Victor Wembanyama’s 7’3” frame allows him to dominate both ends of the basketball floor. His towering size alongside top-notch agility can sometimes be too much to handle for opponents. But his size also comes with certain disadvantages. Athletes that big are usually injury-prone as their lower bodies are more vulnerable to the pressure of up-and-down basketball. That is why Wembanyama undergoes specialized training.
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In an interview with the French YouTube show HugoDécrypte – Grands formats, Wemby discussed the adjustments and modifications in his training routine that are catered to reduce injury risks. The 2024 ROTY said that he is still figuring out new training models that can optimize his unique skill set.
“What I’ve learned in the recent months is that I have a different body. I can’t work in the same way, I can’t do what works for normal people on my body. I am really trying to find new ways of working, but while keeping a sort of harmony in the body.”
But at the same time, he doesn’t want to overdo things because he wants to attain a clear understanding of his body first.
“Trying to be gracious because injury prone profiles are the profile where we see that there are some malfunctions. Sometimes too muscular, sometimes not. Too much on the toes, too aerial, not stable enough, lots of things,” he added.
Wemby on how he trains:
"I have a different body, so I can't work in the same way. We see weaknesses in injury-prone players: too muscular, too aerial, not stable enough… I'm trying to find new ways to train while maintaining my body's natural harmony."
Always a step ahead 👽 pic.twitter.com/iEa0Awn4rM
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) August 5, 2024
Wemby has to first find out what kind of build will work for him so that he is able to distribute the pressure taken by his body to avoid getting hurt. For example, if his body gets too muscular then the pressure on his lower body can increase which can pave the way for injuries.
Meanwhile, if he continues to be lean then he can become too fragile.
Therefore, firstly, the 20-year-old wants to find the right balance for his physique which minimizes the risk of injuries but also sustains a high level of competitiveness.
In a nutshell, Wembanyama is identifying training routines that can keep his long-term health as a priority while optimizing his current output in a rigorous NBA schedule. His caution is understandable because there are a lot of 7+ foot players whose careers never took off because they were injured right off the bat.
