Some athletes' popularity goes beyond just the sport they play - for example, Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Usain Bolt.

Kevin Durant also belongs to the group of biggest stars.

You must have heard stories about how, due to his enormous talent, he can dribble and shoot like a PG, although he is significantly taller than the average point guard or shooting guard.

Talent certainly plays an important role, but a God-given gift without hard work is practically useless.

Read on to know everything about Kevin Durant's workout routine and diet so you can improve your athletic performance.

How Does Kevin Durant Train On & Off The Court?

In most cases, European basketball teams organize daily practices even during the season, while the situation is different in the NBA.

NBA players have greater freedom for their season and offseason workout, while teams focus on players' pre-season preparation.

For the most part, they have their personal fitness and basketball coaches with whom they do individual drills throughout the year to achieve fitness goals.

How Kevin Durant trains on and off the court is not significantly different from most professional basketball players.

Dynamic warm-up must be an integral part of everyone's workout routine, whether an ordinary person or an elite athlete.

During those several tens of minutes, KD prepares his body for the efforts that await him. Mobility training for the ankles, knees, and upper body is also part of his routine. 

His coaches also focus on thoracic spine mobility and core resilience to reduce the likelihood of injury and gain the necessary stability to shoot from various positions. 

Of course, other parts of the body greatly benefit from working on mobility too.

As Kevin Durant is not a bodybuilder but a basketball player, there is no need for certain weight lifting exercises like the bench press to be part of his strength training often.

The most important thing is to keep his legs, back, and shoulders strong, while the pectoral muscles receive more attention during stretching than during strength training.

He must have very strong forearms, biceps, and triceps, but the large muscle mass on his arms can negatively affect his accuracy and is therefore counterproductive.

Durant is one of the best scorers the game has ever seen. Thousands of shots during shooting drills every day help him maintain his sharpness and a career average of over 27 points per game.

Basketball is a sport that requires anaerobic metabolism much more than aerobic. That's why his cardio training is based on sprints.[1]

Since a recovery routine is essential for longevity, Durant never skips massages, ice baths, and other recovery methods.

He makes it a priority to sleep at least 8 hours per night because sleep is best for rest and recovery.

Dynamic Warm-up Circuit

Exercises

Sets

Reps

Rest

High skips

4

8

30-35 secs

Walking hamstring stretch

4

8

30-35 Secs

Quad stretch with lean

4

8

30-35 Secs

Adductor Stretch

4

8

30-35 Secs

Hip Flexor Stretch

4

8

30-35 Secs

Mobility Training

Exercises

Sets

Reps

Rest

Thoracic Spine Extension

2

30

30-35 Secs

Rotational Med Ball Throws

3

8

30-35 Secs

Split-Stance Overhead Core Matrix (Forward, Rotational, and Lateral)

3

8

30-35 Secs

High Skip To A Deep Squat

3

10

30-35 Secs

Quick Line Into Stick

4

8

30-35 Secs

Strength Training

Exercises

Sets

Reps

Rest

Three-Way Med Ball Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift on an Airex Pad

2

5-7

30-35 Secs

Basic Med Ball Single Romanian Deadlift

3-4

8-10

30-35 Secs

Inverted Row on a Physioball with TRX Straps

3-4

8-10

30-35 Secs

Basic Inverted Row

3-4

8-10

30-35 Secs

Single-Leg Dumbbell-to-Press

3-4

6–8

30-35 Secs

Basic Overhead Press

3-4

6–8

30-35 Secs

Walking Dumbbell Pushup-to-Row

3-4

6–8

30-35 Secs

Basic Dumbbell Row from a Push-Up Position

3-4

6–8

30-35 Secs

Med Ball Multiplanar Lunge on Core Board

3-4

10-12

30-35 Secs

Basic Med Ball Multiplanar Lunge

3-4

10-12

30-35 Secs

Shooting Drills

Exercises

Attack Help Defender

Freeze Pull-Ups

Hesitation on Drive to Attack

Pick and Pop

Catch and Shoot

Post Up

Dribble Drag to Crossover

Early Offense Duck In

Counter

Cross-Screen to Pick and Roll

Recovery

Exercises

Ice bath

Massage

Foam rolling

Cryotherapy

Hyperbaric chamber

Cardio Workout Routine

Exercises

Sets

Reps

Rest

Quick sprints

3

3 minutes

30-35 Secs

Stop-and-go sprints

4

3 minutes

30-35 Secs

Back peddling

4

5 minutes

30-35 Secs

Suicide drills

3

4 minutes

30-35 Secs

Running on sand

2

5 minutes

30-35 Secs

Kevin Durant Full Physique

Who Is Kevin Durant? (The Suns KD)

Kevin Wayne Durant, also known as KD, is a world-famous American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Early life

He was born on September 29, 1988, in Washington, DC.

Growing up was not easy because his parents divorced when he was still a baby.

At the beginning of adolescence, Durant's father reentered his life, which positively impacted his basketball career and life in general.

He always stood out for his height. At the age of 10, he was already tall as an average adult.

KD played for several high schools in Maryland and Virginia.

College Career

If the NBA had not introduced the "one-and-done rule," Durant would most likely have fulfilled his childhood dream of playing for the Toronto Raptors because he wanted to declare for the 2006 NBA draft, and the Raptors had the 1st overall pick.

Instead, he had to play one season for the University of Texas. Durant had the chance to play for even more prestigious universities, such as Duke, but he chose the Longhorns.

As expected, Kevin was among the best college players, earning him the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the basketball equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Professional Career

Durant was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics, the team that now plays as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

From today's perspective, it is clear that the Portland Trail Blazers made a huge mistake by drafting Greg Oden instead of Durant because Oden turned out to be one of the biggest NBA draft busts of all time.

KD has been nothing short of spectacular since his very first NBA season.

After nearly a decade playing for Seattle/Oklahoma City, he decided to join the Golden State Warriors, the best NBA roster, to try to win an NBA title.

This move earned Durant a bad reputation among fans and peers, but he succeeded in his efforts and became a two-time NBA champion.

He didn't stay in the Warriors as long as he did in the Thunder, so from the 2020-21 NBA season, Kevin Durant then played for the Brooklyn Nets before joining the Phoenix Suns.

Off The Court

Durant is introverted but very confident. In the movie "The Real MVP: The Wanda Pratt Story," we can see his very close relationship with his mother, Wanda.

KD is unmarried and has no children. His girlfriend history is not very well known because he keeps his private life out of the public eye.

He has been engaged in numerous business ventures.

Current Body Stats

Take a look at current Kevin Durant stats.

Stat

Measurement

Height

6’10”

Weight

240 lbs

Age

34

Biceps

13.8 inches

Waist

32 inches

Chest

42 inches

Kevin Durant Body Stats

Kevin Durant’s Workout Principles (For The NBA & Beyond)

Leg muscles are the most important muscle group for basketball players. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Kevin Durant workout is also primarily focused on his legs.

But there is another reason why KD emphasizes legs so much. During the 2019 NBA Finals, he experienced one of the most serious injuries - an Achilles tendon rupture.

Because of that injury, he was away from the court for a year and a half.

To ensure that he will return to his previous level and to reduce the risk of re-injury, he worked tirelessly on strengthening his lower body.

He likes all the exercises that involve the use of a medicine ball because that's how he activates his core muscles in the best way. If you don't have a medicine ball, you can try out medicine ball slam alternatives.

Durant’s Biggest Accomplishments & Career Highlights

Durant's illustrious career serves as an inspiration to many children who want to become professional athletes. [2]

In order to mention all of his career highlights and accomplishments, it is necessary to write a book or make a documentary.

There is almost no individual or team trophy that KD has not won in the NBA, NCAA, and as part of the USA National Team.

NBA

  • 2× NBA champion: 2017, 2018
  • 2× NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award: 2017, 2018
  • NBA Most Valuable Player: 2014
  • 12× NBA All-Star: 2010–2019, 2021, 2022
  • 6× All-NBA First Team: 2010–2014, 2018
  • 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2012, 2019
  • NBA Rookie of the Year: 2008

USA Basketball

  • 3× Olympic gold medalist: 2012, 2016, 2020
  • Olympics Most Valuable Player: 2020
  • FIBA World Cup gold medalist: 2010
  • FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player: 2010

NCAA

  • Naismith College Player of the Year: 2007
  • Oscar Robertson Trophy: 2007
  • Jersey number (35) retired at Texas

Media

  • AP Player of the Year: 2007
  • Two-time ESPY Award winner
Kevin Durant Before And After

What NBA MVP Kevin Durant Eats In A Day

Diet routine is just as important to overall health and performance as training, if not more so. KD understands this, which is why he has had a personal chef for years.

His diet plan consists of 3 major meals plus snacks.

Breakfast

Durant's breakfast diet plan consists of an omelet with vegetables such as spinach and tomatoes. He also eats toast with an omelet and then eats fresh vegetables.

That's how he makes sure to take in a sufficient amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates at the beginning of the day.

Last time I checked, an almost identical breakfast is also on the menu of other high-profile athletes like Marc Márquez and Daniil Medvedev, implying that such a breakfast is an ideal energy source before the first training of the day.

Lunch

Lunch is the meal after the workout. KD eats seafood for lunch almost every day. He usually goes with salmon steak, but he also often chooses sea bass, catfish, or scallops.

Brown rice pilaf is a side dish, and it is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates have less effect on insulin secretion, and therefore there are no big jumps and drops of energy after consuming brown rice.

Salads, vegetables, and dressings are also part of his lunch.

Dinner

While lunch is almost always seafood, dinner is usually based on lean meat. He eats turkey and chicken white meat, or beef burgers and steak with little or no carbs except before gameday.

When he has a game the next day, Durant eats rice, pasta, or some similar carbohydrate. Since he likes seafood so much, sometimes he opts for it again for dinner.

Low-carb grilled vegetables are always part of the dinner, and he often drinks a fruit smoothie after the meal.

Snack

Durant has one to two snacks a day. For a snack, he consumes a protein shake, protein bar, or smoothie, rarely anything else.

Related Article: Whey Protein Vs Casein

Is he vegan? Is he vegetarian?

Durant is neither a vegan nor a vegetarian. He opted for a balanced diet that includes meat, eggs, vegetables, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.

His teammate Kyrie Irving is one of the most famous vegans in the NBA, so KD tried a vegan burger and smoothie with him.

What To Go For

  • Red Meat
  • Eggs
  • Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
  • Lean Proteins

What To Avoid

  • Fast Foods
  • Refined Carbs
  • Sugary Drinks

What Supplements Does Kevin Durant Take?

Durant believes that a well-balanced diet is much more important than supplementation.

But he also knows that it is necessary to consume at least a few supplements to meet the daily goals of micronutrients and macronutrients.

Whey Protein

Whey protein has become so popular in recent years that it is consumed by practically everyone, whether they are professional athletes or not.

Whey protein is absorbed much faster compared to eating protein-rich food, thus improving recovery.

Protein shakes are useful to increase overall protein consumption. Such products are often enriched with amino acids, especially BCAAs, which have an additional effect on recovery.

Related Article: Pre-Workout Vs Protein Powder

Fish Oil

Some would argue that Durant gets more than enough omega-3 fats from consuming so much seafood, but he also takes fish oil supplementation.

The anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil are very important in reducing muscle soreness and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Vitamins

Everyone needs a daily multivitamin supplement because the soil is depleted from excessive exploitation, and therefore it is not possible to get all the vitamins from food.

Zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, and magnesium are just some of the vitamins that the supplement contains.

Probiotics

Without a healthy gut, you cannot have a strong immune system and be healthy. That's why Durant consumes probiotics to preserve the gut microbiome.


Kevin Durant Workout Routine FAQs

How many hours a day does KD work out?

It depends on the time of year, but Kevin Durant usually trains 3 to 4 hours a day.

What does Kevin Durant do in his free time?

His favorite pastime is playing video games.

What's Kevin Durant's favorite food?

Durant absolutely enjoys crab legs.

What is KD’s game day routine?

His game day routine mostly consists of warm-up and light seafood meal prepared by his chef Ryan Lopez, who is in charge of his disciplined eating plan.

Conclusion

One day when he finishes his career, Kevin Durant will go down as one of the greatest of all time, no doubt.

Using a fake Twitter account to defend himself is the only off-field scandal he was involved in, and we can't even characterize that as a true scandal.

Therefore Durant may serve as a real role model both on and off the field.

We expect to enjoy his basketball skills for many years to come, and we hope you found his workout routine and nutrition principles useful.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4234752/

2.https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/02/magazine/kevin-durant-brooklyn-nets.html

Photo of author

Filip Maric

Filip is a qualified ISSA Elite trainer since 2019. His main field of expertise is strength and conditioning, as well as working with professional tennis players. An avid amateur tennis player, you can often find him on the clay courts or enjoying a live tennis tournament.