, I figure you’d be the perfect person to ask because of my build. I’m 6-foot-4, 220 lbs with long arms. I’ve been training for almost 20 years, yet chest results come real slow. I’ve tried many different routines over the years — super, giant, tri setting as well as varying reps, sets and weights. Although I’m sure some of it’s genetic, I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks, Robert

Shapiro: ”Hello Robert. It sounds like genetics definitely have something to do with your slow results, especially since you’ve been trying different training regimens over the years. However, there are three areas that people often overlook that effect results. First, NUTRITION – your energy levels can definitely be a source for not achieving your goals due to your body’s inability to recover and replenish appropriately, and/or not giving your body the right fuel in pre-workout or post-workout meals. I’ve seen nutrition changes completely improve one’s results. Secondly, REST — make sure you’re giving your body the proper rest between sets, specific muscle groups and training cycles. Overtraining is very common, but it can be easily avoided by maintaining the proper rest in your program. A third possible hole in your program could be the attention you’re giving your SECONDARY/STABLIZING MUSCLES. Especially when it comes to building your chest, upper back, shoulder and triceps strength/stability/range of motion can be limiting factors in your ability to gain results in your chest. Without knowing specifics of your situation, I hope this is helpful. Good luck Robert.”

Hey Daniel, I am a high school girl, and I really want to increase my strength before next basketball season. I am about 5-foot-8, 130 lbs, and not very strong. I live in a very small community with only two gyms and personal trainers are not available. So if you have any recommendations on exercise or cardio programs, it would be helpful. Thank you very much, Meghan

Shapiro: ”Hello Meghan. I really wish I could help you design all your cardio and strength programs since you don’t have access to personal trainers. However, I advise you use the resources you do have — other athletes who are active in the weight room, athletic coaches and your local library. There are numerous books you can find in the library or online — human kinetics has many great resources in this field — that can help you get started. To increase your strength, I recommend you begin with body-weight exercises. Get a feel for controlling your own body weight before moving on to free-weights. These exercises include push-ups, bench dips, body-weight lunges and step-ups, pull-ups/chin-ups/horizontal bar pulls and abdominal/core exercises. Your cardiovascular training depends on your current condition and what part of the season or offseason you’re in. Again, take the time to talk to coaches or find material online. I know many very qualified strength and conditioning coaches as well as basketball coaches that have written books and made videos to help young people like you. Good luck Meghan!”

Daniel, is it possible the new hardwood floor at ARCO Arena has contributed to more serious injuries to the players? Specifically, the bone chips in the elbows of Brad Miller and Ron Artest, torn ligaments in the thumbs of Mike Bibby and Ron Artest, knee twists and ankle bruises? Is the wood floor too hard? Thank you, Anne and Jack

Shapiro: ”Thanks for your question and concern for our Kings players, Anne and Jack. I can assure you, the floor is in no way related to the injuries some of our players have had. Injuries are part of the sport. Brad and Ron’s injuries were the result of wear and tear that affects many NBA players. The amount of banging and hits the players take from one another on a nightly basis can cause an array of small and large injuries. Our training and strength and conditioning staff spend much of its day working with the players as well as keeping up with the science and training programs necessary to try and prevent the severity of these common basketball injuries. Thanks again for your concern, and feel confident that our players are playing on the absolute best basketball court at ARCO Arena!” The information in this website is presented for the purpose of educating people on fitness and related training issues and topics. It is not a substitute for any advice given to you by your doctor or other qualified health care provider. Each person is unique and not all exercise is suitable for everyone. To reduce the risk of injury consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider before performing any of the exercises or training regimens on this website. Discontinue any exercise that causes you pain or severe discomfort and immediately consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider.  If you use any of the information provided on this website, you do so at your own risk, and you acknowledge that. if you are injured or property is damaged as a result of your use of this information, you voluntarily waive, release and forever discharge, and have no right to make a claim or file a lawsuit against, the Sacramento Kings, Limited Partnerships, the NBA and any of its affiliates, directors, officers, or employees for any such injuries, including death, or damage to property.

Women in Sports

Just short of a week after watching the sports world’s most talented and achieved athletes walk the red carpet at the 16th Annual ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, one thing has really stuck in my mind! Female athletes are bursting into a male-dominated world with no intention of looking back.

Sports had been a male-dominated category until about 20 years ago, when the famous Title IX became effective. Because of Title IX, female college athletes were given the chance to have equal opportunity in sports. Twenty-six years later, as I stood on the red carpet, I see how far women have come.

Going down the list of nominees and categories, there were 38 female nominees. That number is impressive in and of itself. But, if you take into consideration that Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa were nominated with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for Best GOLFER, and not best FEMALE GOLFER, as well as Kelly Pavlik and Holly Holm being two of the five nominees for Best Fighter, you see that women are knocking down the door of “men’s” sports, demanding and being shown great respect.

It’s one thing to have female award categories, such as Best WNBA Player or Best Female Tennis Player, but to have women infiltrating what is a “man’s” sport is quite telling.

You have Venus Williams, who has become one of the most recognizable professional female athletes, nominated with Josh Beckett, Rafael Nadal and Tiger Woods for Best Championship Moment! Best CHAMPIONSHIP Moment!! The fact that men all over the world can sit down in front of their big screens and be in utter awe of a female’s performance on her given field/court, while not muttering to themselves that they — average Joe Blow holding a beer and eating nachos — could NOT beat that woman, is absolutely amazing!

Danica Patrick finally won an Indy-car event! She has more than made huge strides in racing, because of the history of women in sports. Winning “that” event is not enough. Why? Because you have the ill-advised people of the world saying it’s not quite good enough, because that particular race was in Japan. As if winning an Indy race means more if it’s done on American soil. It is nothing but our society showing how much it has to learn with regards to accepting that women aren’t just meant to cheer at a man’s sporting event, they can lace up their shoes with the best of them and compete.

So standing on the red carpet and watching women being honored was quite a moment for me. Of course hearing the reporter from some sports talk radio outlet in Los Angeles, who was located next to me, ask the four representatives from our U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team if they had positions in volleyball, brought me back to reality.

We’ve come a long way ladies, but we’ve also just scratched the surface.

Countdown to the Red Carpet

Check out the photo gallery.

Watch:  Kayte at the ESPYS

12:00 pm - The process begins. First up, hair. Did the run-through on Sunday but no telling whether the “hair Gods” are with me today! 

12:30 pm - Hair Gods definitely taking a day off…

1:00 pm - Lots of teasing and hair spray later… hair finished. Not pleased. Had to go with hair style #2. Now moving on to make-up. Knock at the door… Brian the camera man on the trip with me to film me doing my make-up. Thank goodness he wasn’t there for the hair… there would have been a lot of bleeps!!

1:30 pm - All sun-screened up, put on make-up with a putty knife (or at least it felt like it) now I’m ready to suit up!

1:45 pm - Downstairs hailing a cab. Feels like it’s 100 degrees outside and I’m in a silk dress!!

2:00 pm - Arrive at Nokia Theater. The madness begins. Press check-in and finding our spot on the red carpet should be simple but everyone we ask directs us to a different spot.

3:00 pm - Filming my opening remarks on the red carpet just as the audience is being escorted into the bleachers… right by where I’m standing! Saying my own name has never been harder!

3:45 pm - Standing in the sun in my designated spot! The red carpet is “supposed” to open now. The waiting begins!

4:00 pm - Technical difficulties! All the wireless mics are interfering with our frequency. Brian quickly attempts to fix the problem and Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills, who is receiving the Jimmy V Award for perseverance for his miraculous recovery after a spinal cord injury that left him unable to move from the neck down, walks by.

4:10 pm - First interview is George “The Iceman” Gervin! He likes that he can look me in the eye!! We chat about the ability sports has to bring people from all walks of life together.

4:39 pm - It’s amazingly difficult to determine who each athlete is out of uniform! Luckily Al Harris of the Green Bay Packers is easy to spot with his signature hair-do. We chat momentarily about what if feels like to have the A-listers from the entertainment world be there to support the success of athletes!

4:45 pm - I hear Big Mike introduce Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns when he enters the red carpet. Can’t wait for him to come by so I can catch up with him!!

5:15 pm - Doug Williams, a comedian from Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up drops by with his wife. They’re not only excited to be at the ESPYs but to be out on a date night!!! They have two kids at home!!

5:17 pm - Sal Masekela, ESPN X Games host and host of E’s Daily 10 asks what position I play! I asked him if it was that obvious!!!

5:23 pm - Jerry Rice shares his love of his die-hard Sacramento fans!! Obviously enjoying himself making the rounds on the red carpet!

5:34 pm - Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers stops by to grace me with his presence! Looks snazzy in his suit and aviators! Very distracting to interview someone with sun glasses because you’re trying to look the guy in the eye but all you see is your own reflection!!

5:35 pm - Kristen Bell (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), Kate Walsh (ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”) and Adriana Lima (model) are quickly escorted down the red carpet disappointing a lot a of media outlets! They’re being rushed inside because they are all presenters. I only wish I had a few spare sandwiches in my bag… they all look hungry!!

5:40 pm - Big Mike announces Brett Farve!

5:41 pm - Brett Farve exits the red carpet and walks through the doors of Nokia Theater! Can’t imagine why he was in such a rush!!!

5:50 pm - Show supposed to start in 10 minutes and Steve Nash finally turns the corner and is heading my way! He has spent over an hour doing interviews… and a PR guy snatches him up and rushes him through the door turning down any more interviews. Steve is presenting the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to 1968 Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith along with Venus Williams and Samuel L. Jackson who was also rushed through the door a few minutes before Steve.

6:10 pm - Always fashionably late… the Becks (David and Victoria Beckham) walk down the red carpet. Posh, as always, gives her smile-less pose to photogs!!

6:30 pm - Standing on the corner outside Nokia theater hailing a cab. My feet are SCREAMING at me and all I want to do is put on my jeans and flip flops! My first ESPYs red carpet experience is officially over! I’m exhausted.

Los Angeles: Here I come!

Okay Kings fans, you’re hearing it now. I am not just sitting next to my handsome HPL partners at ARCO Arena. I am here in Los Angeles gearing up for working the red carpet at the ESPYs! Yes, you read that correctly! The ESPYs! 

I will be talking to celebrities and sports stars from all over the world and that means one thing… I need a dress just as special as the event itself! However, being 6′3″ and anything but rail thin, finding a red carpet-appropriate dress wasn’t going to be an easy task.

So I put my faith (and my measurements) in the hands of some very special people to make it happen!

Months ago I saw a picture of Katherine Heigl of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “27 Dresses” in a magazine and cut it out because the dress was so gorgeous. Who knew that picture would come in handy later on? Knowing what dress I wanted and finding one that fits are two different things. So we had one option… have it made!

Stephanie Cumberland, the stylist who works with our HPL crew, knew just who to go to. With less than two weeks before the actual event, Stephanie and I crossed our fingers and walked into a bridal store on J Street to see if the owner/designer Josh Djasari could come to our rescue!

I showed him the picture and he knew right away who designed the dress in the picture! I practically kissed him when he said he could make it for half the cost of the original Reem Acra dress and have it ready on July 10th, a shocking seven days later!

Leaving Josh with my measurements we headed just two doors down to a shoe store that advertises it can get shoes from a size 4-13! We were about to put it to the ultimate test. After sifting through pictures of about a hundred shoes we found the perfect shoe for the perfect dress… and yes, they could get it in a size 11!

Everything was falling into place! But the dress and the shoes are only half the battle. I am responsible for doing hair and make-up for the event. I started having nightmares of being on the red carpet looking like a child who just played in their Mama’s make-up. But yet again, Stephanie came to my rescue!

Sunday afternoon we had a “walk-thru,” “test drive,” “dry run”… whatever you want to call it! Just like my playing days… I needed practice! Stephanie, who is also a make-up artist, did one side of my face, explaining every technique and product along the way and then turned me loose on the other side. There was a lot of make-up remover and do-overs, but I finally got it down… at least to the point I didn’t look like a clown.

The whole process completed, sitting here in my hotel in downtown Los Angeles… the only thing that can top this whole experience is interviewing the host of this year’s ESPYs… Justin Timberlake!!! I wonder if he’s looking for a Senorita?!

When the Dream Becomes Reality

As a kid I always dreamt of playing in the NBA and imagined what it would feel like to have my name called in the Draft. Those dreams have since passed, but I still wonder what the actual feeling of being drafted feels like compared to how it’s imagined. To solve my wonderment, I asked the newest Kings player if he could compare fantasy to reality. Also, I am always intrigued by players’ reasoning for picking their jersey number, so I asked the draftee to give Kings.com the scoop on his new digits.

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Jason Thompson

You wore 1 at Rider, how did you decide on 34 as your Kings jersey number?
“I usually have a meaning for the number I have, so my high school number was 33 and my college number was 1. Now (I have 34). I had to think of something. I (chose it) at the last minute and it was hard for me to think of because every number I was saying was either retired or taken. (Laughs.) It’s alright though, it feels good.”

What’s the contrast between how you dreamt it would feel to be drafted and the actual feeling of being drafted?
“I think I had it planned out a couple days in advance of how I would react, but it didn’t even work out like that. I just wanted to scream and go out into the neighborhood but my heart was beating so fast and then it stopped immediately (when my name was announced). I shed a few tears and started screaming in the house and then went outside to get some air and the whole neighborhood was a stampede and came to the house, even people I had never seen before. It’s good and it means I have a lot of support. And it showed all the hard work I have been putting in has paid off.”

Now that you’re in Sacramento at your first NBA press conference, what does it feel like?
“I couldn’t imagine it would be this good and feel this good. I feel like it still hasn’t even hit me, yet. It has to hit me sooner or later. I’m just excited to have this start and have some time off (this week), but not too much. I’ll be working out at home just to get ready going into Summer League.”

You’ve compared your game to a combination of Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. Can you elaborate on that?
“I watched their games real closely. With KG, I just love his energy and the leadership he brings to the team. Even before he won a championship, that’s the same effort I would give. He brings the ball up sometimes. He shoots the ball from the outside on a consistent basis, especially this year with his midrange game. When he dunks the ball, he’s screaming and saying certain things that I know, but I hope the media doesn’t say out loud. (Laughs.) And then Sheed is a Philly guy from the same area (as me). Some games he’s 6-for-6 from three. He’s so consistent with that. And I try to say not the attitude part, just his game and what he brings to the table.”

What NBA player are you looking forward to playing against most?
“I haven’t really thought about it like that. Pretty much everyone right now, but we’ll have to see. Maybe the guys I look up to will be my favorite guys to play against.”

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