Jimmy Butler Workout and Diet
Professional Basketball Player
James Butler III is from the Tomball suburb of Houston, Texas. Kicked out of his mother’s home at age 13, he bounced around between friends’ houses, including staying with future NLFer Jordan Leslie’s family. Despite being voted his high school team’s MVP and averaging almost 20 points per game, Butler was not heavily recruited for college. After 1 year at Tyler Junior College, he received a scholarship to play for Marquette. During his junior year (2009-10), he was in the starting lineup and earned an All-Big East Honorable Mention. Butler was picked up by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 NBA Draft, and in 2015, he was named Most Improved Player. ‘Jimmy Buckets’ played for the Timberwolves and the 76ers before signing with the Miami Heat in 2019. During his first season on the team, they made it to the finals. Butler is a 6-time NBA All-Star, 4-time All-NBA Team honoree, 5-time All-Defensive Team honoree, and an Olympic gold medalist (2016). Butler has a coffee brand called BigFace and many endorsement deals. He has millions of followers on social media. Butler is 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs about 230 lbs.
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Jimmy Butler’s Diet
Diet Summary
Butler is a man of simple tastes. He is perfectly content to have the same thing over and over again. He doesn’t vary his diet whether he’s in-season or off. That said, when he travels, he is always up for trying the local speciality. On his ‘no’ list is red meat and pork, but seafood and chicken are a-okay. He says he would eat a Chipotle-type meal of rice, ground poultry, beans and, most importantly, avocado every day, but his personal chef mixes it up nicely. While he has his own coffee business and drinks it for the social aspect, he stays hydrated with plenty of water and an electrolyte drink called Aquahydrate.
Estimated Macros
Medium Protein
Medium Fat
Medium carb
Diet Details
A K.I.S.S Plan
Butler likes to keep things simple. His go-tos are chicken, potatoes and a green vegetable, avocados in particular.
No-Frills Diet
Butler says he often has to debate the difference between a picky eater and a simple one. He says he likes simple food, and is only picky in the sense that he likes plain rather than complicated foods.
Don’t Go Crazy
Butler says he diet doesn’t change much in the off-season. He doesn’t think it’s smart to overindulge on alcohol or anything else just because he’s not playing a game that week.
Coffee King
Butler loves coffee for the way it brings people together. He also likes that coffee can be made so many different ways, which leads to increasing his understanding and knowledge about the world.
What to Eat
- Plain food
- Egg whites
- Avocados
- Chicken
- Fish
- Seafood
- Potatoes
- Rice
- Beans
- Green veg
- Whole grains
- Berries
- Fresh fruit
- Coffee
- Wine
- Water
What to Avoid
- Excessive alcohol
- Red meat
- Pork
- Junk food
- Fast food
- Artificial additives
- Chemicals
Butler on his diet
I think I’m just a simple eater. I just want chicken, potatoes, and some type of green vegetable.
Butler on his off-season diet
I don’t really go ham like that in the off-season.
Butler on indulgences
I don’t go out of my way to indulge on something like cereal-crusted French toast. If I eat French toast, I just want plain French toast.
Butler on his preferred protein
I don’t eat red meat or pork.
Butler on trying different types of cuisine
I’ll eat damn near anything from under the sea if that’s what a place is known for because I want to learn as much as I can about different cultures.
Butler on his one non-negotiable food item
It has to have avocados or I can’t eat it.
Jimmy Butler’s Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Basic Motivation
Basketball for Butler was a way to escape the difficult reality of his homelessness as a teen. He was utterly focused on the game, but he earned little recognition for his hard work, and spent years warming the bench until his relentless commitment finally paid off.
Rise & Shine
Butler picked up the habit of early-morning workouts from pal and mentor Mark Wahlberg, often rising at 4 am to kick things off.
Never Lazy, Always on Time
Butler has an incredible work ethic, considered extraordinary even among his fellow pros.
Never Lazy, Always on Time
Butler has an incredible work ethic, considered extraordinary even among his fellow pros.
All-Around Focus
Butler works to improve strength, endurance and skill every single day.
Mega Daily Dose
Butler is famous for never missing a day of practice. The coach often has the team practice 3-4 times a day, and Butler always shows up and give it his all.
Light Lift
On game day, Butler will lift twice, the first very light just to get the blood flowing, and the second one heavier to increase strength.
Wrist Training
Butler shoots using a 10-lb. medicine ball to strengthen his wrists. He also drops and catches 45-lb. weights to improve his grip.
Mind Games
One of Butler’s reflex training exercises involves standing on 1 leg while his trainer throws red and blue balls at him. Reds have to be caught with the left hand and blues with the right.
Recovery Matters
Butler takes recovery as seriously as anything else. Two of his standards are ice and yoga…and then he heads right back into another training session.
Exercise Style
A Jimmy Butler Routine
Basketball drills: daily
Shooting: 1,000 baskets
Running
Reflex training
Wrist/grip training
Core training
Single-leg training
Pick-up games
Game Day training:
AM
Light lifting
Shooting drills
PM
Heavier lifting
Pre-Game
Fun practice
Play dominoes to manage stress.
Butler on being successful in a pro sport
You…have to love the work and the grind, and I do.
Butler on basketball
I love the game…But sometimes, it can be a lot and be overwhelming because it takes up so much of my time.
Butler on the benefits of working out early
I try to get up and get all my training out of the way and then it’s just me and [my daughter] and the guys.
Butler on his early game-day lifting routine
Super light, just moving, making sure my hips, knees and ankles are moving.
Butler on his motivation to work hard
You have to work hard because at any certain time, this…could be taken from you. That…scares the living hell out of me.
Butler’s trainer on his promptness
He’s never late, not by 1 minute, no matter the time or the place.
Jimmy Butler’s Supplements
Besides his electrolyte drinks, Butler isn’t dishing about his supplement routine. So, below are options that may benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.
Electrolytes
Butler is endorsed by Aquahydrate, alkaline water that is enhanced with electrolytes. Higher pH alkaline water is meant to neutralize acids in the bloodstream, and electrolytes help prevent cramping and dehydration.
BCAAs
Some standards for anyone who is serious about health and fitness, BCAAs are a top pick because they offer the triple benefit of building and maintaining muscle and faster recovery.
Protein
Protein is essential for making and maintaining gains.
Creatine
Another fave is creatine which boosts energy and improves high-intensity exercise.
Multivitamin
Butler eats clean, but his food choices are sometimes repetitive, making a multivitamin a wise move to cover nutritional basics. Butler works out hard.
Omega-3s
To fight inflammation, try omega-3s which are also good for your heart and brain.
Jimmy Butler’s Lifestyle
Early to Bed
Because he gets up before dawn (4 am), Butler tries to go to bed by 7 pm. He follows a 3-hour sleep-prep routine before bed involving a screen ban and herbal tea.
Domino King
Butler loves to play dominoes. It’s his go-to whenever he gets time off from practicing or playing b-ball.
Lifelong Learning
Butler is a wine aficionado and tries the local variety whenever he travels. He says that growing up, he didn’t even know where Italy was on a map, but he is always looking to learn whenever he has downtime.
(Humble) Star Idol
Butler says he has learned a lot from actor Mark Wahlberg, including when to workout. He says Wahlberg always works hard, and never acts like an entitled star.
No Grudges
Although his father abandoned the family when Butler was an infant and his mother kicked him out of the house when he was 13, Butler is still in contact with his parents and says they have a good relationship.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Butler started his coffee business by offering any coffee beverage people wanted for $20 cash.
Coffee for World Peace
Butler says coffee brings people from all walks of life together, and gets them talking.
Butler on his daily routine
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.
Butler on getting into the coffee biz
I was in London…going from coffee shop to coffee shop, meeting people that I would have never met if it weren’t for coffee.
Butler on his motivation for making coffee
When you’re a perfectionist and want to be the best at everything, I now want to make the best coffee and serve the best coffee.
Butler on the benefits of social coffee consumption
Why don’t you just sit down and figure out what…you got in common…instead of stressing [about] what you don’t have in common? I bet people would find out that there are more similarities than differences.
Butler on learning
That’s what I use the off-season for.
Butler on Mark Wahlberg
He’s a huge influence on me. He’s a great human being.
Recommended Products
BigFace coffee & merch
Aquahydrate
Hyperice
Adidas
Nike
Li-Ning sports apparel
Beats by Dre
Bose speakers
Bonobos apparel
Five Four Group apparel
Dominoes