Do you know any 40 year olds who look like this? His devotion to training and his vegan diet helped Tony Gonzalez accomplish this physique.

Tony Gonzalez is a man of durability. Since being drafted in 1997 by the Kansas City Chiefs, the 6’5, 247 lb. Gonzalez has earned 14 Pro Bowls and became the first tight end to ever catch 1,000 passes. He is arguably one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the NFL. Gonzalez is known by many as having one of the best work ethics in the NFL and his longevity can be traced to his workout and diet regimen. Although not much is known about a detailed workout routine, Gonzalez gave an interview on some of his favorite types of workouts.

Gonzalez is very into his core because he believes that’s where the athleticism comes from. Core training is a must for any athlete, especially football players. The core muscle has a lot to do with speed, agility, and leaping ability. In addition, a strong core can prevent muscle imbalances since the core works on your posture, strength, and overall flexibility. This will greatly reduce the potential for injuries, which is something football players are very prone to due to the nature of the game.

When it comes to his core training, he likes to do 200 sit-ups a day, a great exercise to strengthen the abdominal muscles and hip flexors. Gonzalez has some of the best abs in the game and a lot of this is due to his reliance on core training like sit-ups. He also does bridges as a way to build core stability and improve spinal stabilization. In addition, this exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen the glutes and hamstrings.

He also does 1,000 jump ropes a day before he starts his training. Jump roping is a convenient way to proper conditioning because all you need is a jump rope and some space. You can do it practically anywhere. The motion of jump roping engages every muscle in your body and is a terrific cardiovascular exercise. It’s a great way to engage your core, which is a muscle group he prefers.

In terms of his diet, Gonzalez is vegan, only eating fish and not other types of meats. Before his change in diet, he would pound down steaks and milk, as well as pizza, hot dogs and burgers – whatever he could to gain weight. He especially loved macaroni and cheese. He wanted to change around his diet and feel more healthy so the vegan diet was something he really want to do. Gonzalez now focuses on produce when constructing his meals. He loads up on berries, bananas and mangoes, fresh vegetables and milk alternatives. Many people believe that vegan diets don’t give you enough protein due to the lack of meats. However, Gonzalez eats mostly clean fish and doesn’t really eat dairy. He eats free-range chicken about 3-4 times a week and organic free-range egg whites every once in a while. As far as beef goes, he may have petite grass-fed filet about once a month.

If you don’t want to go vegan, Gonzalez offers a word of advice. He suggests to stay away from food in a box and foods that you need to throw in the microwave. Instead, he believes you should eat whole foods. When you eat whole foods, you’re getting the food in its natural state. You’re getting the proper vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are in the food. You’re getting healthy whole food, rather than the bits that remain after refinement and processing.

Source

http://www.stack.com/video/18149366001/Tony-Gonzalezs-OffSeason-Training-Plan/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1304/Q-A-with-Tony-Gonzalez-AllPro-Football-Player-on

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