Kevin Garnett plays with incredible intensity whenever he steps foot on the court, a true testament to his incredible work ethic off the court.

Kevin Garnett starts his daily workout training routine with a 3 mile run on the beach in the early morning hours between 5 and 6 AM. Garnett runs in the sand because it helps develop more strength in his leg muscles and lower body. Sand training provides immense benefits for Garnett, helping him maintain the strength and durability needed on the basketball court.

Since the sand shifts beneath Garnett as he runs, his ankles, arches, and calves are worked more and become even stronger in the process. Also, sand training improves balance because the uneven sand surface activates nearly all the muscles in the body, which will result in more strength and fluidity of motion. In addition, running on sand puts less stress on the muscles and joints as the feet hit the sand. Also, studies show that people who train on sand burn between 1.2 and 1.8 times more calories per mile on each run. “I remember when I first started running on sand, it was so hard on me,” Garnett told Men’s Fitness. “So hard on my back and ankles, I knew I was getting stronger when I would do the workouts and wouldn’t be as tired.”

When it comes to his specific sand training, Garnett starts his 5 day per week routine by running intervals with only seconds in between, simulating running the court on offense and then getting back on defense with little to no breaks. “You’ve got to be able to recover in five to seven seconds. And then go at it again. Sometimes I run with a maximum of two to three seconds to recover, and then I’m back at it again. Sand is one of the best workouts you could ever use.”

In an interview with Men’s Fitness, Garnett speaks of his commitment to his daily beach run: “I always put a bottle of water where I start,” he says. “In order to drink it, I have to make it to the end of the beach and back to the bottle.”

Garnett made the cover of Men’s Fitness due to his incredible training regimen and competitive spirit.

Even though Garnett is skinnier than most NBA players for his size, the 6’11, 253 lb. Garnett believes muscle mass is not a true indication of strength. “They are not necessarily stronger than me,” he argues. “I work very hard at it. You don’t survive playing the power forward position and sometimes at center guarding Shaq and Yao Ming being thin. I take my weights very, very, very personally. It’s part of my regimen every day … even on game days. I’m not a weak individual.” If you look at Garnett, you wouldn’t think that he is an avid weightlifter. He isn’t known as one of the more muscular players in the league. Being 6’11 and 253 lbs. isn’t exactly a muscular type. However, Garnett could have a very fast metabolism for his size and therefore makes it more difficult to put on added weight. In addition, he could do exercises that focus more on muscular endurance than mass gains. Not to mention, he does a lot of running in his training, which can lead to him being more lean.

In fact, Garnett gets in a total body fitness workout a few hours before every basketball game, training all of his muscle groups just to get the blood pumping.

When it comes to his diet, Garnett tries to stay healthy. He has his own private chef who prepares healthy meals, preferably with the proper carbohydrates and lean proteins. In addition, Garnett limits his alcohol intake during the season to an occasional glass of wine. Alcohol can lead to numerous issues for athletes, notably dehydration, decrease testosterone levels and mental health, among other things. It’s important to limit alcohol consumption for anyone, especially a superstar athlete like Garnett. Having an occasional glass of wine can actually be beneficial as it can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and thin your blood. Garnett seems aware of this and does the right thing when it comes to his alcohol consumption. Moderation is key for anything, especially when it comes to alcohol.

Kevin Garnett was the driving force and vocal leader behind the Boston Celtics 2008 NBA Championship in addition to winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year that same year.

Garnett is known for having one of the most admired work ethics in the league and plays every game with the uttermost fierce intensity. In addition to his work ethic and intensity, Garnett is one of the greatest power forwards of all time, being the 2004 NBA league MVP with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett knows the value of hard work and even though he may not always enjoy it, he knows it has paid dividends. “People ask me all the time, ‘Do you love running on the beach, on the sand?'” he says. “Nah, but I do love getting better.”

Source

http://www.mensfitness.com/sports/athletes/kevin-garnett