Before we run through the triple-double machine’s insane workout, we’ll be getting a good lick of his nutritious diet plan. When speaking to GQ‘s Clay Skipper, Westbrook’s said that his offseason meal plan kicks off like this. A breakfast ample enough to fill up the tank is exactly what the doctor ordered for an NBA All-Star. Comprising of fresh fruit, juices, eggs, hash browns, avocado toast, pancakes and waffles, it’s aptly healthsome and toothsome. For luncheon, it’s fish flanked with a dressing-laden salad. And for the final main meal on Westbrook’s menu, he tucks into wholemeal pasta, meatballs coupled with steamed greens or grilled vegetables.

For starters, Westbrook’s athleticism is not to be sneezed at. His striking speed alone has him one of the league’s most exciting basketball players. To ensure he was firing on all four cylinders on game day, his training program keyed on the strength, flexibility, durability and explosiveness of body muscles. Via combining a multitude of workouts five days a week, he’s been able to set the record for the most triple-doubles in a season. The routine compasses plyometric, strength & conditioning exercises, sand dune runs, point guard work and team on-court interplay.

Unlike jacked-up NFL players, professional basketballers aren’t meant to be beefy. Carrying a herculean bod on-court hampers players’ performance. Westbrook may not have Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chest, but it’s certainly defined and proportionate. In his workout plan, the NBA star only employs three exercises to sculpt his pecs: barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press & the walking dumbbell push-up to row. There are additional exercises in his routine that indirectly target pictorial muscles; wherein they enhance speed, strength, agility and physique.

In a video by HBO Sports, Westbrook’s offseason training entailed sand dune runs once a week. Since the pro-NBA player is more inclined to an alfresco workout, which involves running drills up sand dunes in the outdoor heat, he’s been shown to comfortably complete the session while tagged with teammates. “I’ve been doing it for so long, so I know how to manage it, and how much I need and how long I need to be there,” says Westbrook. “So it’s not painful at all. It definitely helps — in my legs, in my endurance.” The NBA star is also shown to train outside with teammates in a video during quarantine, where he rigorously performs footwork drills, giving followers a glimpse into his hard-earned athleticism.

Plyometrics are one of the most imperative exercises for basketballers; helping them enhance muscle explosiveness and their reach for the hoop. Since point guard’s run the offence and is the team’s best dribbler and passer, it was crucial to integrate plyometrics in Westbrook’s routine. Through a variability of box jumps and explosive weighted body exercises, The Brodie continues to average one too many triple-doubles every season, push the pace of the game for transition points, attack the basket, attack the rim and showboat his sensational ball mobility and his vertical jumps of 36.5 inches (93 cm).

The pro basketballer addedly works out his core, upper body muscles and undertakes high-intensity cardio sessions for stamina. While the cardio helps in giving him speed and better mind-body coordination, weighted exercises contribute to muscle strength and greater output. But interestingly, Westbrook doesn’t lift a lot of weights. He told GQ that his training focuses on movement, stretching, stability, and strengthening. “That’s kind of where I been throughout the week, just making sure my body is up to tune, consistently working on things that need to be worked on so that I can perform at the level that I feel like I’m supposed to perform at,” he said.

Russell Westbrook III was born on November 12, 1988, in Long Beach, California and grew up in Hawthorne. His father Russell Westbrook Senior raised him and his younger brother Raynard in South Central Los Angeles, where played many sports in his salad days but was swayed to take up basketball through his father’s passion for the sport. In his early years, he had honed and developed his frenetic style by virtue of his father — who was an intense, career pickup baller — and would shepherd young Russell around the neighbourhood to gyms and parks to shoot jumpers and perform drills.