If you’re keen on getting yourself in peak physical shape and condition, you can learn a lot by simply following some of the moves of your favorite athletes.
Professional athletes, of course, are among the most physically fit people in the world. They have many resources and knowledge available to keep their bodies in the best possible shape long-term.
Athletes like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Alexander Ovechkin, Rafael Nadal, and Lionel Messi still play at extremely high levels despite their ages. By following certain tips, diet, and workout plans from world-class athletes, you, too, could achieve your long-term fitness goals.
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, the consensus pick for the greatest basketball player ever, went to the gym to maximize his talents and longevity. The result: Six NBA Championships, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and five league MVPs.
Illinois has emerged as one of the leading states in the U.S. sports betting industry. The Bulls are among the main teams to place wagers on if you wish to bet in Illinois, and the top sportsbooks are offering special sign-up bonuses to new customers. This includes a risk-free bet of up to $1,000 from BetMGM, a $1,000 risk-free first bet from FanDuel, and five $ 100-second chance bets from PointsBet.
Here is a look at some of the best workout routines from a couple of your favorite athletes that could help you get maximum results and reach peak conditions.
Michael Jordan
Renowned trainer Tim Grover trained the likes of Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade — three multi-time NBA champions and Hall of Famers.
In a 2012 piece published at Stack.com, Grover detailed that Jordan changed up his workout routine to get himself better built for those showdowns with the archrival Detroit Pistons. The Bill Laimbeer-led Pistons used their size, physicality, and toughness to wear down MJ and the Bulls before Chicago finally broke through with its first championship in 1991.
The article at Stack.com also shared one of Jordan’s workout programs that he did with Grover, which consisted of 5:30 a.m. starts. The article recommends performing either sequence three times per session and to do one of those sequences twice per week.
For 30 seconds, Jordan would perform the dumbbell-step-up exercise before moving into split jumps, performing 15 reps in each leg. The first sequence would conclude with a lying glute stretch (30 seconds in each leg).
The second sequence would kick off with squats (with a bar) for 30 seconds. MJ would then perform 15 reps of squat jumps before going into a standing quad stretch (also 30 seconds in each leg).
It was a combination of everything that made Jordan the best player of his era: Speed, explosiveness, individual talent/skill sets, confidence, mental toughness, IQ, and physicality. His effective workout routines and determination in the gym helped Jordan reach the legendary status that sports fans continue to embrace today.
Tom Brady
Brady has set the golden standard by playing the game’s most important position well into his mid-40s (he’s 45), even though quarterbacks tend to slow down by their mid-30s.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time league MVP has trained extensively under the renowned fitness expert Alex Guerrero. Brady’s commitment to a strict and detailed diet and never-ending commitment to fitness is largely what helped him enjoy the most accomplished individual career in NFL history.
Guerrero detailed part of Brady’s exercise routine in a recent article at Men’s Health. One key was to help Brady improve his quickness despite his age. One such drill? The three-cone set (recommended once a week) helps Brady focus on his quick movement in small areas.
The article noted that Brady also “prefers using heavy resistance bands over weights” so that he can go until he’s fully tired out:
“Brady does a single set of a critical exercise, as many reps as he can, then squeezes out a few more by reducing the range of motion as he tires. Try it with the deadlift: Start standing with your feet on a band, hands grasping its ends. Do as many good-form reps as you can. Next set, lower your torso only halfway; repeat until you can do no more reps. Finish by doing 3 reps, lowering your torso just a few inches. Do this once a week.”
Brady is a primary example that age is just a number. At any age, you can get yourself into the best possible shape of your life. Don’t forget that this man led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns as a 44-year-old in 2021.
Surely, many other athletes will be keen to follow Brady’s workout plan and lifestyle. If he can continue to play at this high of a level into his mid-40s, there’s no telling how many other athletes will be able to fight off father time in the coming years.
Leave a Reply