NBA players are some of the strongest athletes in the world, but how do they manage to stay in shape? Well, being a professional athlete requires a lot of work, and eating regime, and training. With that being said, you can still follow some of the fitness routines from some of the best NBA stars and optimize them to suit your lifestyle.
Obviously, staying in shape is critical for NBA players, especially during the season. In fact, people go to the extreme of checking athletes’ shape, before making a bet in any game.
So, can you use some of their techniques and apply them to your fitness routine?
Let’s find out more of what NBA stars focus on.
1. Weight Training
This is kind of a no braining. Obviously, professional NBA players involved in the most recent NBA trade rumors according to the TwinSpires Edge need to be hitting the weights all year. Even though NBA games are most about speed and agility, it still requires strength. Depending on your goal, you should definitely hit the gym and find the right program that will work best for your body.
NBA players on average weigh north of 200 pounds. This means that they have a lot of mass to move around and muscles are crucial for this job.
A typical NBA weight training involves plenty of weight moves incorporating squats and lunges. This is crucial for maintaining their explosive jumping strength.
2. Plyometrics
This is an old-school routine that is very popular among NBA athletes. Basically, it is a fitness plan that blends agility and bodyweight training into strength building. These procedures involve power jumping, repetitive bounding, and quick-force production. Plyometric routines should be approached with caution just because placing too much strain on muscles can lead to injury.
Body training like plyometrics is great for improving agility and general body awareness. There are plenty of advantages of plyometrics that can improve your agility and even help you lose weight quicker.
Professional athletes have well-diversified fitness routines. This means that they are working out different things at the same time. This is the best way to stay in shape and avoid injuries that can occur from using the same repetitive training program.
3. Boxing
Boxing is an exercise that can help you build strength and it is great for cardio and exploding. Most NBA athletes have boxing training, especially in the off-season. Boxing is one of the most intense cardio sports around, and you should definitely try it once per week.
Boxing is a very balanced exercise that is great for your upper and lower body. It is also one of the best stress release exercises, which is also very important for NBA athletes.
4. Yoga
Mental health is very important for NBA athletes. They go through a lot of strict procedures and competitive matches, which is why they need an exercise where they can clear their heads and balance their body.
Many elite NBA athletes started yoga routines, especially during their off-season. Yoga is also very important for injury prevention. If you develop a yoga routine you’ll be able to stretch your muscles and improve their flexibility. That way you’ll avoid ligament and tendon injury.
Additionally, every yoga move promotes core strength. Such exercises are great for improving back and abdominal muscles, which are typically more vulnerable to injury among taller people.
5. Nutrition
Obviously, you wouldn’t achieve the levels required by the NBA stars if you didn’t eat properly like an athlete does. Being a pro athlete means making some sacrifices, but also eating a specific set of proteins and having strict meal schedules throughout the day.
Most NBA teams have their own nutritionist team and they recommend a balanced diet, based on proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products. However, 3 hours before an important game or even an intense training athlete know they shouldn’t abuse on dairy products.
This is because the intestine might take longer to process these, thus causing stomach pain later if combined with intense workout. And nobody wants to have a toilet rush moment during an important game or team training!
Therefore, the last meal before a game should be something that has proteins but it’s not too heavy: something like fish, with potatoes and vegetables makes for an ideal energy boost. If you can add a boiled egg even better.
One hour before the game you can have a banana or an energy bar to keep adrenaline levels stable. However, avoid caffeine and energy drinks: they can be counter-productive and also cause intestinal problems as they are mostly diuretic.
6. Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat
As well as eating well, you need to have a sleeping routine adapted to your fitness schedule. You will not perform well during training if you are not well rested.
NBA players have very strict sleeping schedules, because they have to train at least 2 to 3 times a day intensively and they also have to travel a lot when playing away games. Sleep deprivation can make an incredibly good athlete become vulnerable to injuries and lose focus during a competitive match.
Sleeping early and at least 7 hours per day is essential. Plus, the earlier you go to sleep, the earlier you wake up, allowing you to enjoy more daylight and be more active and confident. Vitamin D, which mostly comes from exposition to sunlight, is crucial for people: you will feel more active and it is proven it also prevents depression.
If you wake up in the early hours of the morning you can go for a jog when there are almost no people in the street or visit your local gym. Most of them open really early and this is a perfect time to avoid crowded equipment.
Final Words
These are some of the best fitness tips we can learn from professional NBA stars and apply to our everyday routines. You don’t have to go to such extremes like NBA stars, but maintaining a good workout flow is crucial for staying in shape.
You have to remember that every body is built differently. These exercises are just a guideline and you need to personalize your fitness routines that work best for your body.
