Written by Kyle Hunt | BEXSci.
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Certain athletes are larger than life. Athletes like MJ, Kobe, Tiger, Tyson, and Lebron transcend sports. In fact, they're so famous we know them simply by one name.
Lebron James, a combination of size, skill, and extreme work ethic, is the model of a modern superstar athlete. But you need even more than that to become a legend. You also need a bulletproof training plan.
For Lebron, it is about more than winning. It is about legacy. And to achieve that, he pairs his natural gifts with an intense training and nutrition program.
With the success that Lebron has had, and continues to have, it makes sense that fans and competitors alike want to emulate the routine of one of the world's greatest athletes.
So, what exactly is Lebron James' training and nutrition plan? Read on to find out!
Table of Contents:
- Who is Lebron James?
- What You Need to Know About Lebron James
- Lebron James' Workout Training Split
- What Are Lebron James' Workout Principles?
- Lebron James Workout Routine
- Lebron James Diet Plan & Supplementation
- How the Average Lifter Can Train Like Lebron James
Who is Lebron James?
Lebron James is a professional American basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. He was born December 30th, 1984, in Akron, Ohio.
After declaring for the NBA draft straight out of high school, he was picked number one overall in the 2003 draft by his childhood team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In addition to Cleveland and Los Angeles, Lebron has played for the Miami Heat.
King James has dominated the NBA for twenty years and is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.
What You Need to Know About Lebron James
Lebron James has had a decorated basketball career. After being the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, it took him only a short time to establish himself as one of the league's premier players.
Lebron won the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year award and Most Valuable Player in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. In both of these years, he was the Finals MVP.
After four years with the Heat, James returned to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to an NBA championship over the Golden State Warriors by overcoming a 3–1 deficit. Lebron was the finals MVP.
It was Cleveland's first championship.
In 2018, James again left the Cavaliers and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 2020 NBA season, Lebron won his fourth championship and one of his four NBA Finals MVP Awards.
Outside of the NBA, Lebron has won two Olympic gold medals playing for Team USA.
Lebron James’ Workout Training Split
Lebron follows a five-day training split with his workout routines consisting of three days of weight lifting and two days of conditioning, flexibility, and core work per week.
After over twenty years as a professional athlete, Lebron has seen and tried everything.
That said, the Lebron James workout plan consists mainly of the basics. Always remember that workouts do not need to be fancy to be effective.
- Day #1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)
- Day #2: Conditioning, Yoga, Core
- Day #3: Pull (Back, Biceps, and Traps)
- Day #4: Conditioning, Yoga, Core
- Day #5: Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
What Are Lebron James' Workout Principles?
Here are four workout principles Lebron follows that you can apply to your own workout split.
1. Lift Weights to Get Stronger.
You won't find a lot of "sport-specific" training in Lebron's routine, which is by design.
His main goal in the weight room is to improve general strength and conditioning. Lebron gets plenty of basketball-specific athletic training on the court. Lift weights with the purpose of getting stronger.
2. Emphasize Core, Balance, and Flexibility.
Being strong is essential, but you are only as strong as your weakest link. In a sport like pro basketball, it doesn't matter how much you can barbell curl if you have a weak core, poor balance, and no flexibility.
Lebron spends a lot of time doing yoga and pilates to supplement his weight lifting.
3. Focus on Recovery.
Physical and mental recovery is a critical part of an athlete's success.
To ensure his body is recovering optimally, Lebron emphasizes sleeping for muscle and workout recovery. He sleeps 8-10 hours per night, practices daily meditation, and spends time in a hyperbaric chamber.
4. Stay Consistent.
Lebron is not only consistent on the hardwood, but he also is in his daily routine.
To dominate the NBA for two decades, all of the little things add up. Lebron looks to do something to improve his body every single day.
Lebron James Workout Routine
The superstars are the athletes with elite genetics and the most insane work ethic. Lebron falls into that category.
Although he has top-of-the-food chain genetics, Lebron is no stranger to hard work, and his training routine reflects that.
Day #1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps)
Day one is a traditional push workout. Lebron starts the session with an incline dumbbell bench press to train his upper chest.
Next up is a unique exercise you don’t see many people do: the snatch grip behind the neck overhead press.
Many people omit this exercise because it requires a tremendous amount of shoulder mobility.
The combination of the wide grip plus having the bar behind your head is hard for most people. However, if you have the mobility to do it, it's an excellent movement.
The third exercise of the day is a split stance one-arm kettlebell press. A lot is going on with this movement. The split stance is a lower body isometric hold, while the unilateral press requires core and shoulder stability.
After the overhead press and one-arm kettlebell press, the shoulders are smoked.
Lebron finishes the workout with seated overhead triceps extensions and various push-up grips, including clapping, wide, and close grip.
Push Workout:
Exercise |
Sets & Reps |
|
Incline Dumbbell Press |
4x12 |
|
Snatch Grip Behind The Neck Overhead Press |
4x12 |
|
Split Stance One Arm Kettlebell Press |
3x8 |
|
Seated Overhead Triceps Extension |
4x12 |
|
Push Ups (Various Grips) |
6-9x10-20 |
Day #2: Conditioning, Yoga, Core
Day two is a day off from weights but is a challenging workout nonetheless.
On days Lebron does not lift weights, he does cardio, yoga or pilates, and a core workout. He usually does a sixty-minute spin class followed by a yoga class.
Start with 30-60 minutes of a versa climber or spin class for your cardio workouts, followed by 30-60 minutes of yoga or pilates. Finish with the core workout, consisting of four exercises done in a circuit.
Lebron runs through it three or four times.
Core Circuit:
Exercise |
Reps |
|
Push Up Position Plank |
20 seconds |
|
V-Ups |
10 reps |
|
Stir the Pot W/Exercise Ball |
6 reps/direction |
|
Mountain Climbers |
15 reps/leg |
Day #3: Pull (Back, Biceps, and Traps)
Day three is a traditional pull workout. The first exercise of the day is a sumo stance barbell deadlift. The sumo deadlift is a great back exercise that also targets the glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors.
Next up is a barbell curl. Even one of the best athletes of all time wants bigger biceps, and there is no better exercise for biceps growth than the barbell curl.
After curls, Lebron does two different row variations to strengthen his upper back. There is little debate that barbell and dumbbell rows are highly effective movements for back development.
After the rows, Lebron does three sets each of chin-ups and pull-ups. At 250 pounds, doing 10-15 reps is impressive. The last exercise of the day is dumbbell shrugs for traps.
Pull Workout:
Exercise |
Sets & Reps |
|
Barbell Deadlift |
4x12 |
|
Barbell Curl |
4x12 |
|
Barbell Row |
4x12 |
|
One Arm Dumbbell Row |
3x12 |
|
Chin Ups |
3x15 |
|
Pull Ups |
3x10 |
|
Dumbbell Shrugs |
3x12 |
Day #4: Conditioning, Yoga, Core
Day four is another day off from weight lifting but is still jammed packed with training. After cardio, he does a core circuit with different exercises than his day two workout.
For the workout, start with 30-60 minutes of the versa climber or a spin class followed by 30-60 minutes of yoga or pilates.
The core circuit on day four focuses on rotational strength, which is critical for athletes. Repeat the circuit 3-4 times.
Core Workout:
Exercise |
Reps |
|
Banded Deadbug |
5 reps/side |
|
Landmine Rotational Press |
8-12 reps/side |
|
Cable Lateral Chop |
10-12 reps/side |
|
Spiderman Crawl |
10-12 reps |
Day #5: Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
As a basketball player, the lower body workout is arguably the most critical training session of the week. He starts the session with the king of lower body exercises, barbell back squats.
Lebron has been criticized for not using a full range of motion on squats. However, the basketball superstar is not trying to compete in powerlifting. He doesn't need to squat down below parallel to benefit from this exercise.
In fact, focusing on the top range of motion minimizes the risk of injury while strengthening the range of motion that is most important for jumping ability.
After squats, Lebron moves on to the leg press and Romanian deadlifts to work the quads and hamstrings. By the time he finishes up Romanian deadlifts, his upper legs have put a lot of work in.
Next, is seated calf raises. Finally, he finishes the workout with some high intensity interval training work in a jumping circuit that includes jumping lunges, box jumps, and weighted jumps.
Lower Body Workout:
Exercise |
Sets & Reps |
|
Barbell Back Squat |
4x12 |
|
Leg Press |
4x12 |
|
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift |
4x12 |
|
Seated Calf Raise |
4x12 |
|
Jumping Circuit: Jump LungesBox Jumps Weighted Jumps |
3x20 3x15 3x10 |
Additional Forms of Exercise
Most of Lebron's training (outside of playing basketball) occurs in the weight room. However, he throws in some other forms of exercise as well.
- Pool Workouts: Pool workouts are a great form of cross-training. Workouts in the pool are low impact, easy on the joints, and a fun change of pace.
- Tonal Machine: Many of us have seen the Lebron James workout commercial in which he promotes Tonal. Lebron recently partnered with the home training device, which is a machine that offers an efficient way to get in a great workout in the comfort of your own home. Lebron uses machine workouts to supplement his gym training standard.
Lebron James Diet Plan & Supplementation
To perform at their best, elite athletes need to pay as much attention to their nutrition as they do training. Lebron spares no expense trying to dial in his nutrition.
He even has a personal chef to help him prepare his meals.
Meal One/Breakfast:
Lebron starts his day with an egg white omelet with three or four egg whites, a pile of vegetables, and half an avocado for healthy fats.
In addition to the omelet, he has gluten-free pancakes and yogurt mixed with berries.
Nutrition breakdown: 31g of protein, 105g of carbohydrates, 20g of fat, and 724 calories.
Meal Two Snack/Post Workout:
Lebron usually trains in the morning, so this protein shake comes post-workout.
The protein shake consists of one scoop of Ladder chocolate plant-based protein powder, one frozen banana, one tablespoon of peanut butter, 8 to 10 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a handful of ice cubes. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and enjoy.
Nutrition breakdown: 26g of protein, 53g of carbohydrates, 15g of fat, and 451 calories.
Meal Three/Lunch:
Lebron has a large chicken breast, whole wheat pasta, and vegetables for lunch. If he trains later in the day, he uses this meal as a pre-workout meal.
Nutrition breakdown: 66g of protein, 120g of carbohydrates, 10g of fat, and 834 calories.
Pre-Game/Halftime Snack:
Before games, Lebron has everyone’s childhood favorite, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The classic PB and J provide healthy fats and ample carbohydrates for sustained energy.
At halftime, Lebron has orange or apple slices to top things off and finish the game strong.
Nutrition breakdown: 18g of protein, 86g of carbohydrates, 20g of fat, and 596 calories.
Meal Four Snack/Post Game:
The next meal is another protein shake. The ingredients are the same as meal two. Typically, this shake comes post-game to get a jump start on recovery. If it is not a game day, this is just a snack.
Nutrition breakdown: 26g of protein, 53g of carbohydrates, 15g of fat, and 451 calories.
Meal Five Dinner:
Lebron has a big dinner for his last meal of the day. He typically has baked salmon, red potatoes, arugula salad, and a glass of wine for this meal.
Yes, you read that right! Lebron is a wine enthusiast. He has a glass of red wine nearly every night.
Sometimes he may substitute a steak in place of the salmon. Both are great food for muscles, so he can't go wrong with either option.
Nutrition breakdown: 48g of protein, 79g of carbohydrates, 36g of fat, and 832 calories.
The entire day of eating breaks down to:
- Protein: 215g
- Carbs: 495g
- Fat: 110g
- Calories: 3830
Cheat meals:
Although Lebron's diet consists of mainly healthy and minimally processed foods, he does let loose occasionally.
For a cheat meal, he loves Blaze Pizza (which he is an investor in). He also loves Fruity Pebbles, chocolate chip cookies, and vanilla ice cream to satisfy his sweet tooth.
Supplements:
Lebron relies on several supplements to power his workout, improve his recovery, and ensure he's getting all of his necessary nutrients.
- Ladder Plant-Based Protein Powder: Lebron uses a plant-based protein powder to help him reach his daily protein requirements. The product he uses has 21 grams of protein per scoop from pea protein. It also contains three grams of fiber per scoop.
- Ladder Premium Pre-Workout: Even the best athletes in the world can get help from the best pre-workout supplements. Lebron takes a pre-workout supplement that contains 200mg of caffeine, 6g of L-citrulline, 5g of creatine monohydrate, 1.6g beta-alanine, 200mg L-theanine, and 100mg phosphatidylserine.
- Ladder Premium Hydration: During training and games, Lebron uses a product with carbohydrates and electrolytes to maintain adequate hydration.
- Ladder Superfood Greens: Last but not least, he takes greens to supplement with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to round out his nutrient needs and support healthy immunity and gut function.
How the Average Lifter Can Train Like Lebron James
Only some people have the genetics to be an NBA legend, but we can still learn from Lebron James' training schedule.
Here's what to focus on to train like Lebron.
1. Follow A Push-Pull-Legs Split.
The best part of Lebron's workout program is almost anyone can follow it. The push-pull-legs (PPL) routine is one of the most popular training splits for good reason.
Following a PPL split gives the upper and lower body adequate volume to make progress. You can lower the volume by cutting out a few sets if you are a beginner. Otherwise, follow Lebron's lifting as written.
2. Focus on the basics.
If one of the best athletes of all time can benefit from the basics, so can you. There is no need to try and reinvent the wheel.
There is a reason everyone does squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, and rows. They work.
3. Do Yoga.
Flexibility work is easy to skip. To ensure you get it done, join a yoga studio and take classes a couple of times per week. If Lebron does it, you know it has to be good. It's a great, and often underutilized, recovery workout.
5. Be Consistent.
It doesn't matter if you are LeBron James or an average lifter. When you find something that works for you, stick with it.
Anyone can train hard and eat healthily for a short period. But actual results take more time than you think. Stay dedicated.
Lebron James FAQs:
Ready for even more information on how the NBA superstar trains? Here are your answers to commonly asked questions regarding Lebron James workout routine.
How many hours does LeBron James work out?
Not including basketball training, LeBron James trains for eight to ten hours per week. Most workouts are between one and two hours.
Does LeBron use pre-workout?
Yes. LeBron James is part owner of a supplement company called Ladder. The product has caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, and theanine. James uses the pre-workout before training and games. Interested in taking pre-workout? Check out our article on the pros and cons of pre-workout for more information on ingredients, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
How can I get strong like Lebron James?
To get strong like Lebron James, lift weights at least three times per week, focusing on using progressively heavier weights over time. Build your training program around compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, rows, and heavy pressing movements.
Does LeBron lift heavy?
Heavy is a relative term. LeBron doesn't need to lift as heavy as a football player or strength athlete. That said, for a basketball player, LeBron lifts heavy weights.
What is LeBron's diet?
LeBron's diet focuses on lean meats, protein powder, complex carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. He does enjoy a glass of red wine nearly every night. On rare occasions, he has a cheat meal. One of his favorite treats is chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream.
How many times does LeBron James eat a day?
LeBron James eats five to six times per day. He usually has three meals with a couple of protein shakes and a snack.
What type of training does LeBron do?
Lebron works on his physical fitness through weight training, the versa climber, spin classes, yoga, pilates, Tonal, and pool workouts. Of course, he also plays basketball nearly every day of the year.
Ready to train like another superstar athlete? Check out The Mike Tyson Workout Routine and Diet Plan!
Some images courtesy of Lebron James' Instagram.
Kyle Hunt
Author