Like every player in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo works out to maintain his body in order maximize his performance on court. Unlike most players in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 6 feet 11 inches tall, weighs roughly 250 lbs, and is just as fast as many of the leagues point guards. Who are half a foot shorter than him, by the way. His physical attributes combined with his incredible speed, and his Greek nationality, have garnered him the nickname “The Greek Freak”. Widely known for his ball handling and all-around game, we take a look at Giannis Antetokounmpo Workout!
Related: LeBron James Workout: In-Depth Fitness Regime & Diet
Giannis Antetokounmpo Background
As previously mentioned, Giannis is originally from Greece. Born to Nigerian parents in Athens, Greece in 1994, Giannis quickly moved up through the Greek youth basketball program. By 2011 he started playing professionally for the Filathlitikos Basketball Club in Greece. It didn’t take more that two years before he caught the eye of NBA scouts and was drafted 15th overall to the Milwaukee Buck in 2013.
Giannis MVP Stats
Before moving into the workout its worth taking a look at Giannis’ stats from his MVP season. As the 2019 NBA League MVP, Giannis averaged 27.7 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 1.3 spg, and 1.5 bpg.
That stat line made him just the second player in NBA History to average more than 27 ppg, 12 rpg, 5 apg and 1.4 bpg. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only other player to accomplish this feat, which only adds fuel to the fire of the already booming legacy of “The Greek Freak”.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Workout
Alright enough of the background and the MVP caliber stats. It’s time to get down to the grind. What makes Giannis Antetokounmpo such a special player apart from his size, skill, speed, and basketball knowledge?
Related: Russell Westbrook Workout: Complete Fitness & Diet Regimen
The answer is simple: His work ethic. In an interview he was asked about his workout regimen:
“It’s very important for me to never stop improving, even in the offseason. When I’m not on the court playing I’m in the gym training and building strength. There is no time off. Eating well and exercising right is very important to me.”
The guy is fully dedicated to his craft and takes his strength and endurance training very seriously. You don’t win league MVP over a guy like LeBron James on sheer talent and size alone. Let’s get to it!
Giannis Antetokounmpo Upper Body Workout
Getting shredded like Giannis doesn’t just happen by chance. Antetokounmpo upper body workout is as intense as it gets. He hits the upper body on Mondays and Wednesdays each week. Each workout is loaded with dynamic exercises to increase strength and endurance. Oh, and by the way he does it TWICE a day! At least hour each session.
The following chart shows each exercise Antetokounmpo completes for his upper body workouts. Including approximate number of reps, as well as, how many sets. Again, he does this 2X a day on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Giannis Upper Body Workout Exercises
| Exercise | Reps | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Neck exercises | 6-10 | 1 |
| Standing shoulder Shrugs | 6-10 | 1 |
| Incline Press | 6-10 | 3 |
| Incline Flat Bench Press | 6-10 | 3 |
| Close Grip Pull Up | 8-10 | 1 |
| Machine Pullover | 6-10 | 1 |
| Dumbbell Laterall Raise | 6-10 | 2 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 6-10 | 2 |
| Seated Cable Row | 6-10 | 1 |
| Seated Cable Scapular Retraction | 6-10 | 1 |
| Machine Chest Press | 6-10 | 1 |
| Incline Machine Chest Press | 6-10 | 1 |
| Lat Pull Down | 6-10 | 1 |
| Machine Overhead Press | 6-10 | 1 |
| Machine Row | 6-10 | 1 |
| Machine Reverse Fly | 6-10 | 1 |
| External Rotations | 6-10 | 1 |
| Internal Rotations | 6-10 | 1 |
| Tricep Press Downs | 6-10 | 1 |
| Cable Curls | 6-10 | 2 |
| Hand Grippe | 6-10 | 2 |
| Wrist Flexion | 6-10 | 1 |
| Wrist Extention | 6-10 | 1 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo Lower Body Workout
For Tuesdays and Thurdays Giannis turns his focus to his lower body. Very similar to his upper body workout, Giannis completes each exercise each with a varying amount of reps and sets. He completes all of his exercises in roughly an hour and a half… And then later in the day he does it all again. Sounds crazy, but like the MVP award, you don’t get the nickname “Freak” by chance either. Antetokounmpo flat out goes after it.
The chart below shows each lower body exercise Antetokounmpo completes. Including approximate number of reps, as well as, how many sets of each.
Giannis Lower Body Workout Exercises
| Exercise | Reps | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Dead-lift | 6-10 | 2 |
| Squats | 6-10 | 2 |
| Romanian Deadllift | 6-10 | 2 |
| Glute-ham Raise | 6-10 | 2 |
| Leg Press | 6-10 | 2 |
| Leg Curl (1 set for each leg) | 6-10 | 1 |
| One Leg Press (1 set for each leg) | 6-10 | 1 |
| Dumbbell Step-up | 3-4 | 2 |
| Lunges | 6-10 | 2 |
| Leg Curl Exercise Ball (1 set for each leg) | 6-10 | 1 |
| One Leg Hip Extension (1 set for each leg) | 6-10 | 1 |
| The Bridge on an Exercise Ball | 6-10 | 1 |
| Hip Abduction | 6-10 | 1 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 6-10 | 1 |
| Reverse Cruches | 6-10 | 2 |
| Cable Side Bend | 6-10 | 2 |
Cardio
Obviously though all of this, Giannis is still hitting the hardwood everyday to hone in his skills on the court. With that, he’ll get a decent amount of cardiovascular exercise, but to thrive in the constant back and forth nature of basketball it’s not enough for th MVP.
Antetokounmpo focuses on cardio on Fridays and Saturdays. For cardio Giannis likes to switch it up quite a bit and keep the body guessing. He’ll do sprints in the gym, HIIT treadmill sessions, longer distances outside, on the treadmill, or even stationary bike work.
To mix it up from traditional running/ gym activities he will often hop in the pool and swim some laps. And to keep it simple he’ll play other sports as well to stay fresh and loose.
Rest Day
On Sundays Giannis rests and often does not take part in weight lifting or intense cardio or any kind. He is a big believer in rest and recovery and its importance in the process of peak athletic performance. At most he will do some like stretching, resistance band work, or even through in a yoga session. With regards to his thoughts on stretching, Giannis has this to say:
It’s the best fitness advice I’ve received,” he says. “It’s important to stretch and take care of injuries when they appear,”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Diet
Antetokounmpo typically has a protein shake 45-60 minutes prior to his workout each day. He also is constantly drinking water to keep his body hydrated through all of the strenuous strength and cardio workouts each day.
His diet includes a variety of fresh fruits, eggs, oatmeal, and bacon for breakfast. From there he sticks to foods high in protein such as chicken and steak for his other meals, and directly after his workout. He doesn’t completely cut out carbs because those are very important for energy production, but he limits his intake. And as we’ve seen he expends a lot of energy. He doesn’t overindulge all in one meal either. He has 6 smaller meals spaced throughout the day for better digestion and nutients absorbtion.
Giannis’ Motivation
Conclusion
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Workout is not for the faint of heart. This is a well-seasoned professional athelete we’re talking about here. I mean c’mon, his nickname is “The Greek Freak” for heavens sake. Based on what we have learned about his workout and diet, it really is no suprise Giannis is where he is in terms of his accolades at the highest level on the hardwood.
Giannis’ dedication to maintaining his body for his profession is an excellent example of the fact that talent and size will only get you so far. To be better than the best, you have to work harder than the best. Plain and simple.
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