NBA star Donovan Mitchell credits track workouts for his 70-point game
On Jan. 2 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell became the second active NBA player to score 70 or more points in a single game. When asked by ESPN insider Brian Windhorst about the noticeable change in his performance this season, Mitchell responded that his secret was sprint workouts at the track.
“For eight weeks over the summer, I ran endless sprints with my trainer,” Mitchell told Windhorst. “We start by doing six sprints of 50 meters. Then five of 100 meters. Three at 200 meters. And lastly, two lung-busting 400s.”
Although Mitchell doesn’t tell ESPN the rest between his reps, it’s clear the workout was designed to help Mitchell increase his lactic tolerance for late in an NBA game or during a grueling seven-game playoff series.
As Mitchell netted 63 points at the end of regulation against the Chicago Bulls, the 26-year-old scored eight points in overtime to lead the Cavs past the Bulls. “He simply looked stronger and faster than anyone on the floor,” reported Windhorst.
According to the article, Mitchell said he lowered his 400m time to 57 seconds before leaving for the fall preseason camp with the Cavs. Although 57 seconds wouldn’t win him any elite or sub-elite 400m race, it’s a speedy time for a basketball player at the end of a workout.
The benefits of sprint training include increasing your caloric burn, which can help to reduce your resting heart rate, and your rate of fat oxidation, plus improve your resting Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR–how many calories you burn at rest).
When running or playing any high-intensity sport, the lactic buildup can generate fatigue and pain in your muscles, preventing you from performing at your best. By including faster sprint and speed workouts in your training, you will use fast-twitch muscle fibres more efficiently while increasing your muscle mass, developing bone density, and importantly—improving speed.
Try this workout at your local track or treadmill with these modifications:
(This sprint workout should be done at 90 to 100 per cent of all-out)
Track workout
Six reps of 50 metres with walk-back recovery
Five reps of 100 metres with two mins recovery
Three reps of 200 metres with three mins recovery
Two reps of 400 metres with five mins recovery
Treadmill workout
Six reps of 15 seconds with a one-minute walk recovery
Five reps of 30 seconds with two mins walk recovery
Three reps of 45 seconds with three mins walk recovery
Two reps of 90 seconds with five mins walk recovery.
posted Thursday January 5th
by Marley Dickinson