Orlando Magic Strength Coach Joe Rogowski '00 Featured in Magazine

January 5, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. - "Dwight is unique in that he's got that genetic ability to do pretty much anything we put in front of him," Joe Rogowski, strength and conditioning coach for the NBA's Orlando Magic, says of the team's star center/power forward, Dwight Howard. "He's naturally strong and naturally gifted in every sense. He's just a freak when it comes to strength, power and speed. You couldn't ask for a better physical specimen," adds Rogowski, a 2000 graduate of DePauw University.

The "once skinny" Howard is 6' 11" tall and weighs 265 pounds. "Since Dwight doesn't perform all of his training at home, a lot of credit has to go to Orlando strength coach Joe Rogowski, who joined the Magic two years ago," notes the story in Stack magazine. "Since then, Rogowski has laid out a training regimen that's constantly helping Dwight thicken up and gain power."

Howard tells the publication, "Joe has done an excellent job of staying on me about lifting. I told him I want to be a great player, and we decided that lifting weights is something [to] help me achieve that in the long run. Since he got here, he's provided me with a schedule that makes sure my body is always on point. A lot of people tell me that I don't realize how strong I am, but I know that I haven't come close to my peak strength yet."

Rogowski, who majored in physical performance (sports medicine) and played football at DePauw, adds, "It's tough to set goals for a guy like this, because there aren't any other athletes who are where he is. He has already broken every physical goal imaginable for an NBA player. And as he gets older, he gets more powerful naturally. So we do our best to keep him strong and on the court through injury prevention."

Access the complete article at the magazine's Web site.

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