Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin has returned to training camp after a 17-day holdout.
During his time away from camp, he stayed busy working with Duke Manyweather, the owner and founder of OL Masterminds.
Manyweather talked with PFN for an exclusive interview about his time training with Martin during the holdout, specifics on what they worked on, and what he has noticed about Martin’s game after working with him multiple times in the last decade.
Zack Martin’s and Duke Manyweather’s Game Plan During the Holdout
“We knew kinda coming into the summer that this was a possibility, and it was identifying some things we wanted to work on and then rolling it out,” said Manyweather.
They were deliberate in taking things day by day because they didn’t know how long the holdout would last, so the execution of the training was key.
Because of this, their game plan was to layer what they were doing in their training, with Manyweather adding that they “hit the ground running” when they realized Martin wouldn’t be reporting to camp.
The focus during the holdout was to make sure that Martin could keep his work capacity up and that he could step right into playing with ease whenever that time came — whether during training camp or Week 1 of the regular season.
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) August 14, 2023
“We worked from the ground up,” said Manyweather, adding that the focus was always for Martin to be the best version of himself that he could be.
He says his program focuses on special exercises and aspects of training toward what the individual he’s working with needs.
“Everything we do is very deliberate and specific to some areas that I may see for certain guys,” said Manyweather.
#Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin is continuing to work out on his own away from training camp 🤟
(🎥: olmastermindstraining on IG) pic.twitter.com/rHf7lSMYTv
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) August 7, 2023
Duke Manyweather Breaks Down Martin’s Training
In this case, Manyweather said that he and Martin wanted to target some areas that could cause compensation and areas that could directly impact and help his game.
They worked on techniques involving rotation and anti-rotation of the core, hip stability, and how Martin set. Overall they wanted to reintroduce older techniques that Martin used in the past.
“We kind of polished off and dusted off, in some respects, some techniques that worked really well for him a couple of years ago that maybe he hadn’t used in a couple of years,” said Manyweather.
“We didn’t really get much into the contract stuff. The focus was always the work and him being the best version of Zack Martin he could be.”
#Cowboys right guard Zack Martin continues to work on strength and position training with @BigDuke50 🏈
(🎥: @ olmastermindstraining on IG) pic.twitter.com/b020LfHWoz
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) August 13, 2023
Martin and Manyweather’s Decade-Long Relationship
Manyweather says he and Martin go back a decade, and during that time, he has not seen Martin decline or drop off in his game.
“He’s the best guard in the league. Not one of the best; he is the best guard in the league. He is the best guard on the planet. There’s no arguing that. He’s going to put on a gold jacket,” said Manyweather.
He described Martin as the most consummate professional who is obsessive about being great and the best ever to do it, not only because of his skill on the field but because of his leadership.
Manyweather described Martin as an emotional and vocal leader who “brings people along with him” and is a key component of the Cowboys.
“It’s fun to watch his career over the past 10 years, and it’s very humbling to play a very small part in helping him get ready for another really big stage in his career,” said Manyweather, who says it’s special knowing that he can watch Martin for at least two more years with his renegotiated contract.
“He knew his worth, and he didn’t want a penny less or a penny more than he felt he was worth. I think he’s worth more, but I’m just glad it got done,” said Manyweather, who says he’s happy both sides could come to an agreement.
Zack is BACK…tell a friend! ⭐️#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/iChMlv2EfT
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 15, 2023
Manyweather on Players Knowing Their Worth
The O-line mastermind said he firmly believes players need to be paid to their worth. He was passionate when discussing his stance on the viewpoint and narrative surrounding players honoring their contracts.
He said he doesn’t understand why fans call for players to get cut when these things happen and wants that energy to be matched when teams terminate contracts.
“At the end of the day, Zack is special, and you make exceptions for special players and special talents,” said Manyweather. He went on to say that being a football player is a very unconventional job, and Martin is a generational talent.