We caught up with Detroit Pistons power forward, Tobias Harris and he told us how he trains and eats for his high-flying, on-court NBA antics.
Tobias Harris Interview
The Early Days
My high school pre-game meal would be McDonald’s; even in college, I was eating burgers and fries before games, then going out and playing.
It was so bad that in my rookie year, I was on a low-carb diet. I wanted to look shredded, but that just doesn’t give me energy in my sport. I got a lot of motivation and better understanding from my chef, Sam Miller, who showed me different ways to change my habits.
I’ve been into fitness since the 12th grade, but nutrition and training weren’t a focus until I actually started doing my own research. This gave me an understanding of what it does to the body, and how to adopt the correct eating and training habits.
Performance
I’ve found, for me, that the three best exercises to increase your vertical jump height are squats, box jumps and leg presses.
Mind
I travel a lot for games, so Yelp has become my best friend. I do a lot of searching on “healthy”, or “plant-based” restaurants. My biggest success is finding vegan restaurants and getting a good spot, but certain cities have different options for me.
Soul
It can be tough to balance a fit and healthy lifestyle with the demands of work, but it’s what keeps it all in order: mind, body and soul. I try to limit the amount of stress at all times and get proper rest of eight to 10 hours a night, even in the summer. Sleep is huge – what you put in, you will get out. Every time I’m training, I’m always thinking of the bigger picture of how this will help me on the court; how it will help my team, my brothers and sisters watching, and the kids who are looking for inspiration. Of course,
Sleep is huge – what you put in, you will get out. Every time I’m training, I’m always thinking of the bigger picture of how this will help me on the court; how it will help my team, my brothers and sisters watching, and the kids who are looking for inspiration. Of course,
Of course, I think of playing the game at the highest level knowing I’m super-blessed by god, and never taking that for granted.
Pre-game nutrition
Before training, I eat a meal of protein, carbs and healthy fats. The proteins I enjoy the most and which also leave me feeling energized are eggs, chicken and salmon.
The best carb sources are sprouted wheat bread, rice, brown rice and pasta. I’d also include avocado and ghee. However, I like cooking with a lot of healthy fats such as coconut, olive and avocado oils.
I try to make sure I eat a meal about 90 minutes before and after my workout, and will also drink a healthy smoothie mixed with berries, almond milk, almond butter, oats and RAW Protein mix.
For more articles like the Tobias Harris interview, nutrition tips, workouts and supplements, get TRAIN magazine direct into your inbox every month for free by signing up to our newsletter
