The Jaguars' offseason conditioning program will officially end next week. Fortunately for Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, the team is not offering incentives for 100 percent attendance.
That's what the Seattle Seahawks did for their offseason program. Players who achieved 100 percent attendance would receive camcorders. How many camcorders did Seahawks owner Paul Allen have to buy? Three.
"Wayne Weaver would have to buy 63," Jaguars Strength and Conditioning Coach Mark Asanovich said.
Asanovich is the architect of the physique of coach Jack Del Rio's team, and Asanovich operates with a unique philosophy: "What's the least amount of work I have to do to be in the best condition?" Asanovich said.
You see, Asanovich wants to make sure the Jaguars save their best for game day. He wants the Jaguars to build their bodies up, not wear them down.
"We're looking for the least amount of exercise that'll give us the most effect. There is a point of diminishing return," Asanovich said. "The thing we want to achieve with every offseason program is to get stronger, to get more cardiovascular fit. We have players who buy into that system. We don't do a lot but what we do we do hard. The intangible you get from an offseason program is the chemistry you build."
Eighty-three players were on the field on Wednesday, going through their conditioning paces. The Collective Bargaining Agreement requires each team to give its players 15 days off before the start of training camp, and that means offseason conditioning will end for the Jaguars at the end of next week. OTA (offseason team activity) practices ended on June 22, but voluntary conditioning exercises continued.
"We're increasing their physical capabilities so they're ready to go when camp starts. I'm in a use-it-or-lose-it business. We can train them all through the offseason, but if we give them five weeks off there's no sense having an offseason program. You can lose it all in five weeks and that's magnified in the hot climate we have," Asanovich said.
The Jaguars' offseason conditioning program began on April 4.The CBA allows for 14 weeks of conditioning; the Jaguars used 12 of those weeks.
