lebron
james

NBA player · Philadelphia 76ers; co-founder of Ladder

12 steps · last checked 20 oct 2026

bed around 9, a nap every day, and a game day of stretching, ice, Normatec, a hyperbaric nap and a cold tub; no full meal until after practice.

from his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash and his own postgame rundowns of game day, at 41. He plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and has built the program with his trainer Mike Mancias for 22 years. Sleep, he says, is “99%” of recovery.

what lebron uses see the routine

bedabout 9 pm
sleepaims for 8–9 h
napevery day
game day6 h of prep

the protocol · at a glance

what lebron uses.

protocol as of feb 2026

2 items

supplements1

Everyday vitamins (unnamed)“a little protocol of vitamins”; no creatine

gear1

Normatec (Hyperice)compression boots, an hour on game days

copy the protocol

food · a practice day

what lebron eats.

before practicemorning
green juice or fruit
he hydrates and holds off on a full meal, by design: “in the morning i have a green juice or some fruit… i don’t have a full meal until i get home after training.”
1·’25 6·’25
after practicelate morning
fruit smoothie or oats
“a fruit smoothie or some like some overnight oats.”
1·’25
first meal1:30–2 pm
a full meal at home
his first real meal of the day.
1·’25
after gamesnight
smoothie and fruit
in the locker room, ice bags on.
1·’25

no fried food or artificial sugar2·’26
treats: dairy-free ice cream, gluten-free cookies; the hardest to give up: chocolate chip cookies with ice cream (2026)1·’25 5·’26
two months with no wine, liquor or dessert while rehabbing (nov 2025 to new year’s)5·’26

the routine · 12 steps

lebron’s day.

morning3 steps day5 steps evening1 step night1 step off-season2 steps

morning

On waking (game day)
Stretch, activate, a small lift
“I woke up this morning, went straight downstairs, got a stretch, did a little activation, like a little small lil’ lift.”
fitness
Then
Ice, then Normatec for an hour
“Then I iced after that. Then I used the Normatec to pump my legs for an hour.”
recovery
Practice days
No full meal until after practice
he gets to the facility around 8:30 for an 11:00 practice, hydrates with a green juice or some fruit, and eats his first full meal at home around 1:30 or 2, “by design.”
nutrition

day

Midday (game day)
A 90-minute hyperbaric nap, then the cold tub
“Then I took a nap in the hyperbaric chamber for an hour and a half. Then I got in the cold tub, again, before I came here.”
sleep cold & heat
About 6 h before tip-off
At the arena six hours early
for a 7 o’clock game he gets in at 1:15 to start the arena routine: activation, treatment, rehab, stretching and a lift, with the scouting report after body work.
fitness
Most days
About 45 minutes of lifting
he lifts for about 45 minutes, and likes to lift on game days too; the schedule follows what he has already done that week, not the calendar.
fitness
After practice
Get a nap in
“When I get home after practice, most important, get a nap in.”
sleep
All season
No fried food or artificial sugar
he prioritizes sleep and nutrition and avoids artificial sugars and fried foods.

evening

Straight after games
Ice bags and a smoothie in the locker room
he leaves the court to start the next game’s prep: “foot on an ice bag, ice bags on… my smoothie and my fruit.”
cold & heat recovery

night

About 9 pm
Bed around 9
“About 9:00 at night… I am going to bed.” Dinner and a glass of wine happen early to make it.
sleep

off-season

First 6–8 weeks
Six weeks of low-load work first
after the season he takes a month to six weeks off hard court work: yoga, Pilates, stretching, massage and cupping, and any running on an anti-gravity treadmill or in the pool.
recovery
8–10 weeks before camp
Five days on, Saturday off
monday to Friday in the gym: lifting three days, two days of ball, band and mobility work. Monday is the hardest day. Saturday “I do absolutely nothing”; Sunday is body work and getting his mind ready.
fitness

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more routines.

andrew huberman

neuroscientist · huberman lab

daylight in the first hour, caffeine before an early workout, three lifting days and three cardio days a week, sauna and cold on the rest day, and dim lights at night.

see the habits