For about so long as she’s been enjoying basketball, Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale has been a bucket. She holds her highschool (Divine Savior Holy Angels) document for factors scored (2,240), she completed her collegiate profession as Notre Dame Girls’s Basketball all-time main scorer (2,626) and took house the WNBA scoring title in simply her second season. All of those made baskets not solely underscore an immense expertise to attain but in addition a aggressive nature that’s second to none. Arike Ogunbowale’s exercise has performed a key function in her success this season.
Headed into this season, Ogunbowale’s objectives have been to enhance on the earlier season and to be in the most effective situation doable. The Wings have been trying to enhance on final season’s 22-win marketing campaign. Sadly, accidents have hampered the crew in the course of the first half of the season. Ogunbowale has completed her half, which incorporates being second within the league in scoring (23.6) and main the league in steals (2.8) and minutes performed.
M&F caught up with the four-time All-Star to debate the offseason work that’s led to her on court docket efficiency this 12 months, the advantage of having a sibling who can be knowledgeable athlete and why nice efficiency begins from the bottom up.
Arike Ogunbowale’s Ideas To Get In Form
Arike Ogunbowale led the WNBA in minutes final season at 37.2 per recreation and knew coming into this season that she can be counted on the identical once more. She got down to get in the most effective situation she may to deal with that load. Except for lifting, coaching and choose up towards male athletes, she additionally centered on yoga and Pilates to assist make certain her base and core are strong.
Up till a few years in the past, Ogunbowale spent her winters dwelling in Russia whereas enjoying with WBC Dynamo Kursk. From that have, she realized to shorten her exercises by specializing in particular areas somewhat than placing extra stress on her physique than she wanted to. As somebody who loves being within the gymnasium and coaching, the transfer took some getting used to however she’s discovered it useful.
“Regardless that the time was shorter, it was beneficial, and I received the whole lot completed that I wanted to,” she stated. “I feel now it’s nearly being smarter, and extra centered on the precise issues I knew I wanted to work on and I simply do much more repetition aside from quite a few completely different workouts. I would deal with two or three for a month in order that I can actually get good at these earlier than I transfer on to different stuff.”
Consuming Wholesome is a Life-style
To take a few of the stress off of making an attempt the multitudes of diets which might be on the market, Ogunbowale chooses to eat wholesome. Given how a lot stress is positioned on her to carry out, alongside together with her expectations of herself, the very last thing she needs to do is fret over counting energy and make meals consumption a chore. When she does have a cheat day, her go to is the African meals she used to take pleasure in as a child. Given all the completely different spices used, she’s cautious within the parts she does take pleasure in.
Having an NFL Working Again as a Brother Doesn’t Harm
Ogunbowale’s brother, Dare, is a veteran working again and special-teams contributor for the Houston Texans. The siblings do get to coach collectively throughout their respective offseasons and Ogunbowale has picked up a number of pointers and suggestions from her brother that she makes use of in her present routine.
Arike Ogunbowale’s Exercise Mantra: Poor Ft Don’t Eat
Regardless of how gifted an athlete is, if their foot well being is poor, they aren’t going to have the ability to carry out at their greatest. Plantar fasciitis used to plague Ogunbowale and regardless of the remedy used, she had turn into accustomed by means of enjoying by means of discomfort. By likelihood, she met Jonathan Cotten, who owns and operates over 20 Good Ft Retailer areas. The corporate focuses on premium, personally fitted arch helps for each foot and way of life and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Ogunbowale was placing them to the take a look at on the ground and off of it.
Simply final 12 months, she signed a multi-year endorsement deal as a model ambassador and proudly attests to what a distinction the arch helps have had on her.
“When you may have aches or something small, it could actually mentally have an effect on you,” Ogunbowale stated. “Being an athlete, your physique is what you do, what you want, and how one can carry out. Even when one thing small is out of whack, it could actually throw your complete recreation out of whack. All the things begins from the bottom up and in case your ft are tousled, then it’s arduous to be on the market on the ground. With getting my ft proper, I’ve felt an enormous distinction once I’m on the court docket and off.”
Enjoying Pickup Will By no means Get Previous
One of many tried and true methods to enhance in the course of the offseason for any basketball participant is choose up basketball. It’s a option to take a look at new expertise and coaching towards actual competitors, and it’s why Ogunbowale loves it a lot. It additionally takes the Milwaukee native again to a less complicated time when the sport was simply the sport.
She additionally prefers enjoying towards males to additional sharpen her expertise towards completely different defenders and defenses which might be predicated on making every discipline objective try of hers as arduous as the following.
“I simply like it,” Ogunbowale stated. “Simply me being from the place I’m from, going to the park and at all times eager to play basketball — the artwork of enjoying pickup and simply hooping and having enjoyable with none construction or restriction is unquestionably one thing that simply comes from the love of the sport.”
Arike Ogunbowale’s Warmup
Train Bike: 7 min
Arike Ogunbowale’s Exercise For Muscle Activation
Carry out 2 Units of the next workouts:
Vulnerable to runner stretch: 8 reps
T-Backbone Rotations: 10 reps
Lateral Loaded Hip flexor:
Hip Circles (C.A.R.S.) “UMT”: 10 Reps
Arike Ogunbowale’s Exercise For Explosive Energy
Carry out 5 Units of the next workouts:
Tremendous Band Excessive Knee sprints: 3 units, 10 sec.
Med Ball Loaded Field Jumps: 10 reps (24 to 30 inch top)
Depth Jumps to Hurdle Hop: 8 reps
Tremendous Band Deadlifts: 10 reps
Tremendous Band Barbell Glute Raises: 10 reps