Blake Griffin is a professional basketball player from the United States. In addition to playing for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Blake was born on March 16, 1989, in Oklahoma, U.S. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 after making his NBA debut as a rookie in that season.

At Oklahoma Christian School, where his father was the head coach for the school's basketball team, Blake began playing basketball. He is known for his high-flying acrobatics and his perfect dunks, which have earned him the title of one of the greatest rookies of all time. To continue to remain in shape and to maintain his agility and balance in the game, he follows a very intense sand workout routine. The following is a look at Blake Griffin's fitness regime.In this article, we are going to talk about Blake Griffin and how he manages his fitness levels during and off his preparation. Thus we will take a look at his stats and his workouts routines to understand his physique. His diet, too, plays a great role in maintaining his physique. So take a look ahead.

Blake Griffin Body Statistics

• Birth Year: 1989
• Birth Date: March 16
• Height: 6 ft 10 in or 208 cm
• Weight: 114 kg or 251 lbs
• Shoe Size: 17 (US) or 16.5 (UK) or 50 (EU)

Blake Griffin Awards and Achievements

• 5× NBA All-Star (2011–2015)
• 3× All-NBA Second Team (2012–2014)
• All-NBA Third Team (2015)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (2011)
• NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2011)
• National college player of the year (2009)
• Consensus first-team All-American (2009)
• Big 12 Player of the Year (2009)
• No. 23 retired by University of Oklahoma
• McDonald’s All-American (2007)

Blake Griffin Workout Routine

Blake Griffin takes his workouts very seriously and makes sure to maintain a very rigorous workout regimen in order to stay in shape and stay agile. Training with Matrisciano, a champion sand workout trainer, is extremely important to him. A typical workout for Blake Griffin includes:

• 40 minutes of running on sand. These runs improve his balance and strengthen his lower body. Blake sometimes has to run ankle-deep in the sand while dragging weights attached to his ankles while Matrisciano instructs him.

• A lot of stretching both static and dynamic

• Performing push-ups

• Performing pull-ups

• Training uphill

• Performing core exercises. The Swiss ball is a key piece of equipment he uses for core exercises.

• Exercises such as walking on a treadmill or swimming 3-4 times a week should be incorporated into your routine.

During the 2009 NBA Draft, Griffin was selected with the first pick by the LA Clippers. In the last game of the summer season, he injured his knee on a dunk while he was performing in Summer League. Having suffered a stress fracture, Griffin missed the majority of his rookie season.

The following year was a breakout year for him, as he scored 22.5 points, grabbed 12.1 rebounds, and had 3.8 assists per game while returning. In addition to being selected for the All-Star team that season, Griffin was also honored as the Rookie of the Year. He has shown a decline in rebounding in subsequent seasons, however. Griffin, however, maintained his dominant play over the next four seasons, earning further all-star nods.Griffin's season took an unfortunate turn in the 2015-16 season after a torn quadriceps limited him to just 35 games. Throughout the next two seasons, he consistently suffered from injuries, though he was highly productive when he was on the field. After signing him to a five-year contract worth $173 million in 2017, the Clippers made it clear they wanted to keep Griffin around.After abruptly trading Griffin to the Detroit Piston in January of the following year, however, the team swiftly changed course. In Griffin's first season with the Pistons, the season appeared to be a return to form. A knee injury he sustained earlier in the season worsened toward the end of the year. In the following year, it became more problematic for him. There is no clear picture of what Griffin will look like when he is finally able to return to the court.

The mental component of Griffin’s routine

Maintaining mental focus throughout a season of basketball is a real challenge for all players. Throughout the years, Griffin has developed a specific method of staying grounded. During preparation for each game, he performs visualization exercises. Here's how he describes the process:

I go through a visualization exercise where I see the ball being tipped, I see where I am, I walk through 10 to 12 situations that I want to do well that game. I know the other team we’re playing is better at this; I know we’re better at that. I want to get to all my spots on the floor. So, once I started doing that, that helped me a lot.

Although Griffin imagines doing things a certain way, he doesn't merely imagine where things might go. Additionally, he puts great effort into following certain routines whenever he plays.

Griffin’s game-time routines

After Griffin arrives at the arena, he describes how virtually every second that passes is dictated by his routine. Griffin always arrives exactly three hours earlier than scheduled, since he follows the strict routinized procedures. The pre-game meal is always ordered via room service ahead of time, so he always brings it with him.When the locker-room timers begin counting down to tipoff around the 90-minute mark, things get even more regimented. There are certain routines that Griffin associates with certain hours in the clock. For example, he eats a snack when minute 65 has passed. A massage table is then brought to the room at minute 62, so he can relax. During minute 48, he begins applying his tape.

A good time to finish Griffin's routine is about seven minutes before the pre-game ceremony kicks off. Griffin spends his free time listening to pre-selected music on his phone in this way, as this is the closest thing he gets to free time.Blake Griffin's explosive jumps and intimidating physique might give you the impression that his entire life revolves around lifting heavy weights and squatting. As a bodybuilder, he does a fair amount of lifting and plyometrics. However, the bulk of his training consists of cardiovascular exercises and exercises that require him to control his own weight.This type of training results in the creation of a ripped, high-flying monster dunk champion. Watch Griffin's workout below and see what it can do for you.

Pool Work

Lung Busters

After you have swum seven lengths of the pool, take a deep breath and repeat. Swim back in the same manner. Continue to repeat this for 6-10 lengths as necessary.Griffin says: “You try to swim seven strokes without taking a breath, so it’s only like two breaths down and two breaths back.”

Tarzans

Stroke your legs as little as possible while swimming the length of the pool. Keep your head above water and only use your upper body. Make sure you do the same thing on the way back. Keep going for 8-12 lengths while resting as needed.Griffin says: “You can’t use your legs and you have to keep your head above water so it’s all upper body.”

Gym Work

Basketball Push-Ups

Both hands should be on top of the ball. Lower yourself into a Pushup and then rise back up. Make sure to keep your elbows tight. Repetition is necessary. There is also a variation where one hand is placed on the ball, and the other is placed on the ground.Griffin says: “Everyone does Push-Ups for arms and the chest and everything like that, but with the basketball, it forces you to really grip and use your forearms a little bit more. Keep the core tight through the Push-Up, which works almost everything except the lower body.”Sets/Reps: 4×12

Split Squat With Basketball

In a staggered stance, place your left leg in front and hold a basketball against your chest. With control, lower yourself into a squat position until your right knee is just above the ground. Ensure your right leg is completely straight as you drive up so that you are in a standing position. Complete as many repetitions as possible with the other leg.Griffin says: “Works with anything you do on the court. Hold the ball and keep the core tight through everything.”Sets/Reps: 4×8-12 each leg

Swiss Ball Plank

Put your hands upon the sides of the Swiss ball while your feet stay on the ground in a push-up position. Keep your core tight, your shoulders, and your arms locked. Form a straight line between your ankles and your shoulders. Maintain this position with minimal movement for the duration of the exercise.Griffin says: “Grip on the ball is huge when you’re going up for a rebound and pulling it down with one hand or going up to finish and control the ball with one hand.”Sets/Duration: 4×45-60 seconds

Russian Twists

Place your feet off the ground and sit with your knees bent slightly. In front of your chest, bend your arms slightly and hold the med ball. As you turn your chest to the left, gently touch the ball to the ground next to your left hip. Rotate slowly back to center and to the right, lightly touching the ball to the ground alongside your right hip. Do this continuously.Griffin says: “I have to stay on my core and make sure I’m doing it every single day to keep my back from messing up, which can, in turn, mess up something else.”Sets/Reps: 2×15 each side

That was the whole workout plan that Blake Griffin follows in his routine. Moving on to the diet plan that he includes in his schedule that keeps him well on the ground. Thus, in the following section, we will understand the diet plan that gives him all the energy that he needs to work and play!

Blake Griffin Diet Plan

Keeping himself lean and energetic requires Blake to follow a strict diet. In addition to fruits, vegetables, and fish, Blake consumes chicken as well. His eating habits do not include red meat.One of Griffin's greatest lessons is that variety is key to success. In addition to having been tested for sensitivity and having his blood drawn, he has also tried many types of diets. As a result of all this, he learned that his body responds better to variety, so he has learned how to make his meals more interesting. Aside from watching what he eats, he is also careful about what he avoids while he is recovering from injuries - he's suffered from a few throughout his career - and anything that could irritate his body. In addition to avoiding gluten and eating only clean, organic foods, he stays active and keeps fit. In addition, Griffin refrains from using the microwave at all because it doesn’t seem to be “the right way to think about food.” Eggs were also fewer and farther between - he ate one once a week, rather than every morning. Do you know his favorite cheat food? It's chicken parm.

That was the whole diet plan that Blake Griffin follows. He is not very vocal about his diet plan but he does make sure that he is eating be 100 percent healthy and wholesome so he could perform well during his events.

Blake Griffin Health Interview

While Blake Griffin was visualizing his 2017-18 season, he hadn't envisaged being shipped out of Los Angeles six months after signing a long-term deal with the team he helped transform from laughing stock to Lob City. The Clippers acquired Griffin in the off-season with a shot at putting his jersey atop the Staples Center rafters, providing another reason for him to begin the season with a goal to lead a team that would complement his developing game. For the first time since his rookie season, he was eliminated from the NBA playoffs after playing in Detroit.For the first time in years, basketball fans in Detroit are feeling hopeful after Griffin's early summer performance paired with double-double machine Andre Drummond. As Griffin approaches the ninth season of his career, we caught up with him to discover how his diet has changed over the years—and why the five-time NBA All-Star refuses to touch a microwave ever again.How did you settle on the right diet? Is it a trial-and-error process?Blake Griffin: The biggest thing I’ve learned after trying different types of diets, and doing sensitivity testing, and even having blood work done is to give yourself variety. Earlier in my career, a sensitivity test might tell me that I couldn't eat something, so I would eat other things. Then the next year, it would come back that my system is sensitive to those things.I've found the body responds better to variety. If you eat the same foods over and over again—like, grilled chicken, brown rice, and broccoli every day—the body isn’t going to keep breaking it down the same. For me, it’s been about finding different ways to be creative with my meals. So if I’m doing chicken for lunch, I’m doing salmon for pre-game. I’m constantly mixing it up.You’ve worked your way back from a few injuries throughout your career. When you’ve been limited physically, have you made any specific changes to your diet during those timesIt’s tougher to maintain your fitness when you’re rehabbing, so I am very conscious of what I eat as I make my way back on the court. I avoid foods that cause inflammation, and I stay away from sweets. Diet is so important to make sure your body comes back at 100 percent.It doesn’t sound like you’re as strict as you were earlier in your career.I think I’ve relaxed a little bit. One year—I think it was either the 2011-12 season or 2012-13 season—I was so strict with my diet that I hit a wall in March. I just got so tired of it. Now, on an off day, if I want to go and get some pancakes or something, I’ll do it. Finding different places to give me a break has helped me maintain throughout the season, so I don’t get worn out.What are some things you tend to stay away from during the year?

I avoid gluten and dairy. Normally, I would never be sitting here eating chicken wings before a game, but this is our last game, and I’m out. [Ed. note: Blake missed the season's final eight games with an ankle injury, and the Pistons had been eliminated from playoff contention when this interview took place.] I also make sure that everything I’m eating is clean and organic, and that I'm not eating any bad protein or anything like that.

Chicken wings aside, what does your routine look like throughout the season?I stopped doing eggs.Completely?Not completely, but I used to do eggs every morning. Now, I probably eat them once a week. Or I’ll do one egg on top of a sweet potato hash bowl my chef makes. It’s sweet potato, chicken, and vegetables. Something like that, instead of an omelet.I’ll do that in the morning with yogurt, some fruit, gluten-free homemade granola, and green juice. Lunch is around 12:30. It’s normally, like, salmon and quinoa or brown rice. My pre-game meal at the arena is the opposite. If I ate salmon for lunch, then I’ll do chicken before the game, with a complex carb like quinoa, brown rice, or couscous.My chef makes this homemade protein energy bar that I’ll have an hour before the game, and then I’ll have mixed fruit about 30 minutes before the game. I’ll do the same thing at halftime.Since you aren't as strict now as you were in years past, what are some favorite cheat meals of yours?It will normally be something from a restaurant I really like. Since I came to Detroit in the middle of the season, I don’t have one there yet, but in L.A., during the summer, this place called R+D Kitchen has a chicken sandwich I really like. Craig’s in Beverly Hills makes a good chicken parm. I don’t do places like that too often, but when I want to enjoy myself, those are places I usually go.Is it true that you avoid microwaving your food?I stay away from the microwave in general. I’ve stayed away from microwaves for about three years now. If I’m in a serious bind? It would have to be serious, but I try to avoid them, period.What led to that decision?I just read a bunch of information. There are even countries that have actually banned microwaves. [Ed. note: To be clear, this does not appear to be accurate.] Also, the whole idea to me, in general, makes no sense—that I can put something cold in there and heat it up within seconds, but there’s no actual heat involved? It just doesn’t seem like the right way to go about treating your food.

Has removing microwaving been a huge change, especially when you might have food you’re bringing from the plane to the team hotel?On the road, a room service is always a good option, and now it’s so much easier because of things like Postmates and UberEats. I do those a lot just to get a meal I really want. Not microwaving my food hasn’t really affected my life like you would think, except that I maybe wait a little bit longer to eat. And you can still use a toaster oven instead of a microwave. The toaster oven is very underrated.