At DeFrancos, a warehouse-style gym in Bergen County that doesnt have air conditioning, Cushing followed the same summer workout regimen hes done since turning pro.
The gyms owner, Joe DeFranco, crafts nontraditional exercises that simulate what the body experiences on the football field. Cushing bench-pressed a 275-pound bar draped with about 90 pounds of chains, sharpening the acceleration needed to push off a block. (The weight increases and becomes more unwieldy as you lift, because the chains are no longer touching the floor.) After each round, Cushing leaped up energetically from the bench.
Later, Cushing completed a set of chaos shrugs, a lift in which he raises a bar with a pair of kettlebell weights tied on with resistance bands. His surgically repaired leg stood strong, bearing the 200 pounds of swaying without a flinch. He paused between exercises, mimicking a slugger taking a swing in the batters box. By the end of his workout, Cushings army-green dri-fit shirt was soaked completely through with sweat.
DeFranco likened Cushing to a caged animal and offered evidence: In recent weeks Cushing set a lifetime best with a 52-inch seated box jump, and he dragged a 750-pound sled for 30 yards (part of that weight came from onetime Texans teammate Connor Barwin). Hes dangerous when you give him something else to prove, DeFranco said.
