Terrell Thomas reaches new heights (about 12k feet) in his workouts
The detail from the mask to the chest plate and quilted gloves on an original Darth Vader costume is striking. The costume will be auctioned Nov. 25 at Christie's in London. It was created for the second "Star Wars" franchise film "The Empire Strikes Back," released in 1980. It is expected to go for between $250,000 and $350,000. (Oct. 27, 2010) Credit: AP
Darth Vader? No, it’s just Terrell Thomas.
Although it’s easy to see where the two can be confused, especially on Wednesdays when the Giants cornerback strolls into the locker room wearing a space-age looking triangular mask over his nose and mouth and breathing audibly, just like the Star Wars villain.
What Thomas is actually doing is trying to make his workouts more efficient and wearing an altitude mask. He puts it on to simulate training at 12,000 feet, the vents on the front of it thinning the air that he’s able to take into his lungs, and then jogs on an Alter-G low-gravity treadmill.
“It allows me to get a faster workout without using so much time and energy,” Thomas said with the contraption hanging in his locker behind him.
So does it work?
“I think so,” he said. “I haven’t been tired out there come Sunday, after missing a whole day (on Wednesdays) and being limited on Thursdays and Fridays as well.”
Thomas has been on the abbreviated practice routine for most of this season, coming off a third ACL reconstruction. He doesn’t practice on Wednesdays, so that’s the day he puts on the mask and does his cardio work. Thomas was asked if he is looking forward to a time, perhaps next year, when he is able to practice every day and not skip team workouts.
“Heck no, I’m never practicing on Wednesdays again!” he half-joked. “If I had it my way (I wouldn’t). It just benefits the body so much, regardless if I was injured or not. There are a lot of people getting salty, they’re like ‘I want the T2 practice plan.’”
Of course, Thomas had to pay the price of two seasons and almost two full years of rehab to get it.
“They don’t want to endure what I had to,” he said of those jealous of his routine.
