shaq starts working out?

[superheadcat]

Saturday, June 14

The Incredible Bulk will work with former Marine

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ESPN.com news sources


LOS ANGELES -- Who's that 355-pound plus man punishing the pedals of that stair climber, trampling that treadmill, buckling that bicycle?

The Mr. Cardio in question might be Shaquille O'Neal, who according to reports is answering his critics by dedicating this summer to getting into prime shape.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, O'Neal has begun the process by hiring a personal trainer for the first time since he became a Laker in 1996. Corey Gilday, a Portland, Ore.-based certified fitness trainer and nutritionist, will move to Orlando, Fla., and on June 16 will begin shaping a summer-long training program designed to make the NBA's premier center stronger, healthier and leaner.
The Old Shaq eyes a snack.


It's O'Neal's way of making good on a promise to Lakers' management to improve his off-season conditioning. Traditionally, O'Neal, 31, has prized his offseasons as a time to relax and heal from a season of physical abuse.

This summer, however, the 11-year-veteran has had more time than he's been accustomed to because he and the Lakers had their three-year championship run ended by the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time in four years, O'Neal was not the league's most dominant player this season, nor was his team the league's best.

"Shaquille is a competitor," Perry Rogers, O'Neal's agent, told the Los Angeles Daily News. "With great athletes, you can't turn them off. And his season ended earlier than he wanted it to."

Gilday was the person selected from an extensive list of candidates considered by Rogers and Mike Parris, O'Neal's business manager. Gilday, regarded as one of the top trainers in the nationwide 24-Hour Fitness chain, was chosen from a field of five finalists, the Daily News reports.

O'Neal met with Gilday, a former Marine, for the first time June 12 in Las Vegas, and the two exchanged ideas.

"He was really excited," Parris said.

What does O'Neal hope to accomplish? Parris said the major goals are: "Weight loss, conditioning, he's going to work on his cardio, his leg strength."

In a June 2 meeting, O'Neal promised coach Phil Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak to dedicate himself to off-season conditioning. In an interview four days later, the Daily News reports, O'Neal dismissed the issue, saying, "I think the only training I need is players that know their role and players that will give me the (bleeping) ball."

But the Lakers are hoping O'Neal comment was mostly bravado and that his true intent is to be in the best physical shape. O'Neal was roundly criticized for delaying his toe surgery last summer and for failing to keep himself in prime condition.

"All our guys know that when you lose there's going to be a lot of finger-pointing and a lot of blame, and he has gotten perhaps more than his fair share," Kupchak told the Daily News. "But that's the nature of who he is and what he represents. And some of it, he brought about himself.

"When that happens, everybody accepts the blame, and the only thing to do is look in the mirror and say, 'What do I have to do this summer? What's in my control, and what's my job?' And then we all have to go back and do that. And that applies to our players and our coaches and myself."

O'Neal wants to become stronger and is seeking to drop to any specific weight, his agents say.

"I think in general terms Shaquille would say yes, I want to get leaner and meaner, but not lean and mean," Rogers said.


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[Mandyahl]

i think i liked it better when shaq didn't care and came back out of shape

[Drbio]

Shaq will not likely get any better than he was this season. It's good for him personally though to slim it up. He could lose a couple of backstreet boys in weight and still be the biggest lardass in the league though.

[Fidel]

Shaq will not likely get any better than he was this season.

I disagree. If he gets into real good shape he will be better IMO. At least defensively it should help him as he wasn´t up to his old standards this year on the defensive end. In general it´s a scary thought to think of a slimmer, more agile Shaq. Kobe will work on his game too. I think the Lakers will make a major push towards another title next year.

[Chicago JK]

Originally posted by: Fidel

I disagree. If he gets into real good shape he will be better IMO. At least defensively it should help him as he wasn´t up to his old standards this year on the defensive end.

I agree Fidel. I fear that this might have been the year to beat the Lakers. If Shaq shows some committment, then he is still the best player in the league. Plus I think the Lakers fo have severly let down shaq and Kobe last year. I doubt the likes of Brian Shaw, Madson or Samaki Walker are on the floor at the end of the game. I think they will be aggressive this offseason. Hopefully Kupchek will prove to inept again this offseason. If not, I think the Lakers are the team to beat next year.

[DNNF]

this is not a good news for the Western Conference teams. Mavs gotta do something since every Western Premier teams will get better next year.

[MavKikiNYC]

I'd be more concerned if reports were telling about what Shaq HAD ALREADY DONE. He has been a great, dominant player, backed by another great, dominant player (Kobe); but Shaq has never shown much discipline at all, and the extent to which he has improved his game is up for debate. Packing on 35 pounds in the off-season is not quite the same as developing a jump hook, and up-and-under move or even improving one's FT shooting, for example.

If he weren't already overweight, Shaq would probably find it difficult to maintain his bodyweight as he moved through his 30s. He's ALREADY at least 50-60 pounds overweight, just as he's getting to the point where weight control is likely going to become more of an issue for him, plus he has the toe injury which may affect his ability to reduce his weight.

Jackson has reportedly recommended to him in the past that he shoot for 300-310, and he's shown up at 335 and ballooned to 350-360 during the season. I'll believe that Shaq is serious about conditioning and getting his weight back under control when he shows up to the start of the Lakers camp at a reasonable weight.

The other thread that gave the article where Shaq was badmouthing his teammates is somewhat telling, I think. O'Neal is too proud to take responsibility for the Lakers' falloff this year; he'd much rather point the finger and say that other guys weren't good enough. What I see, is that his teammates, who were plenty good enough to SUPPORT O'Neal in past years, weren't able to pick up his slack. He didn't play up to his past performances, and his teammates just weren't good enough to make up the difference. But the bottom line is that it was SHAQ'S PERFORMANCE that showed the biggest dropoff, and he's not willing to admit that, take responsibility for it. Maybe this big deal about his hiring a personal trainer for the first time will amount to something. But until he gets back to camp, it's all just talk.