Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker had the goal of getting bigger and stronger this offseason. He committed himself so fully and completely to this target that according to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Maker would make himself do fingertip pushups after every missed jumper in practice.

Of course, Maker made use of more advanced strengthening methods than mere pushups to achieve his goals, and they seem to have worked in adding muscle to Maker’s lean frame ahead of his second season in the NBA.

Listed at 216 pounds last year on the official roster, Maker didn’t want to say how much weight he put on. But it is obvious he did gain. “Yes. It’s somewhere I like being at,” Maker said. “It’s working out really well for me.”

Thon Maker came on strong during the latter half of his rookie year. He averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes over his last 35 regular-season games, and was a starter in the playoffs. But it was quite obvious from his appearance that he still didn’t quite have the body to compete physically with the bigger and stronger centers in the league.

After all the work he’s put into his body this offseason, though, the 20-year-old should be in a better position to succeed. That’s good news for the Bucks, who will be relying on the big man to take a step forward, especially with the absence of Jabari Parker for at least the first half of the season.