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University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Return to Weight Room
08/17/2020 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- More than a month after returning to campus, the Richmond Spiders men's basketball team finally stepped into the Robins Center weight room on Friday. While the four-man sessions of jumps, pull-ups, and squats each lasted little more than 30 minutes, it was the first time in the weight room for the Spiders since the campus was closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.Â
For more than a month, the Spiders have been following a return-to-play progression designed by Richmond's Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning staffs that allows players to gradually build their fitness levels while strictly following federal and state regulations designed to protect individuals from COVID-19.Â
Head Strength & Conditioning coach Jay DeMayo said the different capabilities of players to work out on their own during the four months they weren't on campus was a major factor in how the return-to-play progression was created.
"This has probably been the longest break these guys have had away from basketball in their lives," said DeMayo. "So what we have to consider is that there are some people who didn't have access to [fitness equipment] or were in situations where they were unable to actually train. We had guys who lived in hot spots and couldn't walk out of their homes. So our primary concern was to make sure that these guys were able to progress and be in the best shape possible to be re-introduced to basketball."Â
After receiving a physical and a coronavirus test upon their return to campus in mid-July, the Spiders spent their first week entirely outside the Robins Center. Players were limited to an outdoor 60-minute workout that included stretching and running under the supervision of Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning staffs each morning.Â
The following week, players continued their morning fitness workouts and were allowed back in the Robins Center for the first time since March. In order to maintain social distancing, the Spiders were restricted to individual workouts with one player and one coach using a single ball at one of the Robins Center's four baskets.
For the third week of workouts, the Spiders introduced small group workouts, allowing a maximum of four players at any basket at a given time. Coaches and staff continued to wear masks and practice social distancing at all times, including during workouts.Â
Finally on Friday, the Spiders were able to add weight training to their current activities. In order to make the sessions as safe as possible, all players wore a mask while lifting and no more than four players at a time were allowed in the weight room.Â
While DeMayo said that he feels that the Spiders could play a game now if need be, he stressed that the length of the layoff from March to July and the uncertainties of what the team's schedule will look like will require Richmond's Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning staffs to be both cautious and flexible. "The next four weeks we are going to build back into the weight room very similarly to how we built with running," according to DeMayo. "That way when we bring them into the weight room it's not this massive shock and they're so sore that they can't practice. The last thing we ever want to do is inhibit the ability of the coaches to be able to work with the guys on the court."
For the time-being, weight lifting, on-court workouts, and speed work will all continue to be a part of the Spiders daily training. "We're making sure that we're still working our aerobic system to keep building and holding onto what we have," said DeMayo, "primarily because we're still unaware of when our first game is actually going to be."Â
PHOTOS OF THE SPIDERS FIRST WEIGHT-ROOM WORKOUT SINCE MARCHÂ
Â
For more than a month, the Spiders have been following a return-to-play progression designed by Richmond's Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning staffs that allows players to gradually build their fitness levels while strictly following federal and state regulations designed to protect individuals from COVID-19.Â
Head Strength & Conditioning coach Jay DeMayo said the different capabilities of players to work out on their own during the four months they weren't on campus was a major factor in how the return-to-play progression was created.
"This has probably been the longest break these guys have had away from basketball in their lives," said DeMayo. "So what we have to consider is that there are some people who didn't have access to [fitness equipment] or were in situations where they were unable to actually train. We had guys who lived in hot spots and couldn't walk out of their homes. So our primary concern was to make sure that these guys were able to progress and be in the best shape possible to be re-introduced to basketball."Â
After receiving a physical and a coronavirus test upon their return to campus in mid-July, the Spiders spent their first week entirely outside the Robins Center. Players were limited to an outdoor 60-minute workout that included stretching and running under the supervision of Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning staffs each morning.Â
The following week, players continued their morning fitness workouts and were allowed back in the Robins Center for the first time since March. In order to maintain social distancing, the Spiders were restricted to individual workouts with one player and one coach using a single ball at one of the Robins Center's four baskets.
For the third week of workouts, the Spiders introduced small group workouts, allowing a maximum of four players at any basket at a given time. Coaches and staff continued to wear masks and practice social distancing at all times, including during workouts.Â
Finally on Friday, the Spiders were able to add weight training to their current activities. In order to make the sessions as safe as possible, all players wore a mask while lifting and no more than four players at a time were allowed in the weight room.Â
While DeMayo said that he feels that the Spiders could play a game now if need be, he stressed that the length of the layoff from March to July and the uncertainties of what the team's schedule will look like will require Richmond's Sports Medicine and Strength & Conditioning staffs to be both cautious and flexible. "The next four weeks we are going to build back into the weight room very similarly to how we built with running," according to DeMayo. "That way when we bring them into the weight room it's not this massive shock and they're so sore that they can't practice. The last thing we ever want to do is inhibit the ability of the coaches to be able to work with the guys on the court."
For the time-being, weight lifting, on-court workouts, and speed work will all continue to be a part of the Spiders daily training. "We're making sure that we're still working our aerobic system to keep building and holding onto what we have," said DeMayo, "primarily because we're still unaware of when our first game is actually going to be."Â
PHOTOS OF THE SPIDERS FIRST WEIGHT-ROOM WORKOUT SINCE MARCHÂ
Â
Wednesday, August 05
Monday, July 27
Friday, July 17
Friday, July 10