LOS ANGELES – Rams outside linebacker Byron Young spent the offseason tending to his body and connecting with his teammates. His pilates training with Stefania Okolie at Solely Pilates Studio has helped him get leaner and stronger while preventing injuries.
"In my form, in my technique, every time I'm in my position, I feel like I have a good stability with my knees," Young said. "When I'm in my stance, it's a lot easier, a lot smoother, especially bending around the corner."
Young also said his endurance has increased as a result of that pilates work. He started with two sessions a week and is now up to three or four, and the exercises have gone from making his body shake when he first started to feeling the rewards exponentially as Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union begins.
"When I first did it, the first day, I was like 'she's trying to kill me,'" Young said.
He was initially embarrassed by that, as he's not used to struggling with things physically, but being the competitor that he is, Young kept with it. The workouts themselves haven't gotten any easier, but his resolve and ability to complete them have increased, and he wants to continue with that training during the season on his off days.
In terms of his outlook on his third NFL training camp, Young is embracing patience. Everything won't be perfect right away, and Young wants to learn from his mistakes. That experience is evident in his self-reflection as well as the defensive line's unity as a whole.
"We just learn about each other with communication, knowing each other's tendencies and what we're good at, knowing when it's (rushing) off of one another," Young said. "So we try to stay in touch and stay in tact with that."
The pass rush unit spent some quality time together this offseason. Young and fellow outside linebacker Jared Verse even showed up for training camp together. But their connection on the field has been the most significant aspect of the front's collective growth, and that's something they'll be nurturing during training camp.
"When Verse at his best, I'm at my best," Young said. "When I'm at my best, Kobie (Turner) at his best, and (Braden) Fiske at his best, Verse at his best. So it's like, it goes hand in hand, so we try to look out for each other."
Training Camp is here and so are the players! Have a look at the Los Angeles Rams arriving to Training Camp at Loyola Marymount University (LMU).
