Savage: Magic Hit the Ring in the Offseason
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By Dan Savage
June 11, 2010
ORLANDO – It's evident from the second you glance at his chest that Marcin Gortat has boxing in his blood.
Etched there is a tattoo of his father's face along with two historical dates, 1972 and 1976, the years his dad took home Olympic bronze medals in boxing.
So it comes to no one's surprise how Gortat is spending part of this summer training. Not only has he put in time at the RDV Sportsplex working out with Magic Strength-and-Conditioning Coach Joe Rogowski, but he's also hit the ring to elevate his conditioning, strength and footwork.
“It’s a different type of workout,” the ‘Polish Machine’ said of his boxing routine. “You have to work a little bit more on your upper-body, footwork is really important and it can definitely help improve your conditioning a lot.”
While Gortat may be the most intimidating member of his teammates in the ring – his sheer size makes him resemble Rocky IV’s Ivan Drago whenever he swings away at a sparring partner – he’s not the only Magic player involved in stepping between the ropes. Rogowski routinely brings each member of Orlando’s roster to Gym Rat Boxing & Fitness during the offseason.
After the team spends their entire season working on the basketball court, Rogowski finds that a different training method assists in keeping their excitement level high. It’s an idea that has proven results.
Players such as Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass and Adonal Foyle have even adopted boxing into their regular season routine, in order to keep their conditioning level high when they’re not getting as many minutes on the court. Former members of the Magic, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie, still migrate back during the offseason to continue their training in the ring.
“It’s really fun, especially since you’re doing something different than basketball,” Gortat explained. “You can kind of forget about basketball and still workout and stay in shape.”
Although Gortat may not become a professional fighter any time soon, according to Gym Rat Owner and Certified U.S.A. Boxing Coach Todd Drespling, he’s not that far off from being able to step in between the ropes for a real fight.
“He’s about a year out,” Drespling said. “He just needs to get in there and do some sparring and get used to getting hit.”
After all, it could end up putting a whole new meaning to his nickname the ‘Polish Hammer.’
June 11, 2010
ORLANDO – It's evident from the second you glance at his chest that Marcin Gortat has boxing in his blood.
Etched there is a tattoo of his father's face along with two historical dates, 1972 and 1976, the years his dad took home Olympic bronze medals in boxing.
So it comes to no one's surprise how Gortat is spending part of this summer training. Not only has he put in time at the RDV Sportsplex working out with Magic Strength-and-Conditioning Coach Joe Rogowski, but he's also hit the ring to elevate his conditioning, strength and footwork.
“It’s a different type of workout,” the ‘Polish Machine’ said of his boxing routine. “You have to work a little bit more on your upper-body, footwork is really important and it can definitely help improve your conditioning a lot.”
While Gortat may be the most intimidating member of his teammates in the ring – his sheer size makes him resemble Rocky IV’s Ivan Drago whenever he swings away at a sparring partner – he’s not the only Magic player involved in stepping between the ropes. Rogowski routinely brings each member of Orlando’s roster to Gym Rat Boxing & Fitness during the offseason.
After the team spends their entire season working on the basketball court, Rogowski finds that a different training method assists in keeping their excitement level high. It’s an idea that has proven results.
Players such as Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass and Adonal Foyle have even adopted boxing into their regular season routine, in order to keep their conditioning level high when they’re not getting as many minutes on the court. Former members of the Magic, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie, still migrate back during the offseason to continue their training in the ring.
“It’s really fun, especially since you’re doing something different than basketball,” Gortat explained. “You can kind of forget about basketball and still workout and stay in shape.”
Although Gortat may not become a professional fighter any time soon, according to Gym Rat Owner and Certified U.S.A. Boxing Coach Todd Drespling, he’s not that far off from being able to step in between the ropes for a real fight.
“He’s about a year out,” Drespling said. “He just needs to get in there and do some sparring and get used to getting hit.”
After all, it could end up putting a whole new meaning to his nickname the ‘Polish Hammer.’
