Washington Wizards new addition Dwight Howard might have been taken as a joke when he first mentioned the possibility of playing until he's 40 years old during his introductory press conference, but looking at his diet and workout regimen, it's clear he means business.
It wasn't long ago that Howard was hiding a 285-pound body in his Atlanta Hawks jersey, which caused a rather quick exit from his hometown after only one season.
Ed Downs, the founder of the Miami-based ProTERF Training, had seen Howard having the worst statistical playoff series of his career, averaging a mere 8.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as the Hawks took on the Washington Wizards, clearlly outmatched by the older, less athletic Marcin Gortat, who was once his backup.
“I got a 285-pound, 12 ½-percent body fat guy,” said Downs, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “Not good.”
Downs' mission was to elongate Howard's career, not only physically, but intellectually — to make him no longer a big man phased out by the modern era, but one adaptable to it. Downs put him through 100-yard sprints, along with core and flexibility training that will allow him to get rid of his nagging back problems.
“People wanted him to get big and strong, which if you didn’t notice, he already is,” Downs said. “With the way that the game is changing, it’s a lot more fast-paced. You can’t have a 285-pound body out there on a 6-11 frame. It just slowed him down.”
Howard is currently shredded at 265 pounds with 3.3 percent body fat — a much healthier weight, which should still allow him to be the strong presence he has been at the rim.
If he is able to extend his career into his 40s, it would follow the path of other stars like 40-year-old Dirk Nowitzki and 41-year-old Vince Carter, both set for record-tying 21st seasons in the league.
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