Workout, Diet Are Net Gain

Karch Kiraly.

No. 1 ranked player in the world.

The first beach pro to earn more than 2 million clams.

Teamed with Kent Steffes and won the gold at the Olympics this summer.

Here’s the 35-year-old San Clemente Spike King’s week during peak season--a day at a stretch.

The Workout

* Tuesday morning at the beach for about three hours doing drills and volleyball practice. “In the afternoon I’m with my strength coach in the weight room.” Two hours of weightlifting, mostly Olympic lifting such as clean and jerk, and snatch. He does squats and the leg press.

* Wednesday morning volleyball practice for three hours at the beach. Then in the afternoon, another hour and a half at the beach for individual training. “I do some movement and flexibility training and work on my jump serve.”

* Thursday morning he travels to the tournament location.

* Friday, Saturday and Sunday are devoted to playing volleyball.

* Monday: “I take off and then start again Tuesday morning.”

The Diet

“I kind of just do everything in moderation.”

Breakfast: “A big bowl of cold or hot cereal and then I drink Rice Dream--’milk’ made from rice--instead of milk.” (“It tastes better than milk to me. We [he and his wife] have two young [sons] who had some intestinal problems when they were babies, so they’ve always had nondairy and we just went along with that.”) Apple or orange juice, maybe a piece of toast. His sons, by the way “play a little of everything--soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball, baseball. . . .”

Snacks: “Maybe an energy bar or a banana. Once in a while, a smoothie. I’m not a big chip guy.”

Lunch: A sandwich, either turkey, chicken salad or tuna salad on wheat, and soup.

Dinner: Pasta with tomato sauce or grilled chicken and a salad. “I like Mexican food too. That’s probably one of my favorite foods. It’s not so healthy so I don’t have it every night of the week.”

Liquids: On the Assn. of Volleyball Professional circuit, “We all consume mass quantities of fluids--water and electrolyte replacement drinks.”

Dessert: “Once in a while I eat a little ice cream or a cookie.”

Guest Workout runs Wednesdays in Life & Style.