Nothing can stop Amaré Stoudemire. Not even
suffering the most devastating knee injury a player can sustain. Read
how to stay stronger longer, like this NBA all-star














Build Bulletproof Muscle

Stoudemire's Indestructible Strategy: Aim Higher





Amaré Stoudemire, the 6'10'' center for the
Phoenix Suns, has moved fast after microfracture knee surgery. He
already has his sights set on a new challenge: elevating his vertical
leap, from 38 inches to 42. "I dropped 2 inches because of the injury,
and I want my 2 back," says Stoudemire. "And then I want to gain 2 more
on top of that."





Ready to erase your pain and raise every facet of
your fitness? Here are Stoudemire's secrets for snatching that extra
inch or 2 -- and then some.

















Run With Guys Who Can Torch You

After rehab, Stoudemire first wanted to regain his speed. So instead of running with other big men, he lined up with the guards.





"You can run 4 miles a day, but it won't get you in basketball shape," he says. "You have to run drills."




To get your lungs back, try "sixes." Run from baseline to baseline
and back three times, for a total of six lengths of the basketball
court. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat the drill twice. Stoudemire
aims to complete each six in under 31 seconds.

















Boost Your Weight-Room Gains

Picture
this and be inspired: "The most im-pressive thing I've seen Amaré do
was 36-inch box jumps last year after he started getting his elevation
back," says Erik Phillips, ATC, head strength-and-conditioning coach
for the Phoenix Suns.





But before jumping onto plyometric boxes yourself,
Phillips says it's critical to bolster lower-body stability with moves
like multiplanar hops.



















Fix Your Pains with Foam

Wherever
Stoudemire goes, there goes his foam roll. "It keeps my muscles loose,"
he says. Aaron Nelson, ATC, head athletic trainer for the Suns,
suggests this foam-roll move to help heal or prevent knee pain: Lie
with the outside of your thigh on a foam roll and glide up and down
from your knee to your hip. Pause for 30 seconds on any tender spots.
Next, roll over your calves. Then stretch your calves, hips, and hip
flexors.

















The Comeback Workout

Save your joints and jump higher with this 5-minute routine





Knee injuries aren't caused by weak legs alone.
"It's not only how strong your quadriceps or hamstrings are," says
Micheal A. Clark, D.P.T., sports therapist for the Suns and a chief
architect of Stoudemire's comeback. "It's also about the control you
have through your core."





When you jump, if your ankle's tight or your hips
and abs are weak, your knee may cave in slightly, priming the joint for
injury on landing. You can see this happen at the exact moment you
land, prior to your next takeoff. It's called the "amortization phase,"
and it speaks volumes about your explosiveness and risk of knee pain.





A new study presented this spring by the National
Academy of Sports Medicine shows that if your knee caves in, knee
stress increases. Inward movement lengthens the amortization phase, so
it has a dampening effect on your spring. As a result, you can't sky as
high.





Take this test to determine your risk of ankle,
knee, and hip problems. Stand in front of a mirror, toes pointed
straight ahead, and perform an overhead squat. (With your arms extended
overhead, sit back at the hips and bend your knees to lower your body
toward the floor.) "If your feet move or your knees cave, you're more
susceptible to injury," says Clark. The workout below will help save
you a lifetime of knee pain. In fact, Stoudemire does it before every
game. "It will be my secret for having a long career," he says.



















Single-Leg Balance Reach
Stand
on one leg with that knee bent about 15 degrees. Squeeze your abs and
gluteal muscles. Point the lifted foot's toes toward the floor and
straighten that leg out to the side. Don't allow the arch to cave in on
the foot you're standing on. Bring your foot back to the center without
letting it touch the floor, and repeat. Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps on
each leg.

















Multiplanar Tube Walk
Loop
resistance tubing around your ankles and slide it up your legs until
it's above your knees. Stand with your knees slightly bent, hands on
your hips. Keeping your abs tight, sidestep 12 to 15 times to your
right, then back to your left. Repeat forward and backward.

















Multiplanar Hop
Standing
on one foot, jump forward and land softly on the other foot. Then
reverse the move back to the starting position. Keep your chest up and
your knee over your second and third toes, and don't let the arch of
your foot cave when you land. Repeat out to the side, then go back at a
45-degree angle. That's one repetition. Do 12 to 15 repetitions on each
leg.










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