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Scott Cochran shows off his new weight room last spring.

(Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama â First impressions of Scott Cochran vary little for new Alabama football players.

The cult hero/strength and conditioning coach is the first staff member with whom they spend quality time. Stories of those workouts are legendary.

But for the big guys, they're especially taxing.

Two of Alabama's mid-year enrollees joined the list of linemen who couldn't fully prepare for what they encountered. They usually laugh about those weight room epiphanies, but the regimen is no joke.

"Man, the workouts... At the beginning, man, the workouts were painful," said Cameron Robinson, a 5-star tackle who is one of the top recruits in the nation. "Coach Cochran, he was killing us. We just had to get in and get used to it. Our bodies get adjusted to it. We've been rolling all, just working hard every day."

But getting adjusted is all relative.

This is the same Cochran who cheered on a round of post-workout vomiting on "60 Minutes Sports" last fall on Showtime. The fact that Cochran is so well known, let alone featured on a national television profile says enough.

His reputation is bigger than the athletes he trains.

After enrolling early in 2012, Alabama offensive lineman Alphonse Taylor couldn't pretend to hide his reaction to Cochran's plan.

"Honestly," he said. "I almost died."

Taylor stood 6-foot-6, 360 pounds when he said that on National Signing Day two years ago. Now he's down to 335 pounds. Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker lost about 75 pounds after arriving at Alabama overweight in 2009.

So it works.

The route to such success just isn't easy or full of glory.

It also comes with warnings. Defensive lineman Jarran Reed just transferred from East Mississippi Community College. He heard all about what he was about to experience.

"Oh yeah," he said. "They explained it, but still it's a shock to you, you know?"

;Robinson said the cautions "didn't do it justice."

Right now, Robinson weighs "330-something," but would like to trim down somewhat. He's shooting for 325 to 330 when it's time to put on pads.

The highly-touted offensive lineman is being groomed for the all-important left tackle position â the one protecting a new quarterback's blindside. Cyrus Kouandjio just left Alabama after starting two years at that position listed at 6-6, 310.

Robinson knows there's a lot to improve before he can challenge for that job.

"I need to work on everything," he said. "SEC man, with these defensive linemen, it's crazy. These guys are freak athletes. I'm working on everything I can to just get better overall."

Spring practice is still weeks away, so he's all Cochran's for now. And with that still-shiny, $9 million and 37,000 square-foot weight room, there's plenty he can cook up for the new guys.

NCAA rules permit for up to eight hours of weekly offseason weight room/film room time. They're not allowed to do any on-field skill training so Cochran is the only coach who can instruct at full strength right now.

The pace of the workouts threw Robinson the most.

"Like, in high school, you don't necessarily get tired of it," he said. "In the weight room, with coach Cochran, you're dog tired, trying to lift weights from running to each station, never sit still, jump rope, doing core work, ab work, cardio, something. Never standing still."