Kevin Durant Workout And Diet
Professional Basketball Player
Born: 1988
From a suburb Washington D.C., Kevin Durant was already 6 feet tall in middle school. He always wanted to play basketball and played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for several teams. Durant was named MVP of the 2006 McDonald’s All-American Game, and was the 2nd high school pick behind Greg Oden.He chose the University of Texas where was named national player of the year and earned many other awards as a freshman. He then entered the NBA draft and was 2nd pick in the 2007 season for the Seattle Supersonics, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2016, he signed with the Golden State Warriors and won both the 2017 and 2018 championships. He has since moved on to the Brooklyn Nets. Durant has won 2 NBA MPVs, 2 NBA All-Star MPS, 4 NBA scoring titles, and 2 Olympic medals so far. He has branched out into other areas, acting in the film Thunderstruck, and contributing to The Players’ Tribune as a writer and photographer. Durant is also a philanthropist. His self-named charitable foundation has the mission of helping at-risk youth and the homeless, empowering girls, promoting social justice, and disaster relief. Thanks to Durant’s many endorsement deals, he is one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world. He has millions of followers on social media. Durantis 6 feet,9 inches tall and weighs about 240 lbs.
Known For:
Kevin Durant’s Diet
Summary
Durant is serious about his diet. He has a personal chef who prepares healthy meals for him including plenty of clean, wholesome foods like vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, fruit, and whole grains. He goes light on the red meat and eats a lot of seafood instead, usually 6 times a week because of its anti-inflammatory properties. He knows that peak performance demands top-quality fuel and has had the same chef, Ryan Lopez, for many years. His chef works with the nutrition team and assesses his body every 3 months to determine the best way to fulfill his ever-changing needs.
Estimated Macros
- Low-Medium carb 30%
- Medium Fat 30%
- High Protein 50%
Diet Details
Fuel Up
Durant starts his day off right. A typical breakfast is gluten-free oats, an omelet made with 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg, veggies like spinach and tomato, fruit, and some feta cheese.
Seafood Fest
Durant almost always has fish or seafood at lunch. Some of his favorites are salmon, miso-glazed sea bass, blackened catfish, and scallops. Along with his anti-inflammatory seafood, he has a nutrient-packed salad and a protein smoothie.
Nix the Gluten
Durant’s chef says one thing athletes should avoid before a match is gluten because it’s hard to digest and can affect performance.
Super Snacks
A snack for Durant is often guacamole with quinoa chips or carrots. He might also have a ‘performance ball’ made from oats, peanut butter, dried berries, and flax or chia. He also likes fruit.
Healthy Tip
Durant’s chef sautés spinach in coconut water because he says it adds a nice flavor and imparts vitamins and minerals to the greens.
Low Carb Dinner
Durant often has chicken or turkey for dinner, and only eats red meat once a week. If he does not have a game the next day, he won’t have carbs. If he is playing, he’ll add in some carbs like chickpea pasta or wild rice.
(Not So) Secret Sweet Tooth
Durant loves candy, so his chef prepares snack bags for him so he is less tempted to eat junk. Lopez makes things flavored with agave, organic honey and coconut sugar.
What to Eat
Egg Whites
Eggs
Feta Cheese
Gluten-Free Oats
Ocean-Raised Salmon
Sea Bass
Scallops
Catfish
Organic Poultry
Grass-fed Beef (once/week)
Salads
Vegetables
Whole Grains
Quinoa
Wild Rice
Coconut Water
Fermented Foods: Yogurt, Kimchi, Kombucha, etc.
Fruit, Fresh or Dried
Protein Shakes
Candy (Treat)
What to Avoid
Junk Food
Refined Sugar
Refined Carbs
Hydrogenated Fats
Processed Foods
Artificial Additives
Chemical Ingredients
Durant on His Diet
‘In order for me to perform the way I want to perform, I need some good energy in my body.’
Durant on Miso-Glazed Sea Bass
‘I fell in love with sea bass when [my chef] started cooking for me. That’s the one thing I have to have all the time.’
Durant’s Chef On His Diet
‘A lot goes into each season with KD’s health, and it changes each season with his goals and changing body.’
Kevin Durant’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
Play All Day
Durant has played basketball his entire life, and barely remembers a time when he wasn’t playing.
Overall Athlete
At 6’ 9” and 240, Durant is a big guy, but he can really move, which is why he has won so many awards.
Intense Training
Durant never takes it easy. All of his workouts are designed to challenge him and make him even better.
Segmented Practice
Each of Durant’s workouts are divided into 3 segments: mobility, strength, and shooting practice.
Mobility Matters
Durant always makes sure to warm up prior to his workouts, and does plenty of twists and rotational exercises to loosen up his spine.
Strength Training
Rather than straight lifting, Durant performs compound moves that work multiple muscle groups, and help improve his game.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Durant is always doing a variety of shooting drills so he’s ready for anything that happens on the court.
Killer Cardio
Durant challenges himself by doing sprints and suicide drills, and running on sand. He says the uneven surface builds strength and balance, and sometimes his pal and fellow NBAer Russell Westbrook joins him.
Exercise Style
A Kevin Durant Routine
Mobility Exercises
Thoracic spine extension: 30 reps x 2 sets
Rotational medicine ball throws: 8 reps x 3 sets
Split stance overhead core matrix (forward, rotational, lateral): 10 reps x 2 sets each
Strength Training
Single leg Romanian deadlift with medicine ball: 7 reps/side x 2 sets
Inverted row on physioball w/ TRX straps: 10 reps x 4 sets
Basic inverted row: 10 reps x 4 sets
Single-leg dumbbell-to-press: 8 reps x 4 sets
Basic overhead press: 8 reps x 4 sets
Walking dumbbell push-up to row: 8 reps/side x 4 sets
Basic dumbbell row from push-up position: 8 reps/side x 4 sets
Medicine ball multi-planar lunge on core board: 10-12 reps/side x 4 sets
Medicine ball multi-planar lunge: 10-12 reps/side x 4 sets
Shooting Exercises
Pick & pop
Attack help defender
Freeze pull-ups
Hesitate on drive to attack
Catch & shoot
Post up
Dribble drag to crossover
Early offense duck in
Counter
Cross screen to pick & roll
Durant on His Basketball Skills As a Kid
‘I learned how to pass when I was real young. That’s one thing I always knew how to do was find the open man.’
Durant on Spending Time In The Gym
‘It was tough at times. Sometimes I wanted to quit but I’m glad I stuck with it.’
Durant on His Game
‘I’m busy working on every aspect of my game — defense, shooting, rebounding — but I really want to become a better overall team player.’
Durant on His Basketball Goals
‘I’m just trying to grow. That’s one thing I told myself is, “Don’t worry about who people say is the best player.”’
Kevin Durant’s Supplements
Acai
Durant tries to eat most of his nutrition, including acai berries which are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Flaxseed
Chia Seeds
Vitamin B12
Electrolytes
Coconut Water
Probiotics
Durant makes a point of having things like yogurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut to get good bacteria into his body and keep his digestion strong, which is key to good performance. Supplementing with probiotics is another option.
Omega-3s
Kevin Durant’s Lifestyle
Solid Sleep Habits
Durant makes a point of getting 8 hours of shut-eye every night. He says it’s key to having enough energy.
Great From the Start
As a teenager, Durant played basketball in the AAU with other future NBAers as well, including Ty Lawson, Greivis Vasquez, and Michael Beasley. Durant and Beasley are still good friends to this day.
Show Respect
Durant wears a #35 jersey and named his foundation after his AAU coach Charles Craig who was murdered at age 35.
Mom’s Da Bomb
Durant’s mom Wanda raised him as a single parent from the time he was very young. He calls her ‘the real MVP.’ She is a philanthropist with the goal to inspire single moms and their children to aim high.
Durant on Sleep
‘Every day is a new chance to challenge myself and push my training to the next level, but I can only do that if I keep my energy up. Sleep is an important part of that.’
Durant on His Childhood
‘Every memory I had growing up was involving a basketball. I didn’t go the prom and stuff like that. It was always basketball for me.’
Durant on Winning
‘I always want to win because I never want to sit out on the sidelines outside.’
Durant on His Future
‘I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I just know for sure I’m going to keep playing basketball.’
Durant on his Fashion Sense
‘I would describe my style as off the wall. I like stuff that doesn’t match. I just like to stand out.’
Durant on His Idea of a Nice Date
‘I like something simple and tradition, like dinner and a movie. The best way to get to know someone is to have conversation over dinner.’
Durant on Singer Keri Hilson
‘I tweeted Keri Hilson the other day and she actually wrote back! I was so excited.’
Recommended Products
References
https://www.verlasso.com/verlasso-blog/2017/7/7/eat-like-the-nba-finals-champion-kevin-durant
https://www.verlasso.com/verlasso-blog/2018/5/30/eat-like-kevin-durant-win-like-kevin-durant
https://workoutinfoguru.com/kevin-durant-workout/
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/kevin-durant-quotes
https://www.performasleep.com/blogs/news/sleep-habits-of-elite-athletes
