‘Steph Curry uses sandbag weights below ribcage to lower heart rate’: Warriors star uses insane diaphragm technique to maintain spectacular conditioning

An ESPN deep-dive article into the wonders of Steph Curry has laid out his workout regimen in great detail, showing why the Warriors star is so lethal.

The most hard-working players in an NBA game, rather surprisingly for casuals, are the spot-up shooters on a team. They have to move around the 3-point arc 2-3 times or more in an average offensive possession. For over 80% of the possessions, a specialist may not even touch the ball.

But the off-ball movement of the shooter causes the defense to contort and adjust in all sorts of tricky forms. If a player goes through a series of screens, he’s likely to get open no matter what the defense does. That is exactly how Steph Curry terrorizes his opponents – his otherworldly conditioning.

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The Warriors star’s training consists of some of the toughest drills in modern sports. ESPN did an article exploring every element of it, and we’re happy to paraphrase it for you.

The secret to how Steph Curry keeps running all game long

The following excerpt from the article in question details one of the many drills Steph engages in:

“Curry’s second wind comes from his ability to rapidly lower his heart rate during short breaks, even in the middle of games. It’s something he trains his body to do. Once he’s out of breath at the end of most workouts, Curry lies on his back. Payne, his trainer, places sandbag weights below his rib cage in order to overload, and train, Curry’s diaphragm.”

“Through conditioning and breathing techniques like this, Curry can often coax his heart rate below 80 during one 90-second timeout. But here, when he goes flat-footed, straightens his back and flops his hands at his side as if to signal, I’m done, I give up, it’s mostly a decoy. And it works.”

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Curry’s constant rotation, relocation and off-ball gimmicks give him the kind of fitness edge almost no other NBA player has. It’s not a surprise that he’s the greatest shooter in history given how hard he works off the ball.