Olympian power secrets

David Durante: Gymnast
The comeback kid


A new Olympic gymnastics champion will be crowned on Aug. 14. The next day, David Durante, captain of the U.S. men's squad, will announce his retirement. "Ain't that a big chunk of adversity, knowing it's my last shot?" asks Durante.

Durante first spoke of retirement back in 2002 after wrapping up his collegiate career at Stanford but failing to make Team USA. "I was a good college gymnast, but I wanted to be one of the top guys in the country," he says. Durante redoubled his training efforts and, in 2003, he earned the right to flip for the stars and stripes.

But then, on the way to the '04 Games, his flips flopped at the qualifying meet and he settled for an alternate slot. After Athens, he asked himself, How bad do you want this? The answer: enough to postpone retirement a second time. "Everything is clicking for me right now," says Durante, who won the national title last year. "I'm confident I can compete at the highest level, and my results in Beijing will prove it."

Build your chest and arms
The dip is as important to gymnastics as the jump shot is to basketball. So it's essential for Durante — and it helps explain his chiseled upper body. After all, the classic dip is one of the most effective exercises for building your triceps and chest. But if you find it's hard on your shoulders — as many guys do — a simple form tweak may offer relief.

In the "up" position of the exercise, raise your thighs in front of you until they're parallel to the floor, and bend your knees 90 degrees. Hold your legs that way for the entire movement — instead of crossing them behind you. This redistributes your weight so that your torso leans forward as you lower your body, placing more of the stress on your chest instead of your shoulders.

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