Felix Okpara is a sophomore center on Ohio State’s men’s basketball team. Credit: Caleb Blake. | Photo Editor

When Felix Okpara stepped onto a scale in the offseason, he watched the digits slowly make their way up to 235.

A sense of fulfillment overcame the 6-foot-11 sophomore center. 

The number signified months of hard work, exercise, proper eating and a regimented schedule, preparing him to compete amongst the top centers in the Big Ten. It was the result of Okpara feeling that he needed more strength to win challenges in the game and work his way up from the 210 pounds he weighed before his second year on the Ohio State men’s basketball team.

“I realized I had to gain more weight and get stronger, so I talked to my coaches and they agreed with me,” Okpara said. “I told myself that if I was going to make it pro, I needed to gain some weight.”

Okpara didn’t do this alone. 

Sean Mohney, a professional performance dietitian at Ohio State, guided him along the way. Okpara said the biggest change was the number of consumed calories per day and the timing for each meal.

“I was consuming around 3,000 calories a day, but then I started eating four or five times a day,” Okpara said. “I started to consume about 5,000 calories a day.”

Mohney created a meal plan based on Okpara’s high-calorie output.

“Felix came after his first year, and I realized that we had some work to do to compete at the Big Ten level, so we had to bump him up from an overall calorie standpoint, especially because his output was so high that we supported him with a meal plan around those targets,” Mohney said.

Okpara had to gain muscle and weight without gaining excessive fat that could affect his athletic performance, Mohney said.

“You must be strategic with increasing protein quantity and the timing of it,” Mohney said. “Spacing that income throughout the day really helps athletes to keep that muscle-building phase. However, the total consumption of protein per day is more important than the timing, so it was key to hit those protein targets every day.” 

Mohney said a diet based on only food is not enough, meaning that supplements are needed depending on each body composition.

“Supplements are like icing on top depending on each body composition. To make sure the athlete is hitting those daily targets, we added protein powder that we mixed up in his post-workout smoothies,” Mohney said. “Creatine helps to get that quick energy phase in the weight room for all the explosive movements and build lean mass.”

After Okpara worked up 25 pounds, it was time for the coaches to work on his conditioning. This also was an adjustment as his goal required new standards based on an individual program with his future body composition. 

Quadrian Banks, assistant director of strength and conditioning at Ohio State, designed the preseason program. 

“First, we measured Felix’s body composition to make sure everything was right,” Banks said. “We don’t want to work with the risk of injury with his new weight. Strength and conditioning were based on something called low-impact conditioning. They practiced every day, but strictly conditioning was not too often, about twice a week.”

Okpara had a personal challenge in the weight room and a goal to reach, which was pushing his body restraints to lift heavier.

“I started lifting way heavier, and I was pushing my body through the limits,” Okpara said. “I wanted to see how much I could lift. I was doing athletic training and hypertrophy to gain muscle. I really needed to add weight.”

Stepping onto the court was something different for Okpara after months of hard work. Banks said he noticed Okpara became more volatile and strong.

“Felix became more explosive, we don’t intend to have anyone slower, especially in [the] Big Ten where basketball is very physical and Felix got bigger, stronger and more explosive,” Banks said. 

After his journey, Okpara had some words for those working to become stronger.

“Just set a goal for yourself. Work hard towards that goal because all we have is faith and discipline,” Okpara said. “Faith calls for those goals and discipline is sticking to those goals.”

So far this season, Okpara has started in 11 of 12 games, notched 25 blocks and had a career-high 14 points Nov. 29 against Central Michigan — all on par with his transformation.