Kirk Cousins Workout and Diet
Professional Football Player
Kirk Cousins was born in Illinois and grew up in Holland, Michigan. He was a two-sport athlete in high school: football and baseball. Cousins accepted a football scholarship to Michigan State in 2007 and led the Spartans to their first-ever Big Ten Championship game in 2011. He was picked up by the Washington Redskins in the 2012 NFL draft and was backup quarterback for 3 years. In 2015, he stepped in as lead QB due to an injury and led the team to a division title. After setting several records, Cousins earned a spot in the 2017 Pro Bowl. He became a free agent in 2018 and signed with Minnesota where he earned 3 more Pro Bowl selections in his 6 years there. In 2024, Cousins signed a 4-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He was featured in the 2023 Netflix/NFL documentary Quarterback. Cousins has endorsement deals with several brands, including ETS Performance, Nike, Sleep Number, Bose and Manitou boats. He has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Cousins is married and has 2 sons. He is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs about 205 lbs.
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Kirk Cousins’ Diet
Diet Summary
Cousins is blessed with a high metabolism and says he can really get away with eating anything at all, but because he has had to deal with injuries, he has had to take his diet more seriously. He had blood work done and it determined he needed to cut out grains. Gluten is a top offender, but he also avoids corn and rice. His diet is comprised primarily of veggies, meat, fish, nuts and fruit. He stays hydrated with plenty of water.
Estimated Macros
Medium Fat
Low-Medium Carb
Medium-High Protein
Diet Details
80-20 Rule
Cousins would love to eat junk food every day, but he uses discipline and eats clean most of the time, and letting loose once in a while.
Grain-Free Diet
Cousins loves bread as much as anyone else, but he says the more he avoids it, the less he craves it.
Cheat Day
When it comes to fast food, Cousins does not discriminate. From McDonalds to Chik-Fil-A to Bojangles, he loves it all, and he has DoorDash on speed dial.
What to Eat
- Whole, natural foods
- Beef
- Chicken
- Fish
- Salads
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Vegetables
- Water
What to Avoid
- Grains
- Gluten
- Rice
- Corn
- Chemicals
- Artificial ingredients
Cousins on his grain-free diet
‘I’ve done some tests and blood work and…I’ve found it’s not just gluten for me, but I need to cut out grains.’
Cousins on giving up grains
‘It pains my heart to cut out the grains because they’re in everything, and I love them just as much as the next guy.’
Cousins on his diet
‘It ends up being a lot of salads, chicken, steak, fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables.’
Cousins on burgers
‘I’ll still hold the bun, but it’s just a hold. I just eat everything else but the bun.’
Kirk Cousins’ Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Bad Break
When Cousins was a junior in high school, he broke his ankle, which meant he had to attend camps in order to be considered for college recruitment.
Captan Kirk
While playing for the Redskins, Cousins earned the nickname ‘Captain Kirk’ of Star Trek fame for his leadership skills on the field.
Not Patient
While recovering from his Achilles injury, Cousins discovered that he is not patient, but also that patience is key and can help speed up healing.
Leave It All Out There
Cousins wants his record to show that he gave it his all, and if that includes a Super Bowl win, that’d be great.
Regular Dose
Cousins works out on the regular. In the off-season, he spends 4 hours a day, 4 days a week working with his trainer.
Warm Ups Are Essential
Pre-game, Cousins spends about an hour warming up on his own, reviewing notes, and getting centered by listening to music. Then he warms up again on the field with the team, throwing and running.
A Balancing Act
With his Achilles injury, Cousins’ workout routine has become a juggling act to fit in everything he needs to train normally in addition to rehab.
Exercise Style
A Kirk Cousins Routine
Train: minimum 4 days a week, 4 hours/day
- Stretching
- Warm ups
- Running drills
- Throwing drills
- Jump rope
- Med ball work
- Core work
- Footwork
- Elliptical
- Applied Functional Science
- Shoulder-specific work
- Recovery: Hyperbaric oxygen chamber
Cousins on his Achilles injury
‘I never thought I’d spend this much time on my lower right leg.’
Cousins on his Achilles recovery
‘All off-season, I’ve had to focus on the Achilles, but not to the detriment of getting the rest of myself ready for the season.’
Cousins on the challenges of being a pro
‘You’ve got to be adaptable as a pro athlete. Things are always getting thrown your way.’
Kirk Cousins’ Supplements
Melatonin
Cousins takes melatonin to ensure that he gets maximum quality sleep each night.
BCAAs
Cousins is a brand ambassador for ETS Performance Nutrition. The line includes BCAAs, which offer the triple benefit of speeding recovery, improving performance, and increasing muscle growth.
Protein
Also in ETS’ lineup of supplements is muscle-building protein in just about every form: whey, isolate, and vegan; they’ve got lots of options.
Creatine
Another pro athlete staple in ETS’ line is creatine, which boosts immunity, muscle growth, performance, and cognitive function.
Pre Workout
Cousins’ ETS Performance also includes a pre workout that improves focus and endurance. It is 3rd-party tested and made in the USA.
Kirk Cousins’ Lifestyle
Sleep Record
Cousins prioritizes sleep, but he’s up early, often by 5 am most days. He keeps detailed records of his sleep, which show that he has his worst sleep on Saturdays in the fall.
Miracle Recruit
Due to breaking his ankle as a high school junior, Cousins was not heavily recruited for college ball. He only got offers from Toledo and Western Michigan — until a miracle happened: Michigan State’s top recruit didn’t pan out, and they offered the spot to Cousins.
Practical Guy
In the mid 2010s, and despite earning over $20 million per year, Cousins and his wife and first child spent the off-season living in his parents’ basement. In the winter months, they lived with his wife’s parents. Cousins says besides the help with the childcare, not paying rent was great.
High Tech Training
Since college, Cousins has been training his brain to concentrate with a system called NeuroPeak that detect brain wave activity and monitors breathing. He also uses a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help with recovery, like other pros do including Tom Brady and LeBron James.
Voracious Reader
Cousins reads an incredible amount, spending hours in book stores and collecting books. His top 4 topic areas are sports, leadership, faith, and investing. He reads the Bible daily.
Decompression Time
One of Cousins’ favorite things to do to relax and reset is take the fam out on the pontoon boat.
Atlanta: End of the Line?
Cousins says that one of his least favorite things about football is uprooting his family when he changes teams. He would like Atlanta to be his forever home.
Cousins on being an early riser
‘I wake up early. I wish I could sleep in.’
Cousins on pre-game prep
‘I like to go over my football notes and read my Bible a bit, pray — just kind of center myself. I think that really helps me.’
Cousins on himself
‘I’ve always been someone who is somewhat obsessed with fulfilling potential.’
Cousins on reading
‘The accumulation of knowledge is a powerful thing.’
Cousins on God
‘The Lord’s a gambler…I think the Lord likes 1-year contracts.’
Cousins on translating QBing into life
‘Anything that makes you a better quarterback is going to make you a better person.’
Cousins on the last hour before a game
‘That is the worst part of the week. I can’t stand the sitting around before kickoff.’
Cousins on decompressing
‘Football is pretty stressful for me. It’s a grind. I look forward to the time in the summer before training camp…just the chance to be with family and spend quality time together.’
Recommended Products
Cousins Atlanta Falcons Jersey
ETS Performance Training
ETS Performance Nutrition
Nike
Bose
Sleep Number Beds
Manitou Pontoon Boats
Applied Functional Science Training
Neuropeak Pro
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
