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For the fourth time within the final 5 seasons, Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double (which means his per sport common for factors, rebounds, and assists is within the double digits.) Oscar Robertson is the one different participant to have achieved this feat, and he did it as soon as, in 1962. Westbrook can also be now simply three triple doubles shy of passing Oscar Roberston for probably the most in NBA historical past. Breaking a file that till not too long ago was considered untouchable requires oodles of basketball expertise, and in addition Energizer Bunny ranges of vitality. Westbrook has each. At 32, he’s nonetheless taking part in greater than 35 minutes a sport, due to a dialed-in food regimen and routine that entails wake-up push ups, much less sleep than you’d anticipate, hydrating with Circulation Alkaline Water, and a pregame PB&J (two really) that he’s been having since highschool. GQ caught up with Westbrook to study what powers one of many NBA’s best gamers.
GQ: What time does your day normally begin?
Russell Westbrook: Effectively, provided that I’ve little kids in the home, it begins fairly early. 6:30 or 7:00. That varies if I'm in season, so that may change, however usually about 7:00 AM.
Was it later earlier than the youngsters?
No, it was about the identical. I'm an early chook, I wish to stand up early, get my day began early.
What's the very first thing you normally do within the morning?
Typically I do push-ups to wake my physique up. That's how I begin more often than not.
What number of push ups will you normally do?
That varies too, based mostly on how lengthy I’ve been up that evening. However I attempt to knock out anyplace between 25 and 50, get my blood circulate shifting.
What number of hours of sleep are you aiming to get?
Most likely about 5 – 6. If I get greater than that, I'm very grateful.
That's not a ton of sleep.
Yeah, you already know, I really feel like after I sleep longer, I don't really feel the very best. Going nonstop, that's kinda how my life is. That's kinda how I operate.
Did you used to sleep longer?
I'll get seven or eight hours of sleep each on occasion, however that's not my norm by any means. I've alway been type of like this: keep up late, however I'm up early.
What's breakfast?
That's my favorite meal of the day, so I normally eat a very huge breakfast. Fruit. Inexperienced juice, orange juice. Breakfast can differ, I just about eat something: omelette, avocado toast, pancakes, waffles, hash browns.
Because the day progresses, what are you consuming for lunch and dinner?
Fish for lunch. Salad for lunch. Snacks I wish to eat are peanuts, parfaits, yogurt, smoothies after I can. Dinner, a number of veggies, pasta. Proper now I can solely eat fish, no meat for awhile.
Why solely fish?
I needed to alter up some issues. I needed to lose some weight, but in addition maintain my energy and physique collectively. So I’m attempting one thing new. Particularly all through the season, as I become old, I’ve to determine higher methods to maintain my physique in the correct form and wholesome, to have the ability to do what I wish to do, particularly whereas taking part in.
You're clearly nonetheless taking part in at an extremely excessive stage. It sounds such as you've needed to tweak your food regimen and exercise to take care of that endurance as you've gotten older?
I wouldn't say that's the case. I used to be high-quality earlier than, I simply needed to lose some weight as a result of I felt like I used to be too heavy. It was a private feeling for me. That was type of the one motive behind it, actually.
When you have a late sport, will you eat after?
It's powerful for me to eat after video games. I'll eat after I can. I'll do smoothies or shakes, simply to get well. It takes me some time to wind down, and eat. However finally I'll get some meals in my system, for the subsequent day.
Do you’ve got any responsible pleasures relating to meals?
I’ve numerous these! However I haven't been capable of do it a lot now. I do know that I'm capable of cheat a bit of extra, simply due to my physique and what number of energy I burn. However yeah, I’ve numerous these, I don't essentially make the most of it, particularly now in the course of the season. I really like sweet. Snacks. Most likely like everyone else. Desserts.
What's your favorite sweet?
PayDay.
I really feel like individuals divide sweet into classes: chocolate, after which fruit sweet, like Starburst, or Skittles.
I eat all of it. Bitter. No matter. It doesn't matter. Will depend on the temper I'm in. I can all the time go for a Reese's, Skittles, just about something. However I haven't been consuming sweet in awhile. Each on occasion perhaps I'll seize one, however not as steadily as I used to be earlier than.
Is there something you do now that’s fairly very important to your routine that you just want you'd recognized about earlier in your profession?
what's loopy is, I'm fairly constant on my routine since I began taking part in, because it pertains to weight-reduction plan and timing, when it comes to what I eat. The one factor that I’d say I've realized extra about… [is] what I drink. Me being an envoy and companion in Circulation, that was an essential factor, and having alkaline water and seeing the way it's higher on your physique, for restoration, having the ability to use that. I really like ingesting juice, however I don't drink hardly any juice, solely water just about all day. I'm ingesting Circulation all day lengthy simply to remain hydrated. That's type of the brand new factor for me, I'd say.
Are you nonetheless operating sand dunes in the summertime?
Yup, usual, usual. [laughs]
Has it gotten any simpler, or nonetheless painful?
I’ve been doing it for therefore lengthy, so I understand how to handle it, and the way a lot I want and the way lengthy I have to be there. So it's not painful in any respect. It positively helps—in my legs, in my endurance.
How does your vitality stage now examine to 10 years in the past?
Luckily, I nonetheless have numerous vitality. However that's why my food regimen and the way I deal with my physique could be very, essential, due to how I play and the way I function. So to maintain this up for so long as I can, that's the primary aim.
Given how laborious you go, what are some instruments you’ve got for restoration?
I feel restoration relies on what you want—for me, I wish to drink shakes and smoothies, peanut butter, however I really like peanut butter. One thing to type of give me replenishment immediately. One thing that I've used for restoration.
What normally goes in your shake or smoothie?
Peanut butter, some kind of protein. Banana. Nothing loopy. It's one thing that works for me.
Have been you all the time this intentional about your food regimen and health? As a rookie, have been you fascinated with it this difficult?
No, no, no. However I didn't eat terribly both. I used to be by no means the man like, Aw man, I want to ensure I eat this, I eat this fashion. I'm fortunate and blessed to eat what I wish to eat, due to the best way I play and what number of energy I burn. However clearly as you become old, you wish to be at an elite stage for a sustainable period of time, it’s important to do various things.
How did you study that? Seeing different guys?
Simply studying. You simply study and, like everyone else, do analysis, and do various things that come up that folks suppose are higher on your physique, what works for you, as a result of there are such a lot of issues that could possibly be higher on your physique than others, so that you simply gotta determine what works on your personal private physique.
Do you turn up what you eat on sport days?
I eat the identical factor on sport days. That by no means modifications. I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—two of these—some fruit, simply plain pasta, no sauce.
How lengthy have you ever been doing that?
Since I used to be in highschool [laughs]. The pasta got here a bit of later. The PB&J has been like that since I been in highschool.
Do you keep in mind what received you consuming it?
I identical to peanut butter. It creates a consistency on how your physique feels, that's a very powerful half. At the very least for me, I understand how my physique goes to react to it, I understand how a lot I have to eat to really feel like I'm in place. A peanut butter and jelly, to me, holds on to your physique all through the sport—you don't really feel hungry and also you don't really feel such as you don't have sufficient vitality. It's one thing that works for me.
And what exercises are you normally doing in the course of the week, in season?
I don't raise numerous weights. Much more motion. Stretching. Stability. Strengthening. That's type of the place I been all through the week, simply ensuring my physique is as much as tune, persistently engaged on issues that have to be labored on in order that I can carry out on the stage that I really feel like I'm purported to carry out at.
Final query: what takes extra vitality, getting all these triple-doubles or being a dad?
Dad. For positive. I don't thoughts that being extra vitality, as a result of that's the place my vitality have to be anyway [laughs].
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