When Cam Newton unleashes a rocket-powered pass or zooms by a hapless defender, his athleticism looks effortless. But the reason it looks easy on the field is because of the hard work he puts in away from it. Newton’s workout focuses on core strength, agility and functional movement, three areas that are key to his performance on Sundays.

1. Single-Arm Lateral Sled Pulls 

HOW: Attach a TRX strap or a rope to the middle of the front of a weighted sled. Set up with your feet parallel to the sled and grab the handles in one hand, held behind you. Sprint forward by driving your back knee across your body and swinging your front arm, pulling the sled behind you.

WHY: Newton’s trainer Nate Costa says, “One of our focuses was lateral movement. This drill helps you simulate sprinting sideways and lets you run fast without turning your hips forward. You want to stay lateral throughout the entire time.”

Sets/Distance: 2×20 yards each direction

2a. Sled Pushes

HOW: Place your hands on the sled in front of you at hip level. Lean forward at a 45-degree angle. Powerfully drive your legs to begin pushing, driving your feet into the ground behind you. Push the sled as fast as possible for the specified distance.

WHY: “We use Sled Pushes for speed and acceleration. Lighter weight will work more on speed, heavier weight will work more on power,” Costa says.

Sets/Distance: 3×20 yards each direction

2b. Box Jumps 

HOW: Start in an athletic position in front of a box. Quickly drop into a quarter squat and swing your arms back. Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles and swing your arms forward to jump. Land softly on top of the box in a quarter squat position. Step off and repeat.

WHY: Box Jumps work on lower-body explosiveness, which is a key to Newton’s agility and scrambling ability.

Sets/Reps: 3×10

3a. Lateral Box Hops

HOW: Place your right foot on top of a low box and your left foot on the ground. Keep your knees slightly bent. Explode off your grounded foot and jump to the right, propelling yourself far enough so that your left foot lands on top of the box and your right foot on the ground. Rapidly jump from one side to the other, always keeping one foot on top of the box.

WHY: “Lateral Box Hops are about agility,” Costa says. “They’re about getting your feet off the ground despite fatigue. Cam has to be able to react quickly during games, both in the pocket and when he scrambles.”

Sets/Reps: 1×50 (two foot touches equal one rep)

3b. Clockwise Hurdle Hip Rotations 

HOW: Stand parallel to the long side of a low hurdle set to your left. Slowly lift your left leg off the ground and swing it over the hurdle, moving from back to front in a clockwise motion.

WHY: “Hurdle Hip Rotations help you increase your range of mobility and lower-body stability. We typically perform them after an exercise that works your hips because this will loosen them up,” Costa says.

Sets/Reps: 1×10 each leg

4a. Box Toe Taps 

HOW: Stand in an athletic position in front of a low box. Alternate touching the top of the box with each foot as quickly as you can, switching on every rep.

WHY: Costa: “Like Lateral Box Jumps, Box Toe Taps are all about getting your feet to move faster. Your foot wants to stay on the ground when you get tired, and these force you to keep moving them quickly.”

Sets/Reps: 1×50 (two foot touches equal one rep)

4b. Counter-Clockwise Hurdle Hip Rotations 

HOW: Just like Clockwise Rotations, except that you move your elevated leg from front to back in a counter-clockwise direction.

Sets/Reps: 1×10 each leg

5. Dead-Arm Hang

HOW: Find a pull-up bar that’s high enough to hang from without your feet touching the ground. Grab the bar and hang there for as long as possible.

WHY: “We do these as a competition. Whoever can hang the longest wins. It’s a great grip strength exercise. Cam needs strong hands whether he’s throwing the ball or carrying it,” Costa says.

Sets/Reps: 1xfailure

6a. Body Saws 

HOW: Begin in a plank position with your elbows on the ground and your back flat. Place both feet on Valslides, paper plates or towels on a smooth floor. Slide your body backward by hinging at the elbow, keeping your forearms and elbows firmly pressed against the floor. Move 6 to 8 inches back, keeping your back flat and your knees off the floor. Pull yourself forward to return to the starting position.

WHY: Costa says, “Body Saws are, in my opinion, the best core exercise you can do. They’re all about preventing your hips from dropping while you go through a range of motion. This exercise hits every part of your core. The core is your foundation. Whenever Cam performs an athletic movement, a strong core will help that movement be more efficient.”

Sets/Reps: 2×10

6b. Body Saws to Mountain Climbers 

HOW: Perform a Body Saw, but while you move forward, glide one leg along the ground until your knee is just outside your elbow at the top of the movement.

Sets/Reps: 2×10

The Finisher 

Newton and his teammates end their workout with a Competitive Row Relay, a finisher that not only works their conditioning but also builds mental toughness. “It’s all about thinking, ‘I want to slow down right now, but if I do, then the guy next to me is going to beat me.’ Every athlete has that competitive nature, but for Cam, it’s through the roof,” Costa says.

Competitive Row Relay 

HOW: Grab a few teammates and find some rowing machines that can track your distance. Spilt off into pairs. One member of each team begins on a rowing machine. On the whistle, they row as fast as they can. Once they feel themselves slowing down, they hop off and their teammate takes over. Switch on and off as many times as necessary. The first team to cover a pre-determined distance wins.

WHY: “We call it a finisher. It’s a competitive exercise at the end of the workout that’s going to drain you of everything you have left. To win, someone is really going to have to suck it up,” Costa says.

Sets/Distance: 1×2,200 meters divided by two teammates.