Our guest today on a very special episode of the Keep Going Podcast is our co-Founder and 7x Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady.
At age 44 and fresh off of his 7th Super Bowl win, Tom entered his 22nd NFL season this Fall after spending the majority of the offseason rehabbing from reconstructive surgery on his MCL. He has picked up right where he left off in the Super Bowl, throwing for 10 TDs and over 1,000 yards in the first three games of the season and diving even further into uncharted territory for an athlete his age.
You’ll hear Tom speak candidly in this episode about how his daily habits enable him to continue to perform at the highest level, and it’s especially interesting to hear just how passionate Tom is when he talks about how the TB12 Method and Alex Guerrero have impacted his life & career.
Tom is now just a few days away from returning to New England to lead his defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers against the Patriots in one of the most anticipated NFL games in decades. So much has been made of Tom’s return to Foxboro recently, and he was open with us about what he expects from his long-awaited return and some of the emotions he’s feeling as he prepares to play the Patriots for the first time in his career.
Here are some important sparknotes from this podcast to help you get better and stronger – just like Tom.
You’re going to love this incredible conversation with Tom Brady. Let’s go!
Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
1. Hydration Is Key
Most athletes see their peak performance in their 20s before seeing some stark drop-offs by the time they hit 30. But Tom Brady is 45 and keeps kicking it like he’s a teen. So what’s his secret?
Among them, Tom talks about how important it is to stay hydrated. In his analogy, the 7x Super Bowl Champion compared his muscles to those of beef tenderloin rather than beef jerky. It’s to show that when muscles are more pliable (one of the pillars of the TB12 Method), they’re able to perform at their best.
And this is scientifically backed. Hypohydration, or dehydration, stresses the cardiovascular system, which places athletes at higher injury risk. Athletes should continually refuel and replenish lost fluids and electrolytes during training sessions to perform better and avoid injury.
Electrolytes are necessary vitamins and minerals that allow your body to function properly, and when you’re training hard, it’s easy to lose them.
TB12 electrolytes are delicious and versatile – letting you stay active and hydrated. Because your water should perform as well as you do.
And avoiding serious injury is a major reason why Tom is able to continue to play the way he does today.
2. Fuel Your Body Nutritionally
Tom also spends some time talking about the importance of using food as fuel to keep your body working at its peak performance. Food is the way we give our body energy to keep functioning at its very best no matter what, and eating foods that actively fight inflammation can be a great way to start.
One of the best ways to reduce inflammation isn’t by loading up on pain meds – it’s by loading up on healthy foods. Many plant-based foods have the power to fight off inflammation to help with muscle recovery, soreness, and overall health or wellness.
Anti-inflammatory foods to include in your diet include tomatoes, olive oil, leafy vegetables like kale, fruits and berries, fatty fish like salmon or mackerel, and nuts. Foods to avoid that can contribute to inflammation include refined carbs (white rice and pastas), red meats, sodas, fried foods, and margarine.
Load up on protein and be mindful of how the food you put into your body affects the energy you can put out.
3. Focus On Functional Movement
The TB12 Method incorporates a functional strength approach to strength and conditioning, rather than training for maximum strength and speed. A typical Tom Brady workout contains more than sprints, power lifts, and more – it also focuses on functional exercises that improve daily living activities.
Functional exercise mimics movements that you’ll be doing throughout your day, like squatting, lifting overhead, or bending down. But functional exercise can also mimic the movements of your given sport or activity. The purpose is to allow you to freely move your joints without feeling pain.
Functional strength training can improve movement patterns and movement efficiency while also enhancing coordination, mobility, and aerobic capacity. It helps you prepare for expected movements throughout your life rather than just going all out during every single gym session.
After you train hard, you need to recover just as hard. Pliability rollers and spheres are easy, quick ways to help you break up the lactic acid that’s causing you to feel so sore in the first place. Accelerate warm-up and recovery by rolling out large muscle groups with ease.
This is a portion of the program to which Tom Brady attributes much of his success.
4. Mental Fitness Matters
Focusing on the way you look and perform on the outside is great, but the way you feel on the inside is just as important. Your brain is the most powerful muscle in your body, so prioritizing cognitive health and recovery will translate to gains on and off the field.
Positive mindsets, time to recover, and stress relief techniques can all contribute to proper mental fitness. Mental health can affect the way you relate to others and make other healthy choices that can affect your athletic performance, as well as your relationships with those around you.
Tom has opened up about mental wellness in sports, and as part of his daily routine, he makes an effort to always try to understand the circumstances of other people in his life. While you can’t live in someone else’s shoes, Tom thinks that having a team-based attitude that puts the feelings of others at the forefront is a great way to look out for the mental health of others.
In turn, it helps foster a community and support system for those with an active lifestyle, one that supports the idea of seeking help for challenging mental wellness issues. Mental fitness is physical fitness in a lot of ways, and the TB12 Method prioritizes mental health before all else.
The TB12 Method
Tom’s methodology might work for a lot of people, but the beauty of the TB12 Method is that you have room to make it work for you. But the bottom line is that in order to become the best version of yourself, you need to make sure you’re treating your body right.
The TB12 Method lets you do what you love for longer. From plant-based protein to sleep supplements, we’ve got what you need to perform at your best.
Sources:
Foods that fight inflammation | Harvard Health
Lactic Acid Build Up in Muscles: What You Can Do About It | NASM
