UNC basketball strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian has been known for unusual and unique training practices designed to push players to their limits while keeping the workouts interesting.

You have heard the stories of Tyler Hansbrough pushing trucks in the Dean Dome parking lot. And you've seen the heated games of "Danny Ball," the variation of sand volleyball played with weighted medicine balls.

Sophomore shooting guard Brandon Robinson.

Sahratian is never complacent and never wants his pupils to feel comfortable. It's all about pushing limits in new ways.

Adam Lucas, UNC's in-house writer for GoHeels.com, detailed Sahratian's unique offseason regimen.

Before summer workouts Sahratian consulted a rugby strength and conditioning coach who had worked with the Japanese national team to get some new ideas. The result was a wrinkle to workouts that created more of an unstable environment when the players are running.

It's like running and jumping on sand. Making training difficult makes the movements easier and more normal when it matters in games.

Carolina players are already noticing the benefits of the tweaks to the training.

"What we've been doing has helped me a lot with finishing through contact," UNC sophomore shooting guard Brandon Robinson told Lucas. "You can feel a difference when you're taking some bumps when you're trying to finish a straight line drive."

That is the goal. Finding exercises and workouts that not only make the players faster, quicker, more explosive, and stronger, but making them translate to specific movements and scenarios on the basketball court.

"It's always good when we see it carry over," Sahratian said "It's speed work, but it also transfers to actual basketball."

While UNC will start practice on Oct. 2, the first public glimpse of the 2017-18 team will be at Late Night with Roy on Oct. 13.

The Tar Heels begin the 2017-18 season on Nov. 10 in the Smith Center against Northern Iowa. Check out UNC's entire non-conference and ACC schedule here.