Deconstructing one aspect of LeBron James’ off-season training

LeBron James is headed into his 19th NBA season and has shown no signs of slowing down — and no, getting his ankle rolled up on by Solomon Hill doesn’t count as “slowing down.” Prior to that incident, James was arguably the MVP of the league, a sign of how great he still was and is.

A key part of that longevity is LeBron’s summer and pre-season training regiment which is filled with detailed planning and training that he has honed, modified and adapted over the years based on the changes in his own body and also changes in training techniques and sports science. For example, he once hired a former Navy Seal biomechanist to help alleviate his back troubles during the 2011-12 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As we all likely know, James isn’t shy about sharing some of his workouts and training during the summertime and there’s a lot we can learn from how he trains and why he uses specific movements. To that point, I deconstructed his most recent workout video:

Everything LeBron James does is by design and there are multiple layers to his training. His mind and rationale are just as important to his longevity as his physical prowess. He’s going to need all of his systems working and optimized to help lead the Lakers to their 18th championship.

Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.