Tom Brady is consistently defying nature’s protocol by improving his physical performance and aesthetics with age. At 44, he looks better than ever and, being the MVP that he is, keeps winning championships for his team.
Brady is a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and continues to break more records than we can keep track of. His trophy shelf includes six Super Bowl championships, three NFL MVPs, and four Super Bowl MVPs.
Unlike other elite athletes, the NFL superstar is transparent and open about how he maintains his physique and level of performance. Tom Brady loves talking about his fitness regimen so much that he detailed his diet and training program in his 2017 book, The TB12 Method.
What is the TB12 Method?
While TB in TB12 is the superstar’s initials, 12 refers to his 12 principles for sustained peak performance. According to Tom Brady, the 12 principles guarantee a boost in energy levels, minimize inflammation, reduce your risk of injuries, and enhance physical performance and recovery.
The TB12 diet blends the principles of Mediterranean, alkaline, and anti-inflammatory diets and emphasizes organic, seasonal, locally grown, and minimally processed food.
Related Read: 8 Ways to Speed Up Recovery After Training
Food Items Banned Under The TB12 Diet Program
The TB12 diet stresses eating whole, minimally processed foods and bans foods believed to be acidifying or thought to promote inflammation. The list of banned foods includes dairy, nightshade vegetables, most oils, as well as soy-, GMO-, or gluten-containing foods.
Artificial sweeteners, added sugar, caffeine, trans fat, monosodium glutamate (MSG), idolized salt, alcohol, and any dishes containing these ingredients should also be avoided.
Pre-Requisites of Tom Brady’s Transformation Program
Tom Brady Is Strict About his nutrition.
Brady focuses on eating foods that can help decrease muscle inflammation.
In his book, The TB12 Method, Tom Brady mentioned that he prefers eating fish and vegetables. His personal chef revealed that 80 percent of what the Brady household eats is vegetables.
The remaining 20% comes from grass-fed, organic, antibiotic- and hormone-free lean meats and wild-caught fish or seafood.
In a video, Tom revealed that his fridge is full of fruits like grapes, blueberries, apples, pears, and bananas. He is also a fan of veggies like cucumbers, kale, and spinach.
Food Combining is Forbidden
If it is the first time you have ever heard about food combining, do not worry. You are not alone.
Food combining limits the consumption of fruit with other foods. While following the TB12 diet, you should avoid eating high-protein foods like meat or fish together with carb-rich ones like brown rice or sweet potatoes.
Tom Brady’s TB12 diet also entails avoiding eating within three hours of going to bed at night.
Check-Out: How Long Should You Wait to Workout After Eating?
Brady Consumes A Lot of Liquid
Liquids amount to a large part of Tom Brady’s diet. After waking up, Brady drinks a 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. Then he makes himself a smoothie that typically contains blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds.
During his 8 a.m. workout, he sips on electrolyte-infused water. Tom follows it up with a post-workout protein shake. It is safe to say he loves his electrolytes.
Tom is Not Allergic To Cheat Meals
Tom Brady does not sweat too much about cheat meals. In fact, when he treats himself with a cheat meal, he makes sure it is worth it.
“If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza. You should never restrict what you really want. We’re humans, here for one life.” – Tom Brady.
Brady is Not A Fan Of Weight Training
If you were considering getting a membership to your swanky neighborhood gym loaded with fancy equipment for completing Tom Brady’s TB12 program, you would want to hold off on that plan. Brady usually trains four to five days a week and prefers resistance bands to regular weight training.
But why is that, you ask?
Tom Brady prioritizes improvement in speed, agility, and core stability over building muscle mass. Unlike resistance bands, heavier weights can lead to tear-prone muscle fibers. It is something you would want to stay away from if you are a top-rated and paid athlete.
On being questioned about the TB12 resistance band training approach, Tom Brady’s coach had this to say – “You can’t do weighted squats one day and then the next expect to be fast and nimble in the other direction.”
Tom Brady Diet Program
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. aka Tom Brady was lanky and awkward when he was first drafted into the NFL. As his career progressed, Brady worked on his physique and is presently in the best shape of his life.
While a training program gets its due recognition in a successful transformation, the meticulous diet plan usually misses out, but we will set it right with this article.
Brady is 6’4″ and weighs around 225lbs. His diet program is designed to keep him at the same body weight throughout the NFL season.
Although Tom Brady has never shared his exact diet program, we researched his TB12 program and came up with a 3-day diet plan best suited for the NFL superstar.
Tom Brady TB12 Diet Plan
Day 1
- Breakfast – Chia pudding topped with almonds and coconut flakes.
- Lunch – Vegetable chicken soup with kale and brown rice vermicelli.
- Dinner – Wild salmon tacos on GMO-free corn tortilla wrap served with a side green salad.
Day 2
- Breakfast – Homemade granola stirred into coconut yogurt.
- Lunch – Raw lasagna.
- Dinner – Lentil dahl topped with fresh spinach and served on a bed of brown rice.
Day 3
- Breakfast – Smoothie with TB12 whey protein and fruit.
- Lunch – Vegetable-quinoa bowl topped with cashew sauce, lime curry, and black beans.
- Dinner – Steak, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Can Tom Brady’s TB12 Diet Help You Lose Weight?
All said and done, the effectiveness of a diet program depends on its results.
Although Tom Brady’s diet program is not specifically designed to aid weight loss, you might end up shedding a few kilos because of the following reasons:
- The strict rules limit the intake of many foods resulting in a reduction of calories you consume each day.
- TB12 diet program limits the amount of food you can eat before bedtime which can further reduce your daily calorie intake.
- The food combining rules restrict which foods can be eaten together. This might limit the variety of foods you eat at once. Research has shown that monotonous diets might cause a 40% reduction in daily calorie consumption.
- Fiber-rich diets (like TB12) can aid in weight loss as they help you feel fuller for longer, reducing hunger and cravings.
- Studies have consistently proven that a calorie deficit causes you to lose weight, regardless of the foods you choose to eat.
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Tom Brady Workout Program
Tom Brady’s workout program is quite different from his NFL counterparts. He usually performs a 9-exercise resistance band workout focusing on improving his functional strength and conditioning, and accelerating the recovery process.
During the off-season, Brady trains with his coach and business partner, Alex Guerrero, at a private training facility in the Bahamas. Apart from the 4-5 training days a week, he also makes time for brain exercises to keep him mentally sharp on and off the field.
Check-Out: 13 Best Resistance Bands Reviewed for 2021
Tom Brady’s Training Routine During Off-Season
Brady switches between two training routines depending on the time of the year.
Here is Tom’s off-season routine:
- Wake up at 5:30 am.
- Four-minute pre-workout massage (aka “deep force” treatment) from Guerrero. It targets 20 different muscle groups for approximately 20 seconds each.
- 40-minute resistance band workout.
- Movement drills including squats, lunges, planks, and shoulder exercises for better functionality.
- Post-workout massage to increase blood flow, flush lactic acid, and expedite recovery time.
- 15 minutes of online brain exercises by Posit Science BrainHQ, thereby enhancing visual precision and cognitive function.
TB12 Workout Principles
Whether training during playing season or not, Tom Brady follows the following TB12 workout principles:
- If a muscle is exhausted and close to failure, stop the exercise and rest.
- Combine cardio and strength-building through high-intensity resistance band workouts. According to Guerrero, if you do a twenty-minute, high-intensity workout using resistance bands, you do not need much cardio before or after.
- Start exercises in a biomechanically neutral position (knees over feet, hips over knees, shoulders over hips, etc.) to optimize form and activate the core.
- Never compromise on the form. If you feel your exercise form is deteriorating, stop the exercise, rest, and then repeat.
- Emphasize ground force production, which is the ability to transfer energy from the ground, through your body, and into the function you are asking your body to perform.
- Use three different types of resistance bands during each workout – handle bands, long-looped bands, and short-looper bands.
Related Read: Is Training To Failure Necessary For Muscle Hypertrophy?
Tom Brady’s TB12 Training Program
In Tom Brady’s TB12 workout routine, you will be performing one set of each exercise at a fast speed, going for the maximum number of repetitions to the point of fatigue. Remember – Do not train past muscle failure.
Tom explains why it is crucial to stop the set when form breaks down: “Other muscles are compensating for the muscle that should be working, and unless I stop, my brain will learn a new behavior — in this case, a negative one.
Warm-Up
Tom Brady starts off his workouts with pliability by using a pliability roller or sphere. Pliability is great for preparing the muscles and nervous system for the upcoming workout.
What is pliability?
Pliability describes the state in which your muscles are long, soft, and resilient, enabling them to absorb and disperse forces — in both sport and daily life — and operate efficiently.
Active Warm-Up
Tom completes his warm-up routine by performing an active warm-up set to further stimulate the nervous system and get the blood flowing throughout the body.
How to perform an active warm-up set:
- Attach two heavy bands to a spine at chest height.
- While facing away from the spine, hold a band over each shoulder so that your arms form an “X” over your chest.
- Step away from the spine until you feel resistance.
- Run in place until you feel warmed-up and slightly exhausted.
Exercise #1 – Banded Standing Row
Target Muscle: Upper and middle back
Equipment Needed: Handle Loop Bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #2 – Banded Push-Up
Target Muscle: Chest
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #3 – Banded Core Rotation
Target Muscle: Obliques
Equipment Needed: Handle loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #4 – Banded Deadlift
Target Muscle: Back & hamstrings
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #5 – Banded Bicep Curl
Target Muscle: Biceps
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #6 – Banded Triceps Extension
Target Muscle: Triceps
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #7 – Deceleration Lunge
Target Muscle: Legs
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #8 – Banded Shoulder Press
Target Muscle: Shoulders
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Exercise #9 – X Band Squat
Target Muscle: Legs
Equipment Needed: Loop bands
Reps: Until fatigue
Sets: One
Conclusion
While Tom Brady’s diet and workout plan are great for athletes who want to work on their strength, explosiveness, and endurance, folks with the sole goal of building muscle mass have little to gain from the TB12 program.
You could also incorporate the TB12 training program into your bodybuilding routine if you want to improve your mind-muscle connection, agility, and cardiovascular stamina.
