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Back in college, I interned at Duke University and worked with an NFL football player named Willie Roaf. I remember being completely flabbergasted at how this enormous man who was over 6'5" and weighed over 325 pounds could move like a cat, with extreme speed and precision and power while simultaneously generating enormous amounts of strength.

Today, I interview two experts who fill me in on some of the secrets that collegiate athletes are using to prepare for the NFL combine, the same underground tactics used by athletes in the NFL who are complete physical specimens. I wanted to pick these experts' brains about to learn how these NFL athletes train, how they recover, how they sleep and more…and in this episode you're going to get a sneak peek. My guests are two specialists that train and fuel these elite football athletes: Michelle Riccardi and Denis Logan.

Michelle Riccardi, MS, RD, CSSD, Sports Performance Dietitian has 18 years of experience providing sports nutrition services to professional and elite athletes in the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, PGA, NFLPA, and NCAA as well as International and Olympic athletes, tactical athletes and fire fighters. She also serves on the EXOS Mentorship Education Team.

Denis Logan, Performance Specialist, joined the EXOS Athletes’ Performance team in January 2008. A 2007 graduate of the Athletes’ Performance Intern Program, Denis serves as a performance specialists in the education department. Prior to joining Athletes’ Performance, he was a strength coach at Aviator Sports Performance in New York. Denis most recently completed his M.S. in Fitness and Health Management from the US Sports Academy. Both Michelle and Denis just returned from the NFL Combine, a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where college football players perform a big battery of physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers, and scouts. Implications of an athlete's performance during the combine can affect their draft status and salary, and ultimately their career, and an athlete's "draft stock" is increased based on superior measurable qualities such as size, speed, and strength. Michelle and Denis are real experts when it comes to maximizing these qualities, and during this episode, you'll discover:

-What the NFL Combine is...

-What kind of blood testing athletes have done in the NFL Combine...

-How personalized and individualized meals are created for each athlete...

-What kind of supplements the athletes take...

-A typical a ‘day in the life of an athlete’...

-Why dry needling and acupuncture is used...

-The concept of VooDoo bands and how they are used in the athletes...

-How an athlete's sleep is enhanced at the Combine...

-And much more!

Resources from this episode: -EXOS Sports Performance -The NFL Combine website -WellnessFX Blood Testing Do you have questions, comments or feedback about how to train for the NFL Combine, or anything else from this episode? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com.

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