Shaquille O’Neal Reveals How He Went from 405 Pounds to 365 Pounds
In a recent interview with Logan Paul on the Impulsive podcast, former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal talked about his weight loss journey. He said that being away from elite training had a negative effect on his health, and he turned things around with a dramatic body transformation.
Shaquille O'Neal, nicknamed Shaq, is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He won the Most Valuable Player award in 2000 and made the NBA All-Star team 15 times. After retiring from professional competition, O'Neal found his passion for bodybuilding. He often collaborates with professional bodybuilders and fitness influencers for workout sessions at the gym.
O’Neal has been an honorary ambassador for the 2020 Mr. Olympia and was present at the 2021 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. He got to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger, a seven-time winner of Mr. Olympia.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Neal had difficulty keeping jobs and losing loved ones due to his deteriorating health. He recently made headlines for achieving a jaw-dropping body transformation. Shaq, who weighed 405 pounds, spoke candidly about his transformation, where he lost nearly 40 pounds after rediscovering his motivation.
Now at 365, he hopes to drop down to 345 pounds. On that note, let's have a look at his diet and workout routine that helped him achieve that:
Shaquille O’Neal’s Diet
Shaquille O’Neal started the food conversation by quoting Aristotle, who said, ‘You are what you repeatedly do.’
He spoke candidly about his diet and said that it was a lot more fun when he was playing professionally and that his current diet is the most difficult he has followed in his entire life. O'Neal said that before games, he ate two club sandwiches, French fries, and pineapple soda.
Shaquille O'Neal has said that he was able to get away with eating a lot of unhealthy foods when he was younger, but now at 50, the 7-foot 1-inch former basketball star tries not to eat too much of those foods.
O'Neal's go-to meal these days is salmon with a dash of lemon. He also said that scrambled eggs, cheese, and turkey sausages make up his typical breakfast. For lunch, he usually has fish or meatloaf, but he says he changed his diet after visiting a doctor who told him to make some big changes or risk losing vitality.
To help gain weight, the former Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers center followed a meal plan his doctor formulated and drank a protein shake made with peanut butter, bananas, and blueberries.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Workout Routine
In his interview with Men’s Journal, Shaquille O’Neal said that he works out for an hour every day and trains cardio and weights for about an hour.
He introduced his trainer, who spoke candidly about various aspects of Shaq's training rather than getting into the specifics of his workouts.
Shaquille O’Neal said that he enjoys getting a good pump in the biceps, as it makes him feel amazing. In a recent interview, Shaq expressed his desire to get in the best shape of his life by posting a shirtless picture on social media.
The former basketball player is not able to run due to knee and joint problems. In a recent interview, he said that the least favorite part of his workout is that he can't run on a treadmill. He used to be one of the greatest athletes ever, but now he has to walk on the treadmill instead.
Takeaway
Shaquille O’Neal went through numerous changes in diet and workout regimens to finally find one that worked best for him.
In the end, it was diet, exercise, and tracking his progress with a good pair of shoes that eventually led O'Neal to get back into the shape he was trying to achieve. If you have found yourself at a crossroad in your own fitness journey, try mixing things up if you're not seeing results.