Power Changes Everything: 8 NBA Players with the Most Intense Training Regimens
The NBA is home to some of the best athletes in the world. Watching these guys go out there every night and perform is nothing short of quality theater.
For most of these players, the physical gifts and talent they have is natural. But honing those assets and improving on them is what separates the average ones from great ones. As the headline of this article states, "power changes everything."
Below is a look at some of the most powerful athletes in the National Basketball Association. You know their names, but now it's time to find out what makes them so great off the court.
Dwyane Wade
1 of 8Miami Heat patriarch Dwyane Wade has always been one of the hardest workers in the game. He's arguably the most important player in franchise history and one of the top shooting guards we've seen play in this league.
Without LeBron James by his side this season, Wade is going to have to take his game to a different level. Thankfully he's always been a gym rat, and the work he puts in off the court has paid off thus far. He's currently averaging 19.7 points per game and shooting .509 from the field.
Wade has been confident about his health. "It won’t be a problem at all," he told ESPN.com's Michael Wallace. "My impact will be what my impact is going to be. I’ve put the work in and you go on the court and try to put forth your best effort. And that’s all you can do."
Stack.com has collected videos of Wade's extensive workout routine. If you want to see just how much he values off-the-court activities, that's the place to go.
Blake Griffin
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Blake Griffin is a young, exciting player accompanied by a crazy work ethic. Along with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers have taken over the city of Los Angeles with their high-octane style of play.
Griffin isn't just entertaining. He also happens to be a tireless worker off the court, which in turn propels his development to reach new heights every season.
Back in 2011 during the lockout, Neil Janowitz interviewed Griffin for Men's Health magazine.
Janowitz wrote:
"While waiting for the squabble to end, Griffin supplemented his shooting drills with an hour of yoga 3 days a week, heading off to the gym afterward for a workout. In a standard off-season week, he does an hour of strength and conditioning work 3 to 5 days a week.
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Dating back to before he even got drafted, Griffin's always been focused on hard work and the multiple layers that go into it.
Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bryant has that killer instinct you don't find very often in professional sports. In a league full of dedicated workers, Bryant is right up there at the top when it comes to bettering himself.
Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding described Bryant's legendary workout regimen as "fanatical." What makes the Black Mamba the Black Mamba is the fact that he never quits.
To fully comprehend how dedicated Bryant is and how hard he really works, you have take ex-Lakers head coach Phil Jackson's word as gospel.
Steve Serby of the New York Post asked Jackson, "Is Kobe Bryant the model for Carmelo Anthony?" The current New York Knicks team president responded with this slab of information:
"No. No one can approach that. I don't expect anybody to be able to model their behavior after that, although Kobe modeled his behavior a lot about Michael Jordan, but he went beyond Michael in his attitude towards training, and I know Mike would probably question me saying that, but he did.
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To put that into perspective, Jordan's workout routine is also mythical. The fact Jackson claims that Bryant pushed the envelope even further is out of this world.
Tony Manfred of Business Insider complied a list of 16 examples showcasing how dedicated Bryant really is to the game of basketball.
LeBron James
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When you're the best basketball player on the planet, you find different ways to stay at the top of your game.
For King James, a lot of those ways come by way of the gym. His training regimen is meticulous and grueling. The latest round of training James put his body through was a low-carb diet in order to slim down and make himself a faster, more rounded player.
In a piece for Sports Illustrated, Jamie Lisanti spoke to Dr. Jeff Volek about James' dietary escapade. "There are benefits related to recovery and even cognition and mental clarity—the brain is very efficient at using ketones as a stable fuel source," Volek would go on to say.
LeBron has always looked like a superhuman out there on the court. But what's scary is the comment Los Angeles Lakers nutritionist Dr. Cate Shanahan dropped to Lisanti. She claims that by successfully reducing his sugar intake and slimming down, he "will be a monster."
Right now, the sample size is too small to pass judgment. Check back later during the season to see if his new diet and training regimen have paid off.
Derrick Rose
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Derrick Rose has spent the last couple of seasons trying to recover from devastating knee injuries. He's had an uphill climb to get his health back in order, but the diligent work he's display has allowed him to return to action this season.
In the midst of his first comeback attempt, Adidas—the apparel company that sponsors him—followed him around with cameras to show us what it takes to make it back from such a serious injury.
Watching Rose build himself back up has been inspiring. Some guys work hard to improve their game and become better players; Rose is on this list because he's worked hard to save his career.
Dwight Howard
6 of 8Dwight Howard's Superman moniker may not be as prevalent as it once was when he was with the Orlando Magic, but the Houston Rockets center is still an elite presence down in the paint.
Howard isn't just naturally talented. He's one of the strongest guys on the floor, and that is mainly because of his savage workout routine. Before the 2014-15 season, NBA.com did a feature on Howard getting back into the gym.
"I've always been a hard worker," Howard states. When talking about this season he goes on to say, "But I've raised my level tremendously." The difference now is that Howard isn't just focused on getting stronger. He's been working on his quickness to complement that strength.
The Instagram video above doesn't show Howard in the weight room. But what it does show is a lean, shredded big man throwing down a vicious dunk.
Chris Paul
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Chris Paul's journey with the Los Angeles Clippers has turned this team into the pride of the city.
Once a laughingstock, the younger brother to the Lakers has surpassed them thanks to Paul's guidance and play on the court—play that's improved thanks to his dedication to the gym.
Jordan Zirm of STACK Media, via Yahoo Sports, wrote about how Paul's thought process has changed when it comes to working out:
"Long ago, Paul shied away from the weight room, fearing that gaining muscle would hamper the mechanics of his shot. But his outlook changed in the NBA. He says, 'Now I know that [lifting] helps me deal with the contact every night. It’s not about getting big and bulky; it’s about preventing injuries and getting my core strong.'
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In that same piece, Zirm also provides a nice breakdown detailing to veteran point guard's core workout.
Paul is one of the most fluid and vigorous players in the NBA. As the leader of the Clippers, it's going to be crucial for him to stay healthy this season. The team's successes and hopes are tied to CP3.
Nate Robinson
8 of 8When you're listed at 5'9" and weigh 180 pounds, you have to really work hard in order to make a splash in the NBA.
Denver Nuggets guard Nate Robinson understands that. His NBA career may not be as renowned as some of the other names on this list, but that doesn't mean he hasn't worked as hard. In his State of Nate YouTube series, viewers get an inside look at what goes into his routine.
That ruthless combination of free weights and cardio Robinson abuses are two reasons why he can claim to have 4 percent body fat.
All NBA information and stats provided by ESPN.com unless noted otherwise.
