Things that you and LeBron James are probably not going to have in common: four Most Valuable Player honors; three Larry O’Brien trophies, as well as a smaller Finals MVP trophy to go along with each of them; two Olympic gold medals; one of the most lucrative shoe contracts in the history of the world; his height .
One thing that you and LeBron James might have in common is that he participated in Dry January.
The 34-year-old forward for the Los Angeles Lakers is already one of the greatest athletes of all time, and by the time he officially hangs up his sneakers for good, he will be in a position to establish a true claim to GOAT status. However, despite being an NBA superstar, both his diet and his way of life are surprisingly approachable. (Who among us hasn’t accidentally stumbled onto a basketball court while carrying a glass of red wine?) We recently had a conversation with Mike Mancias, who has been James’ longtime trainer and is now an adviser for Ladder, a company that James co-founded to sell nutritional supplements, to see how his most famous client has been able to maintain this level of play for the past 16 seasons and counting. The quick answer is that he needs consistency, and he should be rewarded with a few cookies whenever he believes that he has earned them.
GQ: Lebron just recently suffered an injury to his groin, so I’m thinking that whenever something like this happens, his training routine is altered a little bit. How exactly should one go about treating injuries of this nature?When you have an athlete out with an injury, it is always a blow, but when you have a man like Lebron out, it is extra devastating. We employ every preventative measure imaginable, from prehab treatments to strength training, in an effort to reduce the risk of injuries occurring. We need to improve and strengthen the groin area first and foremost. This should be our primary focus. Because carrying around additional weight can put further strain on the body, we have removed any additional sources of carbohydrates and sweets from his diet in the hopes that he will lose weight. This is because the more weight someone carries about, the more strain that can be put on the body.
In spite of the fact that it is common knowledge that he is a wine connoisseur, we have made an effort to cut back on our use of alcoholic beverages in general. This includes spirits, wines, and other alcoholic beverages. Since the beginning of the year, the two of us have agreed that we will abstain from drinking alcohol, and in particular red wine, until after he has participated in his first game since his return from injury. This agreement has been in place since the beginning of the year.
Does this imply that he took part in Dry January in the same way that everyone else did?We are not just going to do it because we resolved to do it at the beginning of the year; rather, we are going to do it for all of the reasons that were described above. On the other hand, in the long run, it will serve as a token of appreciation for all of the difficult work and rehabilitation that he is putting in at the moment.
Was he still drinking wine on a daily basis before he sustained the injury? He used to write a lot of posts on Instagram about that topic.I wouldn’t say on a daily basis, but I’d say it’s very common for him to have a glass of wine with dinner, whether he’s at home or traveling. This is one of the ways he winds down at the end of the day and prepares for a restful night’s sleep.
What are some other crucial aspects in his healing, other than his nutrition and his exercise routine? Does he participate in yoga? Do you meditate? I was wondering if there are any health and wellness trends that he now practices.We do have a session dedicated to flexibility and stretching as part of the rehabilitation process, yes. I suppose that might be considered yoga; there are some aspects of yoga included in that. In order to speed up his healing process, he makes use of a hyperbaric chamber. In addition to it, there is daily meditation. That is something that he will do either first thing in the morning or later in the evening, when he is starting to wind down and get ready for bed. He does something resembling a day-in-review while also getting ready for the next one.
Does he practice meditation on his own or does he make use of a guided meditation app?He is always improving in his abilities. He handles everything on his own. Although, I believe the app he uses to help him sleep is named Calm.
You mentioned weaning him off of sugar and carbohydrates. His off-season Paleo diet was all over the news a few years ago, but it doesn’t appear that he’s still following it these days. Is he following less of a regimen with his food now? Or, is his diet a lot healthier than we believe, and he’s only showing us the fun stuff to make us feel better about ourselves?He is without a doubt going to display all of the desserts as well as the interesting things. In terms of the Paleo diet, that was just an experiment to try out once. It started out as a type of competition among his pals; I believe Ray Allen, one of his teammates in Miami, was also participating in it with him at the beginning. It was supposed to be a trial that would last 30 days, but after seeing the results, he decided to continue it for another two months. We resumed our normal eating schedule about a month before the start of the season. Just eating clean all the time, with the exception of the occasional sweet treat and glass of wine.
Do you, as his trainer and nutritionist, find yourself saying no and threatening to wipe out his cupboard on a regular basis? Or does he have a good handle on his own self-control?After 15 years of collaboration, I often joke with my coworkers that “This machine runs itself.” We have seen the patterns, and we have even experimented with some of them; nevertheless, at this time, he is so regimented. We have been working together to educate ourselves over the course of these years, and as a result, we are able to recognize when something is only a trend or a fad, and we steer clear of it. We prefer to keep things basic.
Is there a particular fad that you don’t approve of at all?I do not believe that the Paleo diet would be beneficial for us at this time. Because he plays for such a long period of time, he requires an increased intake of carbohydrates. In the midst of the appropriate season, I would not follow the Paleo diet.
I was wondering if there is a certain type of food or item that you’ve included in his diet as he’s gotten older that you believe to be crucial.Over the years, together with his chef, we have made many adjustments to his diet. Early on in his professional life, he made the decision to cut back significantly on his consumption of red meat. He would not come into contact with pork or any things made from pork. He would not even eat pork.
Is it because he doesn’t like it, or because he feels it’s bad for you to eat?The flavor isn’t to his liking, and we think there are options out there that are better for him specifically that are healthier.
And what more have you to add?The one and only thing that we began doing consistently was giving him a protein recovery shake immediately following strenuous training or competition. This is something that we do since the body is in a deficit, and because of this, we have to make sure that we give him something clean in order to replace everything that he is losing. This includes not just hydration but also the basic calories.
How many calories does he consume in a typical day?This results in an extremely high calorie intake. Do I have a particular number for you to call? No, I do not. He places a premium on maintaining a healthy equilibrium. He has a standard breakfast, lunch, and supper, and then a few of snacks in between those meals throughout the day. He eats around five times a day.
He like having a couple of pieces of French toast alongside an omelet made with egg whites for breakfast. We’ll make something with turkey bacon or turkey sausage and serve it with avocado on the side. In the event that he does not have French toast, then he will have normal wheat toast. Before or after practice, the head chef prepares a protein shake, mixed nuts, and fruit that has been dehydrated to perfection as a snack option for the athletes.
It is said that an event that took place in 2014, when he experienced cramps while playing in the Finals, was the impetus for you to create your own protein powder. Is that what you mean?Yes, the one that we produced after 2014 was exceptionally pristine in every way. However, it still contained several elements that I wasn’t entirely certain that we required, and I also wanted to include a probiotic in it. As a result of research and development, it is now even more pure, and it is superior to both plant and whey proteins in terms of quality.
Would he alter the way that he trained and what he ate the day after he had a loss? Is the next day a free-for-all if he wins, and can he just eat anything he wants to celebrate his victory?No, in his perspective, the most important thing is to have the same schedule for his workouts, his meals, and his everyday activities. He won’t veer off course. Perhaps once in a while he’ll indulge in a chocolate chip cookie, but other than that, he’s not going to blow his diet on burgers and pizza.
What is it that he enjoys indulging in the most, other than wine?When the warm weather arrives and he feels like rewarding himself with a sweet snack, he goes for chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream.
Let’s imagine he wakes up one morning feeling a little weird, whether because he’s been under the weather or simply because he’s been weary. What kinds of foods, drinks, and activities do you recommend that he partake in?a shot of ginger, turmeric, or greens; alternatively, just a little bit of ginger. In general, you should make an effort to treat everything by natural means rather than using all of these over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. And it is imperative that he immediately begin drinking plenty of water. Because he consumes water in addition to electrolyte drinks that contain carbohydrates, he most likely consumes between 180 and 240 ounces of liquids on a daily basis during peak season, like as when the playoffs are going on.
What do you believe the everyday individual can realistically take away from Lebron’s way of life?Because we are all unique, the key to success is to stick with what you’ve discovered to be effective after you’ve done so. There are going to be challenging times ahead of you, as well as times when you will face difficulties. It’s not hard to have a couple of beers or some dessert after a meal. However, in order to improve your health, you will need to maintain your discipline.
