New Myles Murphy is 13.6 % body fat

[Luvnit2]

Nice article on Bengal's website. Yes, it is all words with some actions. But good to see Myles wants to get better and puts it all on himself. I know many dismiss Hobson, but to me we need at least one of the returning edge players to make a huge leap in 2025. Step 1 is knowing you have not been your best. Step 2 is take steps including diet to get better.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-edge-gets-a-new-look-as-myles-murphy-upends-offseason-regimen

"Murphy says he's not a fan of how he handled his rehab, so he "left nothing to chance," this offseason in his hometown of Atlanta. With the Bengals' offseason program set to start in 11 days, the 6-6 Murphy says he's coming in with newfound confidence surging through his re-constituted body. It's not like he was a burlap bag to begin with, but his recent reading of 13.8 body fat has him fired up."

Bengals Edge Gets A New Look As Myles Murphy Upends Offseason Regimen

He switched defensive line trainers. He added an extra day to his work week and goes Monday through Saturday. He prioritized not only his hands, but also the hands of his opponents. He revamped his diet with his own research that included interviewing nutritionists. He bid a bitter farewell to breakfast.

"I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."

"I'm not really worried about all that, let's be honest," Murphy says. "It's me versus me right now. Just trying to be way better than last year, for sure.

"I know I've got everything that it takes to dominate in the league. It's just building up the confidence to know I can make those plays that are ahead of me … (Working on) Being great at stuff that doesn't take talent or athleticism."

Start with the body. The one that made him the 28th pick in the draft two years ago. He admits his knee injury that wiped out last season's first four games "set some things back." He had flashed in his second training camp, but by the time he started playing games, "when I did come back, I knew that I wasn't where I was and where I need to be."

"I feel like I'm in one of the best bodies I've been in for years. Since sophomore year of college," Murphy says. "I ended the season at 282 and three weeks ago I was 265-267. Since then, I've been packing on muscle. Yesterday I weighed myself and I was 274. It's close to last year, but the body fat is different … I feel great … Losing that breakfast … I'm losing that sugar."

Murphy looks like he's partaking in the "Sweet Science," if you've caught some training clips on social media. But it only looks like he's boxing because his coach wears boxing gloves to simulate the offensive line using their hands.

"That's something a little new," Murphy says. "Most definitely working on the hands so I actually have my eyes in the right spot and swatting at hands and not just trying to time things up and sometimes just swiping on air. So just being more accurate with my hands.

"I knew if I started doing that earlier in the offseason it would be something that would come much more naturally once team stuff comes around."

[WeezyBengal]

"I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."


Gotta love the off-season "best shape of my life" fluff pieces lol 

Look, I'm glad he's getting in great shape - but half these guys' problems aren't the shape they are in or their athletic ability. It's technique and skill. Hopefully he keeps working on those hands like he said he's also doing in the article. 

[*PhilHos*]

(04-10-2025, 03:34 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: "I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."


Gotta love the off-season "best shape of my life" fluff pieces lol 

Look, I'm glad he's getting in great shape - but half these guys' problems aren't the shape they are in or their athletic ability. It's technique and skill. Hopefully he keeps working on those hands like he said he's also doing in the article. 

I agree with you, but I need more of these to be directly injected into my veins as well.

[samhain]

(04-10-2025, 03:34 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Ah I love the "best shape I've ever been in" fluff pieces.

Look, I'm glad he's getting in great shape - but half these guys' problems aren't the shape their in or their athletic ability. It's technique and skill.

Correct.  Getting into the extreme end of body composition probably does more harm than good.  If a player actively tried to maintain that as a priority during a 17 game season, It would likely hurt more than it would help.  I wouldn't quite call 13.6 extreme, but getting much lower probably isn't an awesome idea for an athlete playing a collision sport.  

[grampahol]

Sugar and carbohydrates will slow you down.  I quit consuming sugar a few years ago for a year and felt great for awhile, but then my sweet tooth hopped back up and said I want more sugar!  I don't have a private chef coming by the house at TV time. See what happens when you don't get paid a couple million bucks a year?  It's tough man!  NNow I got an old man gut.. Dammit!  

[XenoMorph]

(04-10-2025, 03:39 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I agree with you, but I need more of these to be directly injected into my veins as well.

Coffee directly to the Veins does sound good

[grampahol]

(04-10-2025, 03:54 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: Coffee directly to the Veins does sound good

Cocaine feels better, but jail isn't much fun and the brain seems to want to keep pumping it in like they ain't making it anymore.  Just for the record I'm not advocating for anyone to start mainlining cocaine. It sucks when the cops show up.  

[Luvnit2]

(04-10-2025, 03:34 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: "I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."


Gotta love the off-season "best shape of my life" fluff pieces lol 

Look, I'm glad he's getting in great shape - but half these guys' problems aren't the shape they are in or their athletic ability. It's technique and skill. Hopefully he keeps working on those hands like he said he's also doing in the article. 

It appears he felt he was in the 50% not in shape and did something about it. He also recognized he had technique issue and is working on them as well.

I know you are always skeptical, but long list of NFL players who made huge jumps in year 3. The other thing I had forgot was he had a knee injury. He also was critical of how he rehabbed the knee.

IIn time we will find out, but it appears Ossai, Sample and now Murphy were disapppointed in how they played in the past? They seem motivated based on self pride and team pride to be better in 2025. Let's all hope it hapens for them and our defense.

[grampahol]

(04-10-2025, 04:02 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: It appears he felt he was in the 50% not in shape and did something about it. He also recognized he had technique issue and is working on them as well.

I know you are always skeptical, but long list of NFL players who made huge jumps in year 3. The other thing I had forgot was he had a knee injury. He also was critical of how he rehabbed the knee.

IIn time we will find out, but it appears Ossai, Sample and now Murphy were disapppointed in how they played in the past? They seem motivated based on self pride and team pride to be better in 2025. Let's all hope it hapens for them and our defense.

The real motivation is getting paid a LOT MORE money. Nothing wrong with that either. 

[Luvnit2]

(04-10-2025, 03:40 PM)samhain Wrote: Correct.  Getting into the extreme end of body composition probably does more harm than good.  If a player actively tried to maintain that as a priority during a 17 game season, It would likely hurt more than it would help.  I wouldn't quite call 13.6 extreme, but getting much lower probably isn't an awesome idea for an athlete playing a collision sport.  

I agree extremes of any thing is bad. It appears he is working to be around the same weight he was in 2024, but a lot more muscle. I know Sunset says he looked slow and I agree. Hopefully he will improve his speed, quickness and strength.

The 13.6% is not close to exteme which is a good thing. I do wonder what his body fat wss in 2024?

[Luvnit2]

(04-10-2025, 04:04 PM)grampahol Wrote: The real motivation is getting paid a LOT MORE money. Nothing wrong with that either. 

No doubt money is the biggest motivator to most. He is heading into year 3 and not eligible yet for a new contract, I think he is 2 years away.

[Soonerpeace]

(04-10-2025, 03:34 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: "I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."


Gotta love the off-season "best shape of my life" fluff pieces lol 

Look, I'm glad he's getting in great shape - but half these guys' problems aren't the shape they are in or their athletic ability. It's technique and skill. Hopefully he keeps working on those hands like he said he's also doing in the article. 

The big difference in the Trey Hendrickson’s of the world and the rest is taking plays off

[Luvnit2]

(04-10-2025, 04:28 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: The big difference in the Trey Hendrickson’s of the world and the rest is taking plays off

True so next question becomes why do players take plays off or try and pace themselves?

Simple answer is the are not as fit as they should be or are playing too many snaps because backups are not suffecient ad=nd coach has said you need to stay on the field.

I just find the 3rd answer less. I know some say these guys get paid huge money (a lot less since they implemented the rookie pay scale) and lose motivation once signed to big contracts, but these guys are elite going against elite and most of those with only money motivation get weeded out in my humble oinion. 

Murphy admtted he did poor job of rehabbing from a knee injury (he learned the hard way), was out od shape and had to develop better technique. I get it is just words, but at least he knows the right words. In contrast, does Jermaine Burton even know what he has done wrong? I hope he learned, but we don't know either way yet.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(04-10-2025, 03:34 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Gotta love the off-season "best shape of my life" fluff pieces lol 

 100% 

"Maybe the OL doesn't need much change to be fixed."
"Is disappointing X player salvageable?"
"Maybe our bad *insert position* group isn't as bad as it seems if these three players all grow and improve."

Now we get TWO underwhelming players in the best shape of their lives fluff pieces in as many days? I'm going to go ahead and call BINGO! on the Bengals Offseason Best Hits Bingo Card.

[Sled21]

You have to think that none of these guys on defense could have been feeling good about the way they played last season. This whole off season, if they turned on a sports show on tv or radio, all they heard was how our defense screwed Joe Burrow over and cost him the MVP. That's got to motivate some of them.

[*PhilHos*]

(04-10-2025, 04:06 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The 13.6% is not close to exteme which is a good thing. I do wonder what his body fat wss in 2024?

69%

[*PhilHos*]

(04-10-2025, 05:41 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote:  100% 

"Maybe the OL doesn't need much change to be fixed."
"Is disappointing X player salvageable?"
"Maybe our bad *insert position* group isn't as bad as it seems if these three players all grow and improve."

Now we get TWO underwhelming players in the best shape of their lives fluff pieces in as many days? I'm going to go ahead and call BINGO! on the Bengals Offseason Best Hits Bingo Card.

[SunsetBengal]

Wasn't he supposed to have been in the best shape of his life, last year? Is it Groundhog day, again?

[Luvnit2]

(04-10-2025, 06:15 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Wasn't he supposed to have been in the best shape of his life, last year? Is it Groundhog day, again?

It is true every year. these artcles come out. I think the odds are in our favor batting zero for 100, we are do for 1 hit. It may be a singe, double, triple or home run, but 1 hit.

As I have always said, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

(04-10-2025, 03:54 PM)grampahol Wrote: Sugar and carbohydrates will slow you down.  I quit consuming sugar a few years ago for a year and felt great for awhile, but then my sweet tooth hopped back up and said I want more sugar!  I don't have a private chef coming by the house at TV time. See what happens when you don't get paid a couple million bucks a year?  It's tough man!  NNow I got an old man gut.. Dammit!  

Carbs get a bad rap.

They are the fuel you use, the literal sugar in the blood and immediate energy.

I believe Myles is overweight by DE standards at 13% body fat, but during the season, carbohydrates will be his best friend if he wants optimal performance.

I could go on, and in detail, but do not think many would care...