Marc Raimondi
Atlanta Falcons working again Bijan Robinson received up at a information convention final spring and mentioned his expectation was for use equally to how the San Francisco 49ers use versatile working again Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson took that expectation a step additional this offseason.
The third-year again spent nearly a month with McCaffrey within the Los Angeles space over June and July. The 2 labored out collectively and did restoration, one thing McCaffrey is understood for taking very severely. McCaffrey's brother Luke, a Washington Commanders large receiver, joined them. Considered one of their fundamental trainers was extremely touted monitor and area coach Randy Huntington.
“It was nice, me and him simply giving one another simply so many suggestions and simply feeding off the data from one another on the sector,” Robinson mentioned. “And we labored for the entire month, so I received to see how he labored, he received to see how I labored, and we received to place it collectively and it was simply actually cool.
“Two guys coming collectively simply attempting to make one another higher, and he taught me an entire bunch of nuanced strikes that I received to study on the sector, and I did the identical with him.”
Robinson, 23, broke out final season, his second within the NFL. The Arizona native was fourth within the league in yards from scrimmage (1,887) and third in speeding yards (1,456). His 14 speeding touchdowns had been the third-highest whole.
Christian McCaffrey, in the meantime, had damage setbacks final season, first with Achilles points after which a proper PCL damage. However he has twice led the league in yards from scrimmage (2019 and '23) and has 4 seasons with greater than 1,000 yards speeding. The 29-year-old goes into his ninth yr as a professional.
Robinson mentioned the largest factor he took away from McCaffrey was his restoration, and the way he made certain he felt 100% earlier than each exercise.
“I imply, it is solely proper to need to be certain your physique is at top-tier form earlier than you go on the sector,” Robinson mentioned. “It doesn't matter what it's — if it is a gentle day or a tough day — you all the time need to ensure you're able to go.
“So, his restoration side of his life is fairly spectacular.”
Robinson mentioned he and McCaffrey used a brand new type of red-light remedy in an elevation chamber known as Stratosphere ATC.
“We had been 18,000 ft within the air, however we had been in a machine,” Robinson mentioned. “It was simply superb for my physique.”
💪 Christian McCaffrey
💪 Bijan Robinson
💪 Luke McCaffrey
All placing in critical work this offseason. Trying completely shredded. pic.twitter.com/ndC0WoWcwF
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 27, 2025
Stratosphere is like elevation coaching with out having to journey to a excessive altitude. The chamber was created by former Hollywood stuntman Bobby Williams with the steerage of the Mayo Clinic's Dr. Bruce Johnson.
Coaching and restoration at elevation has been an indicator for athletes, particularly in fight sports activities. Julio César Chávez Sr. owed a whole lot of his success to coaching at elevation in Mexico. A number of the most distinguished MMA gyms are in cities at elevation like Albuquerque, New Mexico, which Jon Jones has known as dwelling for a few years.
Williams says coaching within the Stratosphere may also help elevate ranges of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) and VO2 max, which should do with purple blood cell manufacturing and lung capability, respectively. The chamber will also be used for restoration, as Robinson famous.
“Eliminates all irritation straight away,” Williams mentioned. “I imply, take into consideration your physique getting a therapeutic massage to do away with irritation. You are getting a mobile therapeutic massage. Each single cell is increasing, and each single cell is contracting, and it is superb.”
Williams' Stratosphere relies out of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles. He simply started promoting chambers final yr. The primary purchaser was the UFC Efficiency Institute in Las Vegas. Williams believes Stratosphere will in the future be in each NFL facility across the nation, and Robinson, he mentioned, already desires the Falcons to get one.
“I really feel like typically there's new devices and gizmos and there is chambers, the hyperbarics, the hypoxic coaching, the breath work,” McCaffrey mentioned. “There's so many alternative issues that we simply attempt to take each little ounce, and if you will discover a bonus or an edge, we do it.”
Discovering a bonus is why Robinson reached out to McCaffrey's crew to see about understanding collectively in L.A. Williams famous how aggressive the 2 had been with one another, however in a constructive means.
“They had been simply attempting to outdo one another on the ability and the rate of the coaching,” Williams mentioned. “However all in all, they had been there to help one another.
“They had been pulling Michael Jordans, if you'll. They'd inform one another one another's secrets and techniques, so it could higher them. You realize what I imply? It isn't like they had been hiding something, they usually had been attempting to assist one another and raise one another up.”
McCaffrey referred to Robinson as “a particular man, particular particular person, and a particular participant.”
“I used to be tremendous fired-up that he joined us for a little bit bit, and I haven't got any unhealthy issues to say about him,” McCaffrey mentioned.
Robinson and McCaffrey shall be on opposing sides Oct. 19 in Week 7 for “Sunday Night time Soccer.” However other than that, it looks as if the 2 have fashioned a working again bond.
“I feel it is simply actually cool having McCaffrey be a brother to me, as properly, and so I can study all of the cool issues that he has performed on the sector, and vice versa,” Robinson mentioned.
Further reporting by Nick Wagoner.
