NBA star LeBron James is a basketball legend with a number of records under his belt. At the age of 37 (by competitive athlete standards) he is actually already on the scrap heap. FITBOOK took a closer look at which training the megastar owes its consistently reliable performance to.
LeBron James has been training with Mike Mancias for almost 20 years now – and actually not as “advanced” as you might expect. The fitness expert revealed this years ago in a “Men’s Health” interview. That means: What applies to NBA player LeBron James can also be easily implemented for your training.
LeBron James’ coach reveals what training is all about
“You have to remember that the simplest routines and exercises are the most beneficial,” Mancias assured in the interview. The important thing is to focus on the intensity and correct execution of the movement. Then you will see results quickly.
Incidentally, according to Mancias, a significant part of the training begins many hours in advance: the evening before, more precisely at dinner. James eats a nutritious meal, and afterwards it is important to get enough sleep. The next morning, half an hour before warming up, he put on a protein shake with a foam roller. And then it starts!
Also interesting: 4 eating habits that NBA star LeBron James swears by
Exercise 1: Spiderman Walk
Start with a set (10 to 12 repetitions) of Spiderman Walks, often called Lizard Crawls, an exercise in the Animal Moves category. The triceps and core muscles in particular are trained.
FITBOOK has had personal trainer Erik Jäger explain in more detail how the Spiderman Walk works and what you should pay attention to:
Exercise 2: Versa Climber
Now it’s time for the Versa-Climber, a piece of fitness equipment that can be used to perform climbing movements and thus an effective full-body workout. After that you are finally warmed up. LeBron does three sets of 30 seconds each, resting 15 to 20 seconds in between.
Exercise 3: Horizontal row
As is well known, rowing is already very effective, and so is the horizontal variant, which primarily works on the arms, back, torso and shoulder muscles. You lie on your back and grab a barbell slightly wider than shoulder width, the backs of your hands pointing towards your body. Tighten the muscles, especially in the torso and upper leg area. Now pull your shoulder blades together and then pull them forward to the barbell. The body must always form a straight line and be set down slowly and in a controlled manner. LeBron James does three sets of eight to ten reps each.
Also interesting: One-armed rowing with dumbbells for a strong back – that’s how it works
Exercise 4: Landmine Press
A barbell is leaned in such a way that it cannot slip – for example in the corner of a room. Then the weight has to be lifted up or forward, depending on which part is to be challenged. It is always important to keep your torso tense and not to lock your elbows. Always lower the dumbbell slowly and in a controlled manner. Not only muscles, but also the joints are trained here, and this reduces the susceptibility to injury during strength training. Three sets of eight to ten reps on each side.
Exercise 5: Twisting lunges
In addition to going forward, lunges go backwards and sideways, giving a much more comprehensive workout to the leg muscles and core. James does the 360 in three sets with each leg.
Also interesting: lunges – the perfect exercise for a well-trained bottom
Exercise 6: Lateral cable pulling
Here you mainly train the lateral abdominal muscles. Please make sure your back is straight throughout the exercise – otherwise there is a risk of injury – and make sure you do the movement without gaining momentum. This makes training safer and more effective.
LeBron James trains with his sons
The A and O for the success of the LA Lakers player is of course the basketball training itself. When he is not on the field with his teammates, he likes to train with his sons LeBron James Jr. (17) and Bryce (15). Sports Illustrated just published a clip of the three in the Lakers hall on Twitter. 17-year-old Bronny is already making a name for himself with a successful school basketball career. His younger brother Bryce seems to have inherited his father’s talent as well, as he shows in training.
