{"id":208277,"date":"2025-07-15T06:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T06:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/208277\/"},"modified":"2025-07-15T06:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T06:14:10","slug":"cam-heyward-explains-how-his-offseason-training-has-changed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/208277\/","title":{"rendered":"Cam Heyward Explains How His Offseason Training Has Changed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Well into his 30s, it might seem logical for Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 defensive lineman Heyward to take plenty of offseason rest days\u2014ones he regularly gets throughout the regular season. But Heyward\u2019s mentality is flipped. After the Steelers have played their last game, returning to work sooner is optimal for Heyward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot smarter,\u201d Heyward told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bUz15xJjWSM\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">93.7 The Fan\u2019s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller<\/a> over his offseason training habits now compared to his younger years. \u201cStarting a lot earlier. I feel like what I took, like, a week or two off, and I was already back training.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even at 36, Heyward remains one of the NFL\u2019s strongest players. With a bull rush that remains unbeatable and run defense that seems immovable, his strength is a reason for his longevity. Power outlasts athleticism, allowing Heyward to play well beyond the normal shelf life of a pass-rushing defensive tackle. In 2024, he posted a historically strong season for a 35-year-old interior lineman, his 8.5 sacks the second-most of someone his age or older by an NFL defensive tackle. Only the late Steve McMichael\u2019s 10.5 during the 1992 season topped Heyward\u2019s eight.<\/p>\n<p>For Heyward, maintaining that strength is best by quickly returning to baseline. That means hitting the weight room instead of the couch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow it\u2019s just like trying to sustain stuff,\u201d Heyward said. \u201cAnd then just keep building so I don\u2019t have to have that big lull to get back to where I was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a similar mentality to what <a href=\"https:\/\/steelersdepot.com\/2024\/06\/not-going-crazy-in-the-weight-room-anymore-watt-outlines-health-conscious-plan\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">T.J. Watt has described in past offseasons.<\/a> No longer is the goal to max out weight and set new personal records. Their \u201cgym bro crushing it\u201d days are behind them. Lifting smart and consistently is the goal. Heyward\u2019s on-record saying he plans to play through 2026, a goal that seems completely achievable. It\u2019ll only add to his Hall of Fame resume, one bolstered by last season\u2019s strong performance and the accolades that came with it. Heyward earned his seventh Pro Bowl and fourth first-team All-Pro.<\/p>\n<p>If Heyward can keep his 2024 baseline into 2025, he\u2019ll continue defying odds, expectations, and Father Time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Well into his 30s, it might seem logical for Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 defensive lineman Heyward to take plenty of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2055],"tags":[11566,4034,13635,7,6,520,57,2360,426],"class_list":{"0":"post-208277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-steelers","8":"tag-andrew-fillipponi","9":"tag-cameron-heyward","10":"tag-chris-mueller","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-pittsburgh","14":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","15":"tag-pittsburghsteelers","16":"tag-steelers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114855783072452073","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}