Mike Alstott

At age 32, Alstott remains at the top of his game. But for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer fullback, success does not come without hard work, dedication and a detailed and full workout – even in the off-season. During this time, Alstott works with Lifestyle Family Fitness trainer Dan Plante to ensure he is ready for a successful football season.

Lifestyle Magazine sat down with Mike Alstott and Dan Plante to learn how he prepares for the grueling football season at Lifestyle Family Fitness.

LM: Why do you choose Lifestyle Family Fitness for your workouts?

MA: I like the facility, it’s convenient, close to home and the atmosphere is great. I’ve been coming here since around the time it first opened up. I appreciate the people and Geoff Dyer takes care of me.

LM: With all your years of experience, why use a personal trainer?

MA: I don’t just use a personal trainer; I work with a sports specific personal trainer. Dan has experience training professional athletes. He can relate to me and do different things that a normal trainer would not be able to do.

DP: In the off-season, he trains with me two or three days per week. We do sports specific movements. In football, there are quick explosive movements and we prepare him to be ready for the season. It’s a type of exercise called plyometrics, or explosive power movements. We also do a lot of core work to make sure he has a strong base, footwork agility drills, conditioning and running.

LM: How do you stay motivated and prepared throughout the season?

MA: We work together as a team. We push each other and motivate each other and when we go out there and win – it becomes easy to prepare week after week.

LM: What do you attribute to your agility throughout the years?

MA: We have off-seasons and that’s why I have a personal trainer, in addition to the on-field training with my team. I prepare my body for the grind for 17 or 25 weeks – How ever many weeks there are in a season. The agility during the season comes natural because I have already been working for six months.

DP: I would rate Mike as being one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever dealt with. He is dedicated to what he is doing and that explains why he has been very durable over the last ten years of his career.

LM: A few years back, you suffered a potentially career- ending neck injury, yet you have been able to recover with success. How were you able to turn it around?

MA: First, I had a surgical procedure to repair the injury. Then, I wanted to play. The passion, the love I have for football; I just wanted to be out there again. I talked to a lot of people with the same experience and injury. I visited with a lot of doctors. I gained confidence when I walked out on the field. It did take me a year to recover fully and get back to my normal self and to be comfortable. I’m glad I overcame it.

DP: When I began to train him, he had already gone through all the necessary rehab. We did do maintenance exercises to help strengthen the neck before last season but focused solely on improving performance in other areas this time around.

LM: As you have gotten older, how has your training changed?

MA: It has gotten smarter. I used to be in the gym for five hours, running and lifting. You have to understand, when you get older, and the injuries have accumulated over the years, there is wear and tear on the body. You’ve got to rest and use plenty of ice!

LM: Over time, have technological advances given trainers new techniques for training athletes?

DP: Technology isn't necessarily the determining factor here. It is actually quite possible, and I have done it in the past, to train professional athletes without any equipment. There are some different options that are available now as opposed to 5 years ago to aid in training. The only different techniques are in doing sport specific training rather than fat loss or hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). We try to incorporate some agility, plyometric training, movement specific drills, conditioning, etcetera.

LM: How many more years do you plan to play?

MA: That is a year by year decision.

LM: Will you continue to work together in the future?

DP: The possibility is there. The decision will be made at the end of the football season. We will remain in contact throughout the season and see what happens at the end of the year.

For now, Alstott is focused on staying prepared each week and winning in the 2006-2007 season to bring a championship back to the Bay area. Check your local