Last Updated On June 28, 2023
The name LeBron James is as synonymous with basketball as it gets. One of the greatest players to ever step on the court, his nickname "The King" is not only deserved but earned.
What keeps him going on the court and performing incredible games night after night is his diet and workout routine. Not for the faint of heart; if you want to train like the King, you need to step up your game.
In this review, we will look at LeBron James' diet plan, his history, accolades, and most importantly, his workout plan. Can you follow along? Let's find out.
- Lebron's Quick Workout Summary
- LeBron James' Workout Routine Explained
- LeBron James Background (AKA The King)
- Current Body Stats
- King James’ Training and Workout Principles
- Most Impressive Career Achievements
- Lebron James' Diet Plan - What He Eats!
- What Supplements Does LeBron Take?
- LeBron James Workout-Playlist 2022
- LeBron James Workout Routine FAQs
- Conclusion
Lebron's Quick Workout Summary
Main Workout Goal | Maintaining Peak Performance And Athleticism |
Program Duration | 9 weeks |
Workout Days Per Week | 6 |
Time Per Workout | 90-120 minutes |
Equipment Required | Dumbbells, Barbells, Plyo Box |
Recommended Supplements | Protein Shakes Multivitamins |
LeBron James' Workout Routine Explained
LeBron James does a full-circuit workout to increase stamina, performance, explosion, and strength. He also works on cardio and works out 6 days per week, only taking Sundays off to rest.
One of the most notable aspects of the LeBron James workout plan is that he will perform three or four workouts per week with only six exercises (not including warm-up). Maximizing endurance levels and minimizing rest periods is the key to it all.
Even if you aren't playing basketball or working with trainer Mike Mancias, you can still train like you have two Olympic gold medals. Of course, muscle growth and physical fitness are crucial to this workout plan, but a six-day workout schedule is what NBA legend caliber people are made for.
As long as you work to minimize rest periods, include a yoga routine and lower body exercises that include jump rope or other vertical movements, you should be able to keep up. Let’s look at the famed Lebron James workout routine.
Monday: Chest, Triceps & Shoulders
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
VersaClimber warm-up | 20-30 mins | 1 | 5 minutes |
Incline dumbbell bench press | 4 | 12 | 30-40 secs |
Seated dumbbell overhead press | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Seated overhead tricep extension with dumbbell | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Clap push-ups | 3 | 20 | 30-40 Secs |
Triangle push-ups | 3 | 20 | 30-40 Secs |
Plank To Push-Ups | 3 | 10 | 30-40 Secs |
Yoga: 15-30 minutes | cooldown / | 1 | 5 minutes |
Tuesday: Plyometrics/Spin & Yoga
Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Plyometrics/spin class | 30-60 mins | 1 |
Yoga | 30-60 mins | 1 |
Wednesday: Back, Biceps & Traps
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
VersaClimber | 20-30 mins | 1 | 5 minutes |
Barbell deadlift | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Standing bicep curls with barbell | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Barbell bent-over rows | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Wide push-ups | 3 | 20 | 30-40 Secs |
Chin-ups | 3 | 20 | 30-40 Secs |
Wide grip pull-ups | 3 | 10 | 30-40 Secs |
Yoga | 15-30 mins | 1 | 5 minutes |
Thursday: Plyometrics/Spin and Yoga
Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Plyometrics/Spin class | 30-60 Mins | 1 |
Yoga | 30-60 mins | 1 |
Friday: Legs, Calves, Calisthenics
Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
VersaClimber | 20-30 mins | 1 | 5 minutes |
Back squat | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Leg press | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Seated calf raise | 4 | 12 | 30-40 Secs |
Jumping lunges | 3 | 20 | 30-40 Secs |
Box jumps | 3 | 15 | 30-40 Secs |
Weighted jumps | 3 | 10 | 30-40 Secs |
Yoga | Number | 1 | 5 minutes |
Saturday: Plyometrics/Spin & Yoga
Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
Plyometrics/Spin class | 30-60 mins | 1 |
Yoga Workout | 30-60 mins | 1 |
Sunday: Rest Day
LeBron James Background (AKA The King)
LeBron Raymone James Sr. is a husband to wife Savannah Brinson, father, and NBA basketball legend. Born in Ohio, he was raised by a single mother until she decided to let him live with another family for full support.
LeBron James attended an all-white private school where he was invited to join the basketball team. After winning national championships, he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, where he was named Rookie of the Year.
King James shattered records, put up numbers, and scored points faster and better than almost everyone in NBA history. He won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2012.[1]
Today, James still focuses on basketball, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but also holds other avenues of interest with film making, charities and non-profit start-ups, as well as real estate holdings and investments.
James also makes the news as often as he frequently sprints up and down the court. Most notably, his fights with former teammate Tristan Thompson and other NBA players. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and because of his yoga routine and recovery workout routines, he can bend over backwards if he wants to.
Related Article - Kevin Durant's Workout Routine
Current Body Stats
As of this writing, James’s stats are detailed below. His weight does fluctuate during the basketball season, but he tries to maintain the average throughout the rest of the year.
Stat | Measurement |
|---|---|
Height | 6”8’ |
Weight | 238 - 250 lbs |
Age | 38 |
Biceps | 17 inches |
Waist | 36 inches |
Chest | 46 inches |
Legs | 22 inches |
King James’ Training and Workout Principles
LeBron James works out almost every day. During the basketball season, he does a workout every day with a basketball workout daily as well.
His workouts include a lot of supersets to make the most use of time and prevent rest between sets. He works hard on cardio and endurance, as well as strength and explosion from his muscles to get him up and down the court without being winded.
James focuses a lot on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to maintain his lean muscle mass, strength, and endurance levels. His diet is also designed around his routines and bodily needs to meet these goals.
Most Impressive Career Achievements
LeBron James is not without achievements and awards. We could fill an entire novel just listing them all, including his numerous NBA finals MVP awards. Here are some of the highlights of his career so far and the most notable awards or achievements made.
Lebron James' Diet Plan - What He Eats!
LeBron James has a varying diet depending if it is on or off season. During the season, he will eat more chicken and pasta to load up on carbs before a game. In the off-season, he limits the carb loading but always maintains a healthy diet.
James prefers to eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day, often only waiting 2 to 3 hours between each. James now has a personal chef and only eats homemade meals. He also reduces sugar (natural or added) during the basketball season because it slows down his recovery efforts. The diet plan is fairly basic, but the all homemade option may not be available to all of us.
If you are going to follow Lebron James's workout routines, you may as well follow the LeBron James diet plan, too. If you like things like chicken breast and French toast and ensuring your diet includes essential amino acids, you are in luck.
Related Article - Kobe Bryant's Diet Plan And Exercise Routine
Breakfast
A typical breakfast will include eggs, whole-grain bread or muffins, avocado, and Greek yogurt or fresh fruit smoothie. During the off-season, French toast is added to the mix. If you don't want toast, you can opt for gluten-free pancakes instead.
Lunch and Dinner
James' lunches are typically light and will consist of a vegetable salad and olive oil, fresh fruit, and grilled chicken breast.
For dinner, he will have salmon, chicken, or turkey with steamed vegetables, quinoa, and plenty of seasonings, including olive oil. He also typically includes a late-night meal of turkey bacon and a veggie omelet.
Snacks
James tends to only have protein shakes as a snack. Before dinner, he will enjoy fresh fruit and take vitamins.
Cheat Days
Because the season is so long and he only eats homemade meals, James doesn't have cheat days but will increase his sugar intake during the off-season.
What To Go For
What To Avoid
What Supplements Does LeBron Take?
Unlike weight lifters or those looking for huge muscle gains, LeBron James doesn’t take a lot of supplements. He will have a daily Ladder plant protein shake and multivitamin, though.
LeBron James Workout-Playlist 2022
LeBron James is a huge fan of Spotify and uses it to create playlists for working out. One of his lists was made public, and you can like or follow along with it if you want.[2]
Nike, as a brand sponsor, also released "LeBron's Unbreakable Playlist" on Apple music.[3] While the Apple Music playlist wasn’t made directly by James, a lot of the songs are used in his personal playlists.
LeBron James Workout Routine FAQs
James has commented in many post-game interviews that he values sleep as a recovery aid and to foster development. He states that he achieves up to 12 hours per night of restful sleep.
LeBron James is reported to consume up to 5000 calories per day during the NBA season and 3500 to 4500 calories per day during the off-season and athletic training.
James has been on a Keto diet before, for a reported 67 days. He stated it did help him slim down, but the diet he followed was modified.
Currently, LeBron James enjoys a standard healthy diet that is keto-sufficient but doesn't follow a typical keto plan.
James' personal trainer, Mike Mancias, started out as the Cleveland Cavaliers sports trainer. He hit it off with James and worked with him during his time in Cleveland. After LeBron James left for Miami, he hired Mike Mancias as his personal trainer, who is still with him today.
Conclusion
LeBron James is easily a future NBA hall of fame member and will be in the annals of basketball history. With his NBA championships, movie credits, Olympic medals and charity organizations, it seems there is little time left to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Following a traditional exercise program, plenty of protein shake breaks, and athletic endurance training, the MVP awards will keep coming.
LeBron James is no surprise there, either. Even sleeping half the day, he still manages a full cardio, strength, and endurance HITT training regimen that would be daunting for most - even during off-season training. Now that you know how he does it, feel free to test it out for yourself.
References:
- https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-lebron-james-first-championship-2012
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3PePCrwhpK7o5b6lu90dMd
- https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/lebrons-unbreakable-playlist/pl.e06d0942d9774c3e955d4dd4e3755271
