Colin Kaepernick Reveals How He Stays Toned in ESPN’s “Body Issue”

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Colin Kaepernick's ESPN Body Issue 2013 Cover

Colin Kaepernick’s ESPN Body Issue 2013 Cover

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is just one of the amazingly toned new bodies that grace ESPN Magazine’s fifth annual “ Body Issue ,” available Friday, July 12.

While we either find inspiration in these phenomenal nude physiques or gawk in pure lust, the issue also features very motivating interviews.

Each sports stars reveals their own body “issues” and hang ups, what keeps them going, their weaknesses and much more. Enjoy photos from his Richard Phibbs -photographed shoot and see a few snippets from his interview below.

Why he decided to pose:

“I’m not your typical quarterback. I don’t like when people say, “Quarterbacks aren’t supposed to run” or ‘Quarterbacks aren’t supposed to work out a certain way.’ Quarterbacks can still have good bodies. I’m always conscious of the stereotype. I want to change what people think. There’s a lot more to it than what you see on the field.”

On what he does to train:

“I’ve been trying to make my legs stronger and more explosive and build more fast-twitch muscles. I’ve been running with bands and chains, I’ve been pushing sleds, I swim tied to a bungee…

I look forward to sprint work for the simple fact that you get to compete and see who is faster. Every rep, you are out there trying to win, trying to beat your teammates. It’s bragging rights. Even between reps there’s a little back and forth, and that only intensifies the workout and makes sure everyone is going hard.

When I lift, I try to do as heavy as possible until I can’t do it anymore. That helps me endure a season, and that’s what separates me. If we’re doing sets of five, it’s not, ‘All right, that was good, I’m comfortable with that.’ No, I’m going to do it until my arms are about to give out or my legs are about to go. I think that earns the respect of teammates. They see I’m not just going in there, keeping my shoulder healthy and leaving. I think they appreciate that I’m trying to get stronger the same way they are.”

What he’d change about his body:

“I wish I could get my legs bigger, but I can’t put weight on them. My legs will get stronger but never grow. One of my good friends, Kyle Williams, has huge calves, so I mess with him and he messes with me because my legs are skinny. We have opposite problems.”

Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Body Issue 2013 Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Body Issue 2013 Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Body Issue 2013 Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Body Issue 2013 Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Body Issue 2013

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