Jermaine Elemunor is arguably one of the strongest players in the NFL. The New York Giants offensive tackle benched over 500 pounds, deadlifted over 600 pounds and squatted over 700 pounds. When it comes to in-season training, “The Main Show” still prefers to lift, but only a little lighter to avoid injury.
Along with emphasizing mobility and resilience, El Emnor has evolved from an athlete who didn’t know a Barbie doll barbell to one of the most accomplished ballers in the weight room. Here’s an example of the training this giant goes through to create a devastating attack.
Strength and power are essential to El Emnor’s job, so the number of practices he does are short, but the effort and intensity required for this practice is of the Giants. The hitter says he does everything he can to get in front of his opponents.
“It takes a lot to go out there on every play and do your job to the best of your ability,” he explains. “Especially when you’re out on a road trip with a guy weighing over 330 pounds, which is often the case. It requires a lot of leg work. So even on days when I’m tired, I try to focus on my legs. I think I did a 465 pound squat on the day of the final race, which is light for me, but it’s like just maintaining that strength and I do 600 pound squats in the offseason. Instead, I might even squat 315 pounds during the season.”
Jermaine Elemunor’s huge leg day workout
warm up
Mobility and lateral stretching with resistance bands
Rotating the kettlebell left and right
good result
Calf raises: 4 sets x 3 heavy
Back squat or front squat: 4 sets x 3 heavy reps
Lateral squats: 4 sets x 3 heavy reps
finisher
barbell romanian deadlift
@themainshow_
Germaine Elemunor’s leg day workout breakdown
“Obviously, we start with stretching,” Elemnor explains of the process. “Here at the Giants, we do a lot of core activity and lateral movement.” To prepare their bodies for the twists and turns on the soccer field, players stretch with resistance bands and rotate from side to side with kettlebells. and train your core. “I use bands a lot,” he says. “So it’s like a little movement in your ankles. You might use certain bands to strengthen your neck, you might strengthen your knees. I also use bands in my pre-game warm-ups, especially my quads. I use them to warm up my muscles and my abductors, because a lot of times you can have soreness there after a game, so the more relaxed you are during a game, the more relaxed you are during the game. You’ll feel better afterwards.”
Calf raises are a great workout for strengthening the lower legs, as El Emnor often drives himself upwards from the field to lift stout rivals into the air. Calf raises are also great for mobility, improving balance and preventing injury. Moving further into the upper legs, squats work your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, giving you the power you need to power through mountains on the field.
The lateral squat is another lift that benefits the quadriceps, hams, and abductors, but also works the hips differently because it requires the athlete to step sideways rather than straight ahead. The movement is very similar to Eluemunor’s gameplay, as you need to be able to rotate 360 degrees while carrying large loads if the action requires it.
The Barbell Romanian Deadlift is a great finisher because it puts even more stress on the muscles already worked in your core and legs, while creating additional tension in your groin for increased recovery. If you try this workout, you’ll not only be able to tackle bigger weights, but you’ll also be able to tackle bigger people. Once you’ve tried Eluemunor’s workout, you can head into the sauna for some essential recovery.
“My favorite thing is the sauna,” Elemnor says. “I use it every day. I stretch in the sauna, spread out the foam a little bit, put a band around my ankles to loosen up some of the joints, stretch, and then relax in there.” Well, you definitely do that. I earned it!
For more information on Germaine Elemunor, follow him on Instagram!
