For most of the last decade, Andre Drummond has been one of the best big men in the NBA. At nearly 7-feet tall, he’s got the size often needed to dominate the hardwood boards, but it’s his top-level athleticism that makes him such a force on the floor; he routinely is among the league leaders in rebounds.

But for the last two months, he hasn’t grabbed a single rebound—because no one has. Last week, Men’s Health Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S, hopped on an IGLive on the @MensHealthMag channel and checked in with Drummond to see how he’s staying fit throughout the quarantine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And Drummond has a secret weapon that’s keeping him strong: The couch deadlift. He couldn’t demonstrate the move on Men’s Health IGLive—he’d just switched over to a different couch—but it’s not hard to see how the move has value. Drummond stands at the side of his couch, bends his knees and pushes his butt back, and grasps the bottom of the couch. Core tight, he picks up the couch on one side, standing and squeezing his glutes. He keeps the reps high, he says, hey, this isn’t exactly a 500-pound deadlift.

Want more? He says he’s got an Assault Bike next to his bed, and combines the couch deadlift with an 8-9 minute 20-10 workout. “It’s going to keep you really, really busy,” he says.

It’s a solid all-around workout that supercharges his posterior chain, and yes, that helps translate into a bigger, stronger vertical leap. But it’s not the only way you build an impressive vertical, Drummond says. Don’t forget core training: “The stronger your core, the better.” His favorite ab exercise? He’s got an bb wheel, he says, and loves using it—especially at home.

For most of his career, Drummond played for the Detroit Pistons, and during the call with Men’s Health, he was in Michigan. But at the 2020 trade deadline, he was sent to a new team for the first time since his college days at UConn. He was traded to Cleveland, to play alongside Kevin Love on the Cavaliers. Drummond says he was so excited to play with Love—the two have had a relationship for years, and even have the same Agency—that he called the star forward up as soon as he’d heard the news. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” he remembers saying.

Subscribe to Men’s Health

SHOP NOW

Even without NBA games being played—the season is still suspended after Commissioner Adam Silver’s March 11 announcement—Drummond is making sure to still keep his diet as clean as possible, too. He says he eats as “clean” as possible, which includes intermediate fasting (he only eats between 2:00 and 10:00 p.m.), and no red meat at all. “I’m a big boy, so I do have to eat somehow,” he says. “That’s why I have days when I’ll add chicken to my meals. But usually I’m eating fish and plant-based things.”

He also keeps his body extremely hydrated, drinking a gallon and a half of water every day. “I have a water jug with me,” he says. “I carry it around with me—by the time I get to the bottom, I’m already onto my second round.” He tends to use the same water jugs for workouts too. What he does is take 4-5 gallons of water (which typically weigh about 8 pounds each), and tie them together with trash bag handles. These makeshift contraptions are then used for curls.

“I know people are laughing, like that sounds weird,” he adds. “But go ahead and do three sets of 20 and curl with those—I bet your arms will be on fire.”

So the bad news for NBA fans is obvious—there are no games right now. But the good news—especially for Cavaliers fans? That’s clear—Andre Drummond is going to pick up right where he left off, grabbing rebounds and slamming dunks in people’s faces, as soon as the Association picks back up.

Source: Read Full Article