Courtney Upshaw reportedly out of shape

[1/28/01]

Large fat ? or large brick profanity deleted house ?

Loose...didnt look good, IMO.

[K-Dog]

Loose...didnt look good, IMO.

crap

[1/28/01]

Oh yeah, Bobby Rainey can hit the ish out of a sotball and our punter is the best softball player in the world!

[GrimCoconut]

Disappointing, but at least he's taking accountability for it. He knows he's gotta drop the weight, and I'm sure he will.

I've heard contradicting views on this. For one, I have played with quite a few guys that carried a gut, but they could lift a truck. I'm not sure the gut is as related to lack of muscle loss as you think. Second, I have talked to many professional trainers and coaches who say that a gut is a result of poor cardio, more times than not. It also has a lot to do with body type. Upshaw is built like an endomorph. Endomorphs are typically strong as hell, but also tend to carry extra fat, especially in the gut. I am also concerned that he lost muscle mass, but we can't infer that based on a gut.

I'm not saying his gut is an indication that he's lost muscle. In an earlier post I explained that belly fat is almost always because of bad diet. What concerns me is that losing and keeping weight off is very much relative to muscle mass or loss/lack thereof and I could be concerned if he lost muscle. I know plenty of guys with a gut who are ridiculously strong. Having a gut doesn't mean you're weak.

What concerns me is that it'll obviously reduce his quickness but more importantly he could have already lost muscle or he could lose it through trying to lose the the fat too rapidly.

Muscle mass increases metabolism and thus helps to burn calories faster and prevent the excess glucose from being stored as glycogen. Obviously he could have other issues of which I'm unaware. I'm not trying to even make it a big deal. Just explaining my mild and merely hypothetical concern which isn't even that significant because even if he has a gut he can lose that weight. I'd be more concerned if he failed his conditioning test, of which I have not yet heard.

[ravensdan]

Body fat especially that around the gut is related to diet. His weight gain does concern me to an extent though I'm not terribly worried. It's nothing official as of now and so far there are no reports of a fine or failed conditioning test so I will reserve my judgment until I have more information.

With that said, that kind of weight gain concerns me because it sounds like he may have lost muscle mass. Anyone who works out and understands the process of losing weight and keeping it off knows that the best way to keep fat off is to weight lift. Endless sessions of cardio are ineffective because it will eventually cause you to lose muscle mass which will cause you to gain more fat as a consequence.

I don't want to go much further but I'm concerned by his weight gain from that perspective.

Cardio is about building lung capacity because you can't do anything without your lungs. It is true that weather or not you are in good cardio condition can not be determine just by looking at a person. For example you can have the body of a model and not be able to run for more than 5 minutes.

[ratedr]

I'm telling yall, these Bama players...

Don't trust em.

[codizzle]

Oh yeah, Bobby Rainey can hit the ish out of a sotball and our punter is the best softball player in the world!

Softball cornhole football.. He can do it all

[jdynamite]

Well lets just hope he can shed the extra weight, without getting injured in the process.

Any updates on Cody and his weight issues?

[hawkprey]

I can't believe so many professional athletes have such bad diets. You hear things like guys trying to cut fried chicken out of their diet every year, and the Eagles all eating fast food once a week as a team. How are you a football player by trade and you eat crap all day? 

[izvoodoo]

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Courtney-Upshaw-Again-Trying-To-Shed-Pounds-/b6a24fc1-4b99-49aa-9591-0e44ff275620

So apparently he had to take care of something.  If he had life issues he had to take care of then I don't blame him.  He just has to work his way back down.  Good thing we're deep at OLB.  I hope he took care of whatever he had too.

[Ravenseconbeast]

But I don't need a picture to think he could be overweight especially when he was last year at this time

 

what...?

[arnie_uk]

what...?

your basic comprehension skills amaze me

[ThePurpleWall]

once again some of you guys are over reacting big deal if he put on 12 pounds, he will shed it. you must be really bored to have to try to make drama out of nothing.

[arnie_uk]

what...?

what can't you understand. I'll spell it out for you.

[arnie_uk]

once again some of you guys are over reacting big deal if he put on 12 pounds, he will shed it. you must be really bored to have to try to make drama out of nothing.

hes done this two years in a row. I think that's the issue

[bpytnjr58]

I thought this is what mini camps are for to work your way back into shape.

[The Raven]

I thought this is what mini camps are for to work your way back into shape.

 

No, actually. That is not what mini camps are for. Mini camps are for learning the playbook, refining technique, developing chemistry, and things like that. The players are expected to already be in shape for mini camps.

[Ravenseconbeast]

what can't you understand. I'll spell it out for you.

He wasnt overweight last yeat comming into our camp. You just made that up.

All you want to do is pick on the guy. He says he had a personal issue @ home. Give a kid a break. He was great last year, TC still havent started and you are critizing him over 3 pages on this topic...

[gabefergy]

He wasnt overweight last yeat comming into our camp. You just made that up.

All you want to do is pick on the guy. He says he had a personal issue @ home. Give a kid a break. He was great last year, TC still havent started and you are critizing him over 3 pages on this topic...

It was pretty well documented that he was overweight last year.

[Ravenseconbeast]

It was pretty well documented that he was overweight last year.

Nope. Not when he came into our tc. You can try to find the fact to say otherwise.

[The Raven]

Nope. Not when he came into our tc. You can try to find the fact to say otherwise.

 

Sorry, no. You're wrong. Upshaw came into camp a little out of shape last season. He got in shape quickly, but the fact remains that he came in overweight and out of shape.

[flynismo]

Nope. Not when he came into our tc. You can try to find the fact to say otherwise.

Upshaw was indeed out of shape. It's not up for debate; it was very well documented.

He's overweight again this year. He says he had issues to deal with, so I think he should get the benefit of the doubt this time around, but it is beginning to become a pattern and something to keep an eye on long term

[Ravenseconbeast]

Upshaw was indeed out of shape. It's not up for debate; it was very well documented.

He's overweight again this year. He says he had issues to deal with, so I think he should get the benefit of the doubt this time around, but it is beginning to become a pattern and something to keep an eye on long term

well i like to get the fact.  b/c his done nothing wrong in my eyes.  the way i remember the fuss about him being overweight (not out of shape) was before he signed w/ us.   

 

and to get back to the point.  all i was trying to say to arnie_uk was to give Courtney Upshaw a break.   he was criticizing the kid for 3 pages and all his done last year was being a standout player.  

[flynismo]

well i like to get the fact.  b/c his done nothing wrong in my eyes.  the way i remember the fuss about him being overweight (not out of shape) was before he was signed w/ us.   
 
and to get back to the point.  all i was trying to say to arnie_uk was to give Courtney Upshaw a break.   he was criticizing the kid for 3 pages and all his done last year was being a standout player.

I agree, I think Upshaw deserves the benefit of the doubt, I don't think he needs to be criticised....yet.

But part of the reason he struggled so much early on was due to his conditioning. Just because you cut weight does not mean you are in shape, especially not "football shape". And I can certainly understand why people are getting antsy when he shows up out of shape both years he has been in the league

[Ravenseconbeast]

I agree, I think Upshaw deserves the benefit of the doubt, I don't think he needs to be criticised....yet.

But part of the reason he struggled so much early on was due to his conditioning. Just because you cut weight does not mean you are in shape, especially not "football shape". And I can certainly understand why people are getting antsy when he shows up out of shape both years he has been in the league

thanks for agreeing my man! :D

[arnie_uk]

He wasnt overweight last yeat comming into our camp. You just made that up.
All you want to do is pick on the guy. He says he had a personal issue @ home. Give a kid a break. He was great last year, TC still havent started and you are critizing him over 3 pages on this topic...

  

It was pretty well documented that he was overweight last year.

  

Sorry, no. You're wrong. Upshaw came into camp a little out of shape last season. He got in shape quickly, but the fact remains that he came in overweight and out of shape.

  

Upshaw was indeed out of shape. It's not up for debate; it was very well documented.He's overweight again this year. He says he had issues to deal with, so I think he should get the benefit of the doubt this time around, but it is beginning to become a pattern and something to keep an eye on long term

i don't make things up out of thin air yano.... You should get your facts straight before trying to start a convo/debate/argument with someone.

[arnie_uk]

well i like to get the fact. b/c his done nothing wrong in my eyes. the way i remember the fuss about him being overweight (not out of shape) was before he signed w/ us.

and to get back to the point. all i was trying to say to arnie_uk was to give Courtney Upshaw a break. he was criticizing the kid for 3 pages and all his done last year was being a standout player.

Sure the same thing happened last year, why is it such a stretch to think its happened again. He's obviously got the body type were if he isn't running around training, gyming pretty much daily he will get heavy, but after OTAs and sweating it out on the practice field the weight will come off.
Don't see how any story was fabricated heree

again, I don't think it will be an issue, he seems to be of the body type where if he isn't working day in day out he puts weight on. By the time training camp comes around I'd expect him to get back to his weight much like last year, and be good to go week one.

did you even read any of my posts? I've quoted some there to help you out. I've said I don't think it was an issue.

I made myself clear on that, what I was arguing that when tony Lombardi wrote the story about upshaw being over weight, I thought it was believable because he was overweight last year aswell, whereas, tiz, who I was arguing with, couldn't believe it without a picture. As I said if it was someone like yanda or rice that has no history I might need a picture as well, but upshaw has previous with this, he's naturally big anyway, so it's not a stretch of the imagination to believe he could have been overweight again. That's what I was arguing and as I turned out I was correct.

[757RavensFan]

I don't see what the big issue is, heck I lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks and I don't have access to the resources these pros have. He'll drop the weight and be more than football ready by opening kick-off. If not, that will be all on his shoulders and his playing time may be affected by it.

[ravensfan2430]

IMO he weighed too much last season and while I think he played pretty good, I didn't think he moved very well. He wasn't as explosive, quick, or fast as I thought he would be. Granted, those traits are less critical for the edge-setting role that he has.

[arnie_uk]

IMO he weighed too much last season and while I think he played pretty good, I didn't think he moved very well. He wasn't as explosive, quick, or fast as I thought he would be. Granted, those traits are less critical for the edge-setting role that he has.

what made you thought he was explosive and quick in the first place? That wasn't his strength at Bama and he done awful at the combine in movement drills. I was bemused that people thought he'd be a top 10 15 pick even before the combine. He doesn't have the traits to be a 12 plus sack guy which is what you'd want from a really high pick like he was pegged for.

His strength, is that, his strength. Strong base, good edge setter, quick powerful hands,but you'll never see him speed round the edge and dip like someone like Harrison killed tackles with