The Los Angeles Lakers ace LeBron James has been competing at the top tier of pro basketball for over two decades. With the start of the new 2023-24 season and the retirement of Andre Iguodala, Bron has officially become the oldest active player to play in the NBA.
At the age of 38 and soon to be 39 in December, LeBron shone in the match against the Clippers in game Week 2 and has been stunning the world with his elite-level performance. Most of the players retire or enter into the twilight of their careers at his age but Bron has been proving them wrong. His diet and training regime play a very crucial part in it managing to keep LeBron at the top of his fitness.
What is LeBron James’ diet?
A balanced diet is very important for the human body but it applies to an extreme extent in the case of professional athletes. As humans, our only source of energy is the food we consume, and it greatly affects our physical capabilities. So having a diet rich in carbohydrates is essential for people who work a lot in physically strenuous jobs and a protein-rich diet is essential for professionals who want to have strong muscles.
LeBron James has a balanced diet of all these factors and changes it according to his needs. When he is in the training phase and is getting ready for a new season, he likes to incorporate a diet that does not include sugar, processed food, dairy, and carbohydrate-rich foods. During this phase, he consumes a diet comprising salmon, chicken breasts, vegetable salads, omelets, and more.
When in between a season, his diet changes and incorporates carbohydrate-rich foods into it. The games he plays require a lot of physical toil with constant running and jumping which goes on for 48 minutes. This requires a lot of energy, so he increases the amount of carbohydrates in his diet.
In a video for the “Uninterrupted” YouTube channel LeBron said, “So sugars I kinda cut out, but carbs I kinda ramp up. Because you are losing so many calories, you are burning so many calories, burning all energy throughout those games. So I kinda go heavy on carbs because it gives energy. It has worked for me.”
A typical diet for the ace of the Lakers LeBron James during the NBA season starts with a protein-rich breakfast such as egg white omelets, gluten-free pancakes, yogurt smoked salmon, or a bagel with peanut butter. For lunch and dinner, he likes to add vegetables while taking more protein. Especially on a game day LeBron might have chicken breasts, vegetable salad with olive oil, or light pasta. LeBron James loves asparagus, bananas, squash, and zucchini which are some of his favorite vegetables to eat.
As for snacks, he avoids any processed food or packaged snacks and goes for healthy options. He loves fruits a lot and has even said that a day without fruits feels like a day without a workout to him. He likes to munch down on sliced apples with almond butter during the halftime of a game. For his protein shake, LeBron likes to have a packet of Ladder Chocolate Plant-Protein Powder one heaping Tablespoon of peanut butter, one frozen banana, and 8 to 10 oz vanilla unsweetened almond milk blended with ice cubes to top it off.
Lakers LeBron James’ training routine
Like many of the top athletes in the world, LeBron James also spends a lot of time in the gym to maintain his body and form. The efforts he puts in the gym are reflected in his performance on the court. He goes through an intensive training regime that is hard to follow and even harder to maintain consistently per NBCLA.
LeBron James uses the entire week to work on different parts of his body. On Mondays, he likes to work his upper body and follows a routine of :
- Wide-grip lat pulldown: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Incline dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 10 reps.
- One-arm dumbbell military press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 reps
On Tuesdays, he likes to do spin training and plyometric exercises. On Wednesdays, he trains his back, biceps, and traps. He follows a routine of:
- Grip pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps each
- Standing bicep curls with barbell: 4 sets of 12 reps each
- Chin-ups: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Barbell bent-over rows: 4 sets of 12 reps
- Wide grip pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
On Thursdays, LeBron James focuses on his cardio and gym sessions, following a routine of:
- Jump rope: 30 minutes
- Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Single-arm cable row: 3 sets of 10 reps per arm
- Single-arm overhead press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps per arm
- Leg curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
On Fridays, he trains his lower body, legs, and calves. He follows a routine of:
- Seated calf raise: 4 sets of 12 reps
- Leg press: 4 sets of 12 reps
- Back squat: 4 sets of 12 reps
- Calisthenics: Weighted jumps, jumping lunges, box jumps, and push-ups, 3 sets of 15 reps for each exercise
He ends the training week on Saturdays, again focusing on Plyometric and spin training. On Sundays, he takes rest as rest is very important for the body to recover, especially after the rigorous workout regime he follows.
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