DAMIAN LILLARD IS not content to just go through the motions. He’s got to make up for lost time (and yes, that is a reference to his nickname, Dame Time, for game-winning clutch shots).
The All-NBA point guard spent the past offseason (and much of the 2021-22 season before that) recovering from a core muscle injury. The malady sidelined him for all but 29 games last year—and it through focused PT and training, the 32-year-old Portland Trailblazers megastar was ready to return to the court this year. Although a strained calf kept him out of play for a stretch during the early season, Lillard has picked up where he left off, averaging 28.3 points per game (as of press time) and matching his franchise record for three-pointers in a single contest.
Before the season started, Lillard gave Men’s Health a detailed look at his journey back to full-power, a process that was fully engaging for his body and mind. He took time off the court to fix his body, connect with family—even get involved with a new company, Move Insoles, which is aimed at helping athletes (and others) to improve their foot health.
Along with the bigger picture details, Lillard walked us through a sample of his off-court workout and conditioning routine with his trainer, Cem Eren, at the Lions Den gym outside Portland. The session doesn’t look much like any workout you’d likely do at your local big box gym; this is the type of program, featuring high tech gear like the Proteus Motion machine and water bags alongside movement-focused exercises, specifically programmed for an athlete.
“The workout was designed today to make sure that we hit every area,” Eren told us. “We make sure we go through all the planes of motion, make sure he hits upper, lower, and core—so it was more like a full-body.” The trainer also put Lillard through some conditioning before finishing off with with drills focused on another sport: boxing.
Damian Lillard’s Bounce Back Workout
Rotation and Core Work
Repeat this circuit for 3 to 5 rounds
1A. Proteus Motion Trunk Rotation
30 seconds
1B. Proteus Motion Push-Pull
30 seconds
1C. Chaos Pallof Press
30 seconds
Pull Work
Repeat this circuit for 3 to 5 rounds
2A. Bear Plank Renegade Row
10 reps per arm
2B. Water Bag Rotation
Low Back and Leg Work
3A. Machine Good Morning
10 reps
3B. Machine Hip Abductor
Boxing Finisher
Drills and Mitt Work
3 to 5 rounds of 2-minutes
Want more celebrity workout routines? Check out all of our Train Like videos.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
