LeBron James is probably the most durable athlete of all time. He’s been playing at a superstar level for 17 years now, and shows no signs of slowing down. So how does LeBron stay in such good shape? Why Lebron James Spends $1.5 Million on His Body
By the end of his 2020 deal with the Lakers, Lebron James will become the highest paid NBA player ever with more than 350 million dollars in career earnings.
Of course Lebron is not keeping all this money under the mattress.
He happens to be an extremely successful investor with stake ownership in beats by Dre, Liverpool football club, and blaze pizza, among many other endorsements.
Lebron is also known as a person who invests a lot of time and resources to keep his body in the best shape possible.
In this article, we’ll look how Lebron trains, why he spends millions of dollars on physical fitness, and how he could end up as the most durable athlete ever?
Spends $1.5 Million A Year on His Body
Lebron has a rule that he religiously follows.
And that rule is that you keep the number one thing the number one thing.
Translated, this means that basketball which has been his primary source of income and a catalyst for all the other revenue flows, always remains the number one thing during his playing days.
Lebron understands that basketball is the driving force for most of his other ventures.
And that his success off the court is closely tied to a success in the NBA.
As nobody wants to buy basketball shoes from an unsuccessful player.
And even after his three rings, and a thick resume that transcends basketball, Lebron is still going strong in his 17th year with no sign of slowing down.
If you’re wondering how that’s possible?
It’s because he never stops training and spends huge amounts of money to keep his body in the best possible shape.
He uses cryotherapy to decrease inflammation in his body and relieve muscle pain after hard training sessions.
Apart from freezing himself to death, he also uses hyperbaric chambers to increase the amount of oxygen in his blood by simulating high altitude conditions which results in better endurance and overall performance in his recovery regimen.
Another modern gizmo is Normatec leg boot, which massages his lower extremities, and keeps the muscles loose and warm which benefits with aches and soreness.
He also gives private treatments with liquid nitrogen to help reduce inflammation.
Other than that he employs a team of personal chefs, massage therapists, and trainers to keep him in tip-top shape like Dwayne Johnson another famous gym rat.
Lebron has to pump iron everywhere he goes even if it’s a yacht in the Mediterranean in the middle of the summer, the yacht has to be equipped with a gym because Lebron is addicted to working out.
When he was filming Space Jam in the summer of 2019, he would spend up to 12 hours on the set which is exhausting in itself.
However before every day of shooting that would usually start around 7am, Lebron would already practiced which means he would wake up around 4am every day, now that’s commitment.
Lebron’s greatness is taken somewhat for granted, because he won the genetic golden ticket and grew up into a 6 8 uber athlete that can jump out of the Gym.
However there were many athletic guys in the NBA.
For him to still be basically playing the same level past the age of 35, now that’s something else.
So let’s take a look at how he does it?
Lebron James’ Workout Routine
When we watch basketball games, we see the final product on the court.
But everything that goes into it is what very few people understand.
Lebron is one of the hardest and smartest workers in the NBA.
And the fact that he hasn’t suffered a severe injury is not an accident.
Sure there is some luck, because freak injuries happen in basketball.
But Lebron is doing everything he possibly can to decrease the chance for injury and the results have been tremendous so far.
The man that helped him along the way and who is still his personal trainer and one of his closest associates is a man named Mike Mancias.
Mancias is one of the top personal trainers in the world.
And he became the Lebron what Tim Grover was for Michael Jordan.
Mancias began working for the Cavs in 2005 and Lebron asked for his advice when he was experiencing back tightness and knee soreness which were big problems since James wasn’t yet 22.
Mancias has then reconstructed his workout routine and is a big reason why Lebron was injury-free for the majority of his career.
Mancias now has Lebron on a tight weekly schedule.
It includes weightlifting up to three times per week.
Plyometric work or cardio on the versaclimber several times per week.
And some form of yoga and stretching before and after every session.
LeBron James’ Workout Routine & Diet
Of course that doesn’t include actual basketball training and around 100 basketball games he plays every year, yoga and stretching is something James learned out of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s book.
And then took it to a completely different level.
Kareem swore by yoga and said that it’s only because of it that he was able to keep playing at the age of 40, and still be productive.
Lebron suffered a first serious injury in the 2015 season, he had an injured disc in his back and his mobility and explosiveness took a significant hit.
Worried Lebron reached out for help and got it from Donnie Raimon, a former navy seal specializing in biomechanics and human movement.
Raimon’s expertise combines biology and physical mechanics.
And he helped James to massively improve his core strength, posture and get rid of all the back pain.
Lebron also transformed the way he lands on the floor to preserve his joints.
If you look at how he manoeuvres landings after dunks, he’s like a gazelle just softly touching the ground after a big jump which goes a long way for knee and ankle durability.
When it comes to optimizing performance, Lebron kept no stone unturned and was not shy to ask for help.
Because of all the work on his biomechanics, mobility and state-of-the-art recovery systems, he’s still at the top of the basketball world.
To be the king you have to think like a king and train like a king.
And if you really want to know the full details of Lebron’s workout watch this one hour uncut video of his training with mancias on Youtube.
Lebron James’ Nutrition
Like with training and recovery, James also invests a lot in nutrition to replenish his body with the right fuel.
So he can perform at the optimal level.
Eats about five times a day, a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner and a couple of snacks in between.
James starts off the day with an egg white omelette with French toast or a turkey sandwich with avocados or a yogurt with some fruit.
If he feels frisky enough, he even goes for some fruity pebbles, his favourite cereal.
After practice he eats a snack that is either protein shake with some almond or peanut butter or some more fruit.
Before the game, Lebron usually eats a light lunch that involves lean proteins leafy greens and complex carbs.
His most common choices are chicken breast and some pasta, or a veggie salad with some fruits.
During the game, he might go in energy bar or even peanut butter and jelly sandwich to keep him energized for the remainder of the game.
After the game Lebron’s glycogen levels are depleted and he is conscious of hydrating a lot after he burns a lot of energy.
He religiously drinks a protein recovery shake and carbohydrate-rich recovery fluids which are both provided by Mancias.
James ramps up on the carbs in the playoffs, because of greater energy expenditure.
And he stays off sugar because it slows down the recovery process after games.
For the same reason he doesn’t need a lot of red meat and he completely removed pork from his menu.
He’s more likely to indulge in sweets in the off season.
Except for in 2014, where he temporarily went paleo and ate nothing but meats, fruits and veggies for two months.
And last but not least Lebron is a much known wine aficionado and likes to drink quality vino after dinner.
Apart from great taste it helps him to fall asleep easier.
To de-stimulate his brain, Lebron also uses the calm meditation app to shut off his mind and focus on the next day’s action.
Lebron’s Longevity Records
If he keeps this pace and stays lucky with injuries, Lebron could break all kinds of records.
Of course the focus is on the all-time scoring list, where James is currently third behind Kareem and Karl Malone.
If he keeps playing into his 40s, he might amass well over 40,000 points and comfortably break Jabbar’s record of 38387.
Lebron is also likely to be one of seven NBA players who have over 10,000 assists, joining Stockton, Kid, Nash, magic and Mark Jackson and probably Chris Paul.
James’ is already in the top 10 of all time in the regular season.
When it comes to minutes played and the first in playoff minutes played.
By the time it’s all said and done LBJ will likely be the player who played most basketball ever.
Apart from his tremendous God-given talent, Lebron has an incredible work ethic and has made smart choices that keep him at the top for 17 years and counting.
Lebron is already one of the most durable athletes and once you learn about his habits, it’s easy to see why.
With a little bit of luck, he could become the most durable athlete ever and further advance his case for the G.O.A.T status in basketball.