Christian McCaffrey Workout and DIET
Professional Football Player
Born: 1996
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Born in Colorado, Christian McCaffrey is the son of former NFLer Ed McCaffrey and college soccer star Lisa McCaffrey. In high school, McCaffrey was a 3 sport athlete: track, basketball, and football. He broke multiple records for his school in football, including touchdowns, receptions and yardage, and was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year twice (2012 & ’13). McCaffrey was selected as a US Army All-American football player in 2014 and committed to play at his mother’s alma mater, Stanford University. McCaffrey was named AP College Football Player of the year as a sophomore and a finalist to win the Heisman Trophy. He was picked up in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. In 2019, McCaffrey became one of only three players to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He has many endorsement deals including with Nike, Bose, and Ascent Protein. McCaffrey is also active with charities, including his own self-named foundation which offers support for disabled veterans and their families, as well as children undergoing medical treatment. He has millions of followers on social media. McCaffrey is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 205 lbs. |
Known For:
Christian McCaffrey‘s Diet
Summary
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On a scale of 1 to 10 for discipline, McCaffrey is an 11. Every part of his routine is carefully planned to support optimal function. McCaffrey says getting his blood analyzed was one of the best things he ever did because it identified food sensitivities and allergies, and even small ones can take the edge off his game. He has blood work retested twice a year because things change over time. He eats clean as a rule, and has a personal chef who prepares and labels all of his meals so he doesn’t have to waste time either seeking out food or figuring out macros, etc. His diet focuses on protein, veg, and nutrient-rich carbs like sweet potatoes, oatmeal and fruit. Water is also tops on his list. He usually has a 1/2 gallon first thing in the morning. |
Estimated Macros
- Medium Fat 30%
- Medium Carb 20%
- High Protein 50%
Diet Details
Allergy-Conscious Eating
Breakfast for McCaffrey is often egg yolks. He does not eat egg whites due to allergy. Other things he avoids: poultry, tuna, soy and wheat.
Easy Meals
McCaffrey delegates the work of meal prep to his personal chef, who drops off his food twice a week.
Digestion Matters
McCaffrey is a fan of soup because it’s easy to digest. He also often has a nap after lunch to help him relax and process his food.
Hydrate, Hydrate
McCaffrey takes hydration seriously too, and always has plenty of water, at least a gallon and a half per day.
No Dairy, No Dessert
Because McCaffrey is extremely tuned into avoiding inflammation, he avoids all foods that might cause it, including dairy products, gluten, and sweets. A couple of his guilty pleasure are Oreos and Cool Ranch Doritos.
Home-Baked Goodness
Collins loves to bake and will make anything including cookies, cake, dessert breads, donuts. Once upon a time, she wouldn’t touch that stuff, but now she loves to make it, eat it, and share it.
What to Eat
Organic foods
Egg yolks
Sweet potatoes
Oatmeal
Fruit
Avocados
Chili
Soup
Stew
Bison
Steak
Fish
Gluten-free pasta
Brown rice
Doritos (treat)
Water
What to Avoid
Allergens
Refined sugar
Trans fats
Junk Food
Artificial additives
Chemicals
McCaffrey on Breakfast
Two hours before I start training, I like to eat a good breakfast.
McCaffrey on the Importance of Regular Meals
I don’t like missing any meals or missing any kind of nutrition stuff.
McCaffrey on Allergenic Foods
I avoid anything that I have an allergy to or anything that’s going to cause inflammation in my system. I don’t eat any dairy. I don’t eat any dessert.
McCaffrey on Having his Food Prepared
It’s labeled with when I should eat certain meals and what’s in them. It takes the thinking out of things.
McCaffrey on Supplements
Thirty minutes before I play or workout, I take my supplements.
McCaffrey on Drinking Water
I’ll drink half of a gallon before I do anything else.
McCaffrey on Doritos
If I have one Dorito, I’ll eat the entire king-size bag. Zero self-control.
Christian McCaffrey‘s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
A Natural
The son of two star athletes, McCaffrey was destined to be an amazing one as well. All 4 of the McCaffrey boys currently play or have played football at an elite level.
Low-Tech Ex
McCaffrey’s trainer is Brian Kula. Rather than go to a fancy gym, the two just like to work out together wherever they are.
Speed Is Key
McCaffrey spends a lot of time working on speed and agility drills, making him the best in the business.
Variation Is Also Key
McCaffrey switches up his workouts all the time so he’s always delivering peak performance.
Mega Daily Dose
McCaffrey is a workout machine. Even in the off-season, he works out at least 4 days a week. He spends 45 minutes just warming up.
Detailed Training
McCaffrey takes a scientific approach to every aspect of his training. Mondays are devoted to ‘linear explosiveness’ while Tuesdays are for running drills. Wednesdays are designated for recovery. Thursday is a lot like Monday, but with more speed and Fridays he does conditioning work.
Playing Favorites
McCaffrey says his favorite type of exercise is explosive, like Olympic lifts. He does a lot of cleans, snatches and deadlifts. He loves speed, and the mechanics of optimizing it.
Recovery Matters
McCaffrey uses a wide range of treatments to keep his body in top form including contrast water therapy, massage, chiropractic, soft tissue work, Hypervolt, NormaTec boots, etc. But one of his favorite secret weapons is distinctly low-tech: naps.
Exercise Style
A Christian McCaffrey Off-Season Routine
Monday: Agility work, 45-min dynamic warm up,Olympic lifts
Tuesday: Running drills, HIIT
Wednesday: Recovery
Thursday: Agility work emphasizing speed
Friday: Conditioning exercises
Saturday & Sunday: Rest
McCaffrey on Youth
I miss the days when I could just do whatever I wanted. I could just start running, and I didn’t have to think about warming up or making sure I’m drinking enough water beforehand. I would hurt myself if I tried to do that now.
McCaffrey on His Workout Routine
After my first workout of the day, I’ll drink lots of water, have another scoop of pre-workout, and some aminos. Then I’ll typically do some lifting.
McCaffrey on Hard Work
I love everything about the process and working hard to make sure I’m ready to the best of my abilities.
McCaffrey on Pre-Hab
If I need any sort of soft tissue help…I’ll get that taken care of when I’m there. And then I take a nap.
McCaffrey on Recovery:
I’m always doing something that’ll help me bounce back and feel good.
Christian McCaffrey‘s Supplements
Pre-Workout
One of McCaffrey’s standards is a pre-workout. He’ll have a scoop before his first workout, then eat, then have another scoop and head straight into another workout. Pre-workouts boost energy, focus, and strength.
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Protein
McCaffrey has an endorsement deal with Ascent protein. Protein is essential for anyone looking to build or maintain strength. It also fills you up, regulates blood sugar, and can help you lose weight.
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Aminos
Another one of McCaffrey’s standards is amino acids. He doesn’t get specific on his preferred blend, but BCAAs offer the triple benefit of building and maintaining muscle while reducing recovery time.
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Hydration
McCaffrey also promotes BodyArmor sports drink which contains electrolytes, antioxidants and no artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors or dyes.
Get it here
Christian McCaffrey‘s Lifestyle
Sleep Is Serious Business
McCaffrey’s sleep routine is as regimented as the rest of his day. He uses an Oura ring to track his biometric info, and uses that feedback to adjust his habits. He likes to get a lot of sleep, 10+ hours is ideal. To maximize sleep, he goes to bed by 10 pm so he can be up at 8 am.
Recovery Matters
In October 2021, McCaffrey was placed on the injured reserve list for an ankle injury. He did not play for the remainder of the season.
It Runs in the Family, Literally
McCaffrey comes from a gold-star line of athletes: his dad was in the NFL as was his older brother. His two younger brothers play in college. His mom was a college soccer star, his uncle played basketball at Duke and Vanderbilt, and his grandfather Dave Sime was an Olympic track star.
Sleep Tips
To improve sleep quantity and quality, McCaffrey recommends creating a relaxing environment, tuning everything else out, and taking deep breaths to get your body to unwind.
Nice Compensation
McCaffrey signed a 4-year, $64 million contract extension with the Panthers lasting through the 2025 season, which makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
Happy Fam
McCaffrey has been in a relationship with fashion influencer and Miss Universe 2012 winner Olivia Culpo since 2019. The two are proud parents of fur baby, Oliver Sprinkles.
McCaffrey on a Good Sleep Routine
Once I really started making sleep a part of my routine as far as before bed, and when I wake up and staying consistent with it, I noticed…a different level of energy in the mornings.
McCaffrey on his Family
I’m blessed to have a father and brother play in the NFL…They’ve given me advice on training and just how to handle life as a professional. Any time I need it, they’re there for me.
McCaffrey on being in the Spotlight
You can never satisfy other people, I’ve learned…End of the day, it’s extremely important that you know yourself better than anybody else.
McCaffrey on the Secret to Success
The secret behind success isn’t as much of a secret as people think. It’s pretty simple. It’s working as hard as you can to accomplish what you want.
McCaffrey on being Judged on the Field
People do the eye test and underestimate me, so I do play with a chip on my shoulder.
McCaffrey on his Safe Space
The football field.
McCaffrey on the NFL & any Career
If you’re not having fun doing what you do in life, it’s not worth it.
Recommended Products
BodyArmor sports drink
Ascent Protein
Nike
Bose
Pepsi
Oura sleep ring
NormaTec boots
Hypervolt
HyperIce
Gillette
