This is how Kobe Bryant trained. Not many could do it

On January 26, 2020, the world learned about the tragic death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash. This world-class player was an active NBA basketball player from 1996 to 2016. During this time, he was a 5-time NBA champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010). In 2009-10, he was the NBA Finals MVP. During his career, he was often compared to the legendary Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson.

Kobe Bryant's (un)typical day

Kobe Bryant has achieved a lot in his career. This wouldn't be possible without the determination and dedication to become the best player in the world. On X (formerly Twitter), Mateusz Babiarz described 10 interesting facts related to the legend of the Los Angeles Lakers (1,198 appearances).

The scale of determination can be proven by the fact that Kobe Bryant started his training at 5:00, five hours earlier than the rest of the team. The basketball player was doing his own exercises in front of the other team members. Moreover, such a regime was not limited only to the duration of the NBA season. “During the break between games, his schedule was even more rigorous,” the post reads.

• 4:00 wake-up, first training (basics, throws)

• 7:00 breakfast and rest

• 9:00 second training (weights, endurance)

• 12:00 lunch and rest

• 14:00 third training (technical, serves)

• 17:00 reconstruction (ice, massages)

• 7:00 p.m. dinner and family time

• 21:00 film analysis and mental training

• 10:30 p.m. time to sleep

Diversity in Kobe Bryant's training

During these workouts, Bryant set goals for himself. “Kobe required himself to hit 800-1,000 shots a day. If it required staying in the room longer, so be it. Additionally, he put pressure on his teammates (either the Lakers or the USA) – if he, the star, trains like that, even though he is better than them, then they should too,” we read.

Kobe Bryant trained on many levels. He started with stretching, warm-up and cardio. Then he applied the load and then performed stabilization and mobility exercises, i.e. he used methods to increase the range of motion in the joints and improve their functioning. “He rigorously monitored his diet and regeneration, and complemented the whole thing with mental training,” Babiarz recalls.

There was no shortage of creativity in his training regime. “To recreate the fatigue at the end of matches, he trained with weighted ankles. Did his opponents defend him by covering his face so he couldn't see the basket? We will train with the lights off. Injury to one hand? I will practice throwing the second one. Leg injury? I will throw while sitting,” we read.

Kobe Bryant learned from the best

Moreover, Kobe Bryant learned to perfect the individual moves of other players. He played not only from plays, among others. Jordan, but also others that impressed him and he thought would help him develop.

“Not everyone can be such a training freak (maybe that's a good thing), but if you're looking for motivation to work, it's worth reading, listening and watching stories about his preparations,” concluded the author of the post.