How Jimmy Butler has Become One of Fittest Players in NBA
NBA superstar Jimmy Butler works hard, and the Miami Heat man doesn't take his game for granted.
If you have read about Butler, chances are, you would have sensed that he's not a guy to mess around. A strong work ethic, rock-hard motivation and dedication to the task at hand are qualities that ring true with Butler.
Butler wakes up at 4 am every day - every single day - for his workout. Before the likes of even LeBron James have rolled out of bed, Butler is on his way to the gym, ready to put in his best every day to be the best on the court.
A Day in the Life of Jimmy Butler
A decade ago, basketball was dominated by tenacity and brawn, but today the NBA may be more preoccupied than any other league with recovery, food, and the science of human performance.
Jimmy Butler's 4:00 am workout puts him at the forefront of this revolution, as he kicks off the day dedicated to total basketball readiness. He explains:
"It’s a rhythm, it’s a routine, and I don’t skip any of it. I don’t skip any steps of the process."
Every minute of every hour is meticulously planned for Butler, beginning with the workout, then moving on to cryo-chamber recuperation, agility training, and court time. When his body is resting, his mind is busy reviewing game tapes and sharpening strategic thinking through games like dominoes.
Even his sleep is strictly regulated. Butler looks to get nine hours of sleep every night, which means he must be in bed by 7 pm. Three hours earlier, he prepares for sleep with herbal tea, a ban on all screens, and a cold-air diffuser.
"I eat when I’m supposed to eat. I sleep when I’m supposed to sleep. I play dominoes when I’m supposed to do that," he says.
In the last two years, Scott, who worked with the Houston Rockets, has supervised Butler's workout regimen. He has trained NBA players for 15 years, but he has never come across a talent like Butler.
When he began working with Butler, it was the first time he had ever trained someone at 4:00 am.
"He is never late, not even by a minute, regardless of the time or location," Scott says.
Jimmy Butler's Workout
Butler begins his workout routine by tossing a ten-pound medicine ball to increase his wrist strength. He then holds 45-pound plates by his sides, drops them, and catches them swiftly to improve his grasp.
Then comes one of his favorite drills, a game that challenges both balance and mental concentration: Scott throws him red and blue balls while he stands on one leg with a resistance band dragging him off-center. The red ones must be caught with his left hand, and the blue ones with his right.
Butler is a huge fan of all single leg workouts. Single-leg balancing, single-leg box jumps, single-leg squats, all form a regular part of his routine.
After bridges, planks, and other abdominal exercises, Butler hits the court. In the next hour, he launches approximately 1,000 jump shots, honing a shooting stroke that has made him one of the league's most lethal clutch scorers.
By the time the first rays of sunlight reach the horizon, Jimmy Butler is on his way home for a breakfast of egg-white omelettes, avocados, and berries, followed by a period of recovery in ice or perhaps yoga, and then more drills.
At 3:00 pm, Butler returns to the American Airlines Arena to see if anyone is interested in playing pickup basketball. According to Scott, that's a new level of intensity.
Why Butler is One of the Fittest
Jimmy Butler maintains his work ethic, as he recognizes that it's his guaranteed edge over others - and one that is in his hands.
From league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to Clippers stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to rookie prodigy Zion Williamson, the NBA continues to get bigger and more athletic. That makes Butler, who is listed at a generous 6' 8' distinctly average.
Jimmy Butler earns a living by outworking and outlasting his rivals. He has led the NBA in minutes per game and plays both offense and defense aggressively (scoring more than 20 points per game in five different seasons).
His advantage is the endurance he develops via his 4 am workouts. Scott affirms:
"He is the most competitive person I've ever encountered in my entire life. It's not just basketball either. If you are playing charades with him, it is the most intense game you have ever experienced. Uno, dominoes, you name it."
Jimmy Butler takes pride in being second-best to none and doesn't get intimidated by anyone. He says:
“I’m tougher than you. That’s where I’ll bank it at, and being tough is a talent. I back down from no one. I’m scared of nobody. I don’t care about the name that you have, what you’ve done. You can’t intimidate me none. And that’s what’s gotten me here.”
Jimmy Butler: Coffee and Sleep
The Miami Heat All-Star Forward Jimmy Butler’s love for coffee is well-documented. He has expressed his passion for coffee on more than one occasion and even began selling it to other NBA players during the NBA Bubble Season.
What began as a side hustle back in the NBA’s Bubble Season, Jimmy Butler’s coffee has finally blossomed into a full-scale business called “Big Face Coffee.”
Despite claiming to be able to drink 7-10 cups of coffee in a day, Butler told the New York Times reporter that he places great importance on his sleep.
Jimmy said,
“I get my nine hours per night. I’ve trained my body to be able to do that. If I don’t sleep nine hours, I’m definitely not worth a damn, so with all that coffee being said, I think I’m pretty used to lots of coffee and lots of sleep at the same time.”
Just goes to show, that the NBA star doesn’t play around when it comes to his health and performance.