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Anthony Falsone: Yao Ming Will Become Super Centre

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by pryuen, Mar 20, 2006.

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pryuen Member

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Interesting article/interview from Basketball Pioneer with Anthony Falsone on how he transformed Yao Ming in the past 4 years to become the current Super Centre !!!

Hope you guys enjoy this !!! More than 180 minutes of translation work!!!

http://sports.sina.com.cn/k/2006-03-20/11332113041.shtml

Ever since Yao Ming joined the Houston Rockets, Anthony Falsone started to train Yao Ming's physical strength (and conditioning). And since becoming Yao Ming's personal trainer, Falsone could just concentrate his full energy to train Yao Ming. Under his supervision, Yao Ming's muscle just became thicker and thicker. The strong Yao Ming we have now is "sculpted" bit by bit in the gymnasium by Falsone.

Falsone looks like a smaller size Andre Agassi. When he is free, he likes to ride a motorcycle, just strolling aimlessly around the city; if not riding his motorcycle, he will drive his Ford truck, and just step on the accelerator, speeding on the road. He is very bad tempered even though he is already 30 something. The reason why he lost his job with the Rockets was that he quarrelled and punched a working staff on his face towards the end of the previous season. With this punch, he has to say goodbye to the Rockets where he has worked for over 10 years. He was then with Yao Ming ever since.

Destiny sort of brought together Falsone and Yao Ming. In the same year that Jeff Van Gundy joined the Rockets, Falsone was sent over to China with the excuse that he was to look after Yao Ming and help him in his restoration. But the only thing Falsone did was to hand deliver 3 letters from the new coaching team to Yao Ming over a dining table in China. Ever since then, whenever Yao Ming went back to China, he would bring Falsone along with him. And at the end of Yao Ming 3rd NBA season, Falsone not only trained Yao Ming on strength and conditioning, but also the entire Chinese national team.

Falsone was once Evander Holyfield's trainer. He was also the personal trainer for Hakeem Olajuwon. Now added to his client list, another great athlete.....Yao Ming. He took pride in his own job and said: "Currently Yao Ming is very strong, much stronger than what you can imagine."

Basketball Pioneer: Just very recently, Yao Ming's performance on court had been extremely splendid. I knew he trained continuously with you. Can you tell us has your training anything to do with his current performance ?

Falsone: Of course I would like to claim all the credits to myself, but the fact was a lot of the merits should go to Yao Ming himself. He is the most hardworking athlete I've ever worked with; This season, I can obviously feel that desire in him, the desire to ever improve. I was just one of the success factors. Everyone including Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Thibodeau, Patrick Ewing has their merits in his progress.

Basketball Pioneer: Then what have you done to Yao Ming in his progress ?

Falsone: In fact I was with him ever since he joined NBA. I thought I said this before; if Yao Ming has to adapt to NBA, he has to undergo on his own a significant change, both mentally and physically; and the latter is more important. He must further develop his body. Now 4 years has gone, and he has been doing great.

This is particularly so when I became his personal trainer; I can concentrate and work on him alone. I can watch and monitor the small changes in him, modify my plan and to help him keep improving. Believe me, those were just minor modifications; the master scheme was drafted already 4 years ago upon his arrival. It was only after 4 years that his accumulated hard work and efforts started to bear fruits (results).

Basketball Pioneer: So what was your focus ?? Have you drafted up some specialized training focusing on certain of his weaknesses ?

Falsone: The focus of the training is ever revolving; when Yao Ming first arrived onto the scene, my duty was simple: just increase his muscle and make him stronger. He has never had that kind of training in China. Therefore he needed to increase his physical strength to be able to play and survive in NBA. At that time his training was omni-directional: lower limb, upper limb, his whole body needs to be reshaped, and particularly the upper limb.

Then our focus has then shifted from agility, physical strength to body control. At the moment, our focus is on his footwork and speed of lateral movement. As far as Yao Ming is concerned, it is not as simple as just put on as much weight as possible. During a playing season, 305 pounds would be his optimal weight. If he is too heavy, it will affect his lateral movement in the interior/down at the low post, and will limit his performance.

Basketball Pioneer: Then how do you train him in his footwork ??

Falsone: Our goal is not to let his body weight fluctuate in a big way. You need not sacrifice weights to become much stronger. As to how I train his footwork such that he can move quicker in the interior, that is a secret, and I don't want the whole world to know about it. I can only tell you this, during this past summer, I let him do alot directional transition, to enhance his agility and reaction.

This season, (you should have seen) alot of changes in Yao Ming's footwork, particularly after his toe surgery. In fact, if Yao Ming had not injured his toe, the effect could be more obvious. Because of the surgery, we were forced to suspend the training, and to resume it after his recovery. That surgery had halted the progress of my training. But just wait and see, Yao Ming will be much better in his lateral movement, agility and body control/balance.

Basketball Pioneer: So what will be your training focus from now to the summer ?

Falsone: First and topmost, I will help him to maintain his physical strength. Now he is already strong enough, regardless of upper or lower limbs. Next, our focus will turn to train him on his durability, such that he can play longer minutes on the court, and his efficiency won't be affected by getting easily tired.

Basketball Pioneer: How can you train his durability to be better ??

Falsone: Well then it needs Yao Ming to persist in high-intensity competition. In the past seasons, his play minutes was continuously increasing. For this summer, we must also do the same, and let him persist in high-intensity competition. By doing so, his durability will achieve a new altitude. I thought Jeff Van Gundy has his merits in this area too. Soon after this season started, Tracy McGrady was out with injury. In alot of the games that were obviously lost already, JVG just let Yao Ming continue to play (instead of resting him). It was because JVG knew that enhancement in durability need a process and only through such process that Yao Ming could adapt (and improve his durability) in many games to be followed.

Basketball Pioneer: How long can Yao Ming now sustain in every game ??

Falsone: I think he can sustain at 40 to 41 minutes. He may look exhausted, but he can still contribute on court. As we all know in Van Gundy's systems, Yao Ming is supposed to move and run all the time. Therefore he could easily get tired, but he can make it, and that is what we must do (to enhance his durability).

Basketball Pioneer: It was so obvious that Yao Ming is much much stronger than before. When compared to other centres, actually how strong is he now ??

Falsone: It is very difficult to say. It is 2 different things to play on court and to train in the gymnasium. You maybe able to lift very heavy weights in the gymnasium. But on court, you need to study how to utilize your body. Yao Ming is much much better now. He already knows how to use his buttocks to bump aside his opponents now, and how to fully utilize his superiority in body strength in those contest.

Basketball Pioneer: Does it mean that Yao Ming could not have competed like this a year before ?

Falsone: Entirely different. Yao Ming has completely change to become a different person. I don't think we need to compare him to anyone. He is different to any other players. He is very unique. Yao Ming will become a super centre. I've trained Hakeem Olajuwon. I had that feeling.

Basketball Pioneer: Within your training plan, when will Yao Ming peak in his shape and form ?

Falsone: Generally speaking, in my training plan, Yao Ming's physical strength will peak during the playoff. This is not unique to Yao Ming; all the players I trained were the same. I schemed my plan detailedly, and control his training volume and intensity, and maintain his good conditions. The NBA season is just too long. It is not just techniques and tactics that win the games; it is also about the control and maintenance of players' condition.

Basketball Pioneer: Yao Ming often goes to the gymnasium for weight-lifting right after games, why is that ?? Do players still need strength and conditioning exercise right after a very physiological demanding competitive game ?

Falsone: This method is extremely advantageous for restoring his strengths. It was because I must try to let his physical strength maintain above a certain level. I have to find the right time slot to stimulate his muscle and stimulate his strength, and his conditions after a competitive game provide me with that best opportunity. You see, right after a competitive game, his physical capacity and strength will be at his lowest. If I let him go back and take a rest, and come back the next day for his strength and conditioning exercise, his recovery will be late by one day. But if he persists to train immediately after a competitive game, his physical capacity and strength will enter the lowest point. Then he rests and restores on the second day. So he will be fully restored on the third day, the day for another competition.

Such strength and conditioning exercise right after a competitive game is to last less than 30 minutes, and I will control its intensity. Moreover, I will study his games schedule, and choose the appropriate days/time slots. For instance, today right after the game with San Antonio Spurs, he went through his strength and conditioning exercise, then tomorrow he needs not do his strength and conditioning exercise. He will be completely restored the day after tomorrow, which will then be the game day with LA Clippers.

Basketball Pioneer: How many pounds can Yao Ming lift now ?? Can you describe your training process in more details to us ??

Falsone: Generally, I won't let him try to lift his own limit, because it will be very dangerous, particularly during the season. Generally I will let him lift 250 pounds for 6- to 8-peats. If he can lift more than that, then it is much better.

Besides the barbell, we also increase our training with the dumb bells this season, because dumb bells is even more demanding as far as strength and condition is concerned. He is doing very good. I cannot tell you the exact number (he can lift), but I can tell you this, we have to order new and heavier dumb bells for the gymnasium at Toyota Centre, because all those existing dumb bells became insufficient for Yao Ming. I have instructed many big men before. Yao Ming surely belongs to the rank of the strongest. There was this friend of mine, also a strength and conditioning coach, visited us. Yao Ming was doing his weight lifting, and my friend was shocked to find out how much Yao Ming was lifting.
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#1 pryuen, Mar 20, 2006

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lol.....pryuen....what are you doing here?
go back to Yao Ming Mania forum. I was here first. Who else is here from YMM? Is Blizzardwolf AKA Thunderwolf AKA Master Glenn AKA Master Will a member here?

thanks for the translation.

#2 code9x, Mar 20, 2006
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He better say that, he's being paid to make Yao stronger and better.

#3 Faos, Mar 20, 2006
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Wow, Thanks for the translation!

#4 Gatorfan76, Mar 20, 2006
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You are appreciated, thank you.

#5 Daedalus, Mar 20, 2006
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Thanks for the translation, Pryuen!

#6 tikwanleap, Mar 20, 2006
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pryuen said:

Interesting article/interview from Basketball Pioneer with Anthony Falsone on how he transformed Yao Ming in the past 4 years to become the current Super Centre !!!

Hope you guys enjoy this !!! More than 180 minutes of translation work!!!
Click to expand...

Wow pryuen! What do you do for a living in HK besides translating all these articles for us?

Thanks for all the good work anyways

#7 kwik_e_mart, Mar 20, 2006

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Falsone is one guy most of us have forgotten to give credit to. I heard Worrell say that Yao presses 2 110 pound dumb bells for 1 rep of 10 during his workouts, not a weight lifter, is that good for a guy his size.

#8 tiger0330, Mar 20, 2006
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excellent read. thanks so much for the translation.

#9 rubytuesday, Mar 20, 2006
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does Falson mean 250 pounds lifting dumbbells or benching? probably lifting dumbbells right? if true, Yao Ming is freaking strong as hell.

Bruce Lee literally could lift 125 pound dumbell with one arm and hold it straight for 20 seconds...

#10 code9x, Mar 20, 2006
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Super Centre.

Me like very much.

#11 jopatmc, Mar 20, 2006
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super center? so yao's expanding his restaurant into a shopping mall?

#12 hooroo, Mar 20, 2006
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hooroo said:

super center? so yao's expanding his restaurant into a shopping mall?
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Speaking of which, why doesn't his restaurant get more patronage? I've eaten there a couple of times and the food is nothing short of awesome.

#13 xcomputerman, Mar 20, 2006

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Thanks for the translation...good read.

(BTW - his folks' restaurant's location is such that it is nearly hidden despite being on a main thoroughfare.)

#14 xiki, Mar 20, 2006
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Falsone: Well then it needs Yao Ming to persist in high-intensity competition. In the past seasons, his play minutes was continuously increasing. For this summer, we must also do the same, and let him persist in high-intensity competition. By doing so, his durability will achieve a new altitude. I thought Jeff Van Gundy has his merits in this area too. Soon after this season started, Tracy McGrady was out with injury. In alot of the games that were obviously lost already, JVG just let Yao Ming continue to play (instead of resting him). It was because JVG knew that enhancement in durability need a process and only through such process that Yao Ming could adapt (and improve his durability) in many games to be followed.
Click to expand...

I was really wondering about this part, A lot of people, including Yao Ming, have questioned how many games he is playing during the off season but from what Falsone seems to be saying is that its good that Yao is playing during the off season.

#15 Sishir Chang, Mar 20, 2006
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code9x said:

Bruce Lee literally could lift 125 pound dumbell with one arm and hold it straight for 20 seconds...
Click to expand...

Oh yeah? Chuck Norris can lift 250lbs with his left pinky...while beating the crap out of 20 ninjas with his other hand.

#16 beyao, Mar 20, 2006
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beyao said:

Oh yeah? Chuck Norris can lift 250lbs with his left pinky...while beating the crap out of 20 ninjas with his other hand.
Click to expand...

I saw that movie, Chuck Norris in "Total Gym Street Fighter"

#17 tiger0330, Mar 20, 2006
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Awesome article. Thanks for the translation pyruen, it is much appreciated.
Shaq better be ready, Super Yao is gunning for that big S on his chest.

#18 ergo, Mar 20, 2006

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Great article, thanks for the hard work (and yes, the metaphor 'bear fruit' has the same meaning in English )

#19 Cohen, Mar 20, 2006
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^ I'm guessing that was a translation of an interview in English that had been translated into Chinese and that Falsone might've used that expression in English originally.

#20 Sishir Chang, Mar 20, 2006

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