lebron
james

NBA player · Los Angeles Lakers; co-founder of Ladder

11 steps · last checked 18 oct 2026

8–9 hours of sleep plus a long nap, ice and cold tubs, Normatec, hyperbaric, no fried food in season.

from his 2018 Tim Ferriss interview with his trainer Mike Mancias and the 2024 Netflix series Starting 5. He won’t confirm the reported $1.5 million a year spent on his body, but has described the routine.

what lebron uses see the routine

the stack · at a glance

what lebron uses.

stack as of nov 2024

4 items

supplements1

Ladder ownssupplement brand he co-founded in 2018; now owned by Openfit/Beachbody, with him as a minority shareholder
soon

gear3

Tonal investorhome strength-training machine; he’s an investor
soon
Calmhe falls asleep to its “Rain on Leaves” sound
soon
Normatec 3 (Hyperice)compression boots he uses
soon

copy the whole stack

food · a game day

what lebron eats.

breakfastmorning
egg whites + salmon
egg-white omelette with smoked salmon; gluten-free pancakes with berries.
1·’18
lunchmidday
pasta, salmon, veg
whole-wheat pasta with salmon and vegetables.
1·’18
around the gamegame
pb&j, apple, shake
pb&j before; apple and almond butter at half-time; a plant protein shake with almond milk and fruit after.
1·’18
dinnernight
chicken parm, rocket
with a glass of cabernet.
1·’18

no fried food or artificial sugar in season1·’18
plant protein after games, not heavy whey1·’18

the routine · 11 steps

lebron’s day.

morning2 steps day4 steps evening2 steps off-season1 step night2 steps

morning

6:30 (game day)approx.
Up early, cold plunge
on game days he’s up around 6:30 and starts with a cold plunge.
cold & heat
Breakfast
Egg-white omelette and smoked salmon
egg-white omelette with smoked salmon and gluten-free pancakes with berries (the day before the interview, 2018).
nutrition

day

Midday (game day)
Long nap
a nap around noon on game days; if he misses his 8–9 hours he’ll nap about two and a half hours.
sleep
Pre-game
PB&J before, apple and almond butter at half-time
whole-wheat pasta, salmon and vegetables for lunch; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before the game; sliced apple with almond butter at half-time (2018).
nutrition
Regularlyapprox.
Normatec, red light, hyperbaric
normatec 3 compression boots, red-light therapy, cryotherapy and up to 90-minute hyperbaric oxygen sessions (2024).
recovery
All season
No fried food or artificial sugar in season
no fried food, artificial drinks or artificial sugar during the season; organic where possible. Off-season he relaxes it.

evening

Post-game
Plant protein shake
his trainer gives him a plant-based protein shake with almond milk and fruit right after games, not heavy whey.
nutrition
Post-game
Ice, cold tank or cryo
after food and fluids: a cold tank, ice bags or a cryotherapy chamber, whatever is available that night. He was icing his knees during the 2018 interview.
cold & heat recovery

off-season

Off-season
VersaClimber and 100-yard sprints
end-zone-to-end-zone sprints on a football field, with no set number, plus the VersaClimber.
fitness

night

30–45 min before bed
Screens off, cool dark room
electronics off 30–45 minutes before sleep, room at 68–70°F and completely dark; he falls asleep to the Calm app’s “Rain on Leaves.”
sleep light
Sleep
8–9 hours, sometimes 10
he aims for eight to nine hours and wakes without an alarm when he gets them.
sleep