Jumping Through Hoops to Improve: Steve Kostorowski

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STAYING INJURY-FREE through an entire 82-game NBA season is no slam-dunk. That's why Steve Kostorowski, owner of Georgetown's Water Street Gym (3401 K St. NW; 202-338-2711), is called into service every off-season to teach the best ballers in the country how to survive. His project this year: New Orleans Hornet's All-Star guard Chris Paul (that's them together at left).

"It's crazy how long they're on the road. After a game, you shower, get on the bus and go to the next place," he says. It's a routine that can do a number on their range of motion and aggravate imbalances.

A lot of what he does with the stars isn't so different from what he'd put any personal training client through. "The foundation of human movement is the same for all of us — core strength, lateral stability, pelvic floor stabilization," Kostorowski explains. But, as athletes in a demanding sport, they also need to address the specific challenges of their position. And the hours are pretty brutal — Kostorowski expected Paul to be ready to go at the gym every day at 6 a.m. for a three-hour workout. Every night, they spent another two hours together stretching.

It'll pay off, though, he promises. The past two years, the top players spent their summers focused on Team USA and the Olympics. "So, this is the first year the guys from that medal team had a chance to take care of themselves," he says. We're expecting to see some net gain.

Photo courtesy Layne Murdoch