Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best basketball players of all-time and has went through an incredible transformation.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best basketball players of all-time. The Hall-of-Fame center built a reputation for himself as a dominant player and is considered the most unstoppable player ever. Since he was in high school, O’Neal knew how to use his size and strength as an advantage and that continued in college at LSU. After putting together a legendary career, O’Neal has stayed motivated in keeping himself in shape.
Staying motivated in the gym might not be easy for some. It is a difficult lifestyle to keep up with — even for Shaq. In a recent interview, O’Neal discussed his diet plan and fitness goals. He also discussed that 2020 was a difficult year as he dealt with personal losses and an unhealthy lifestyle, to go along with a lack of motivation.
“You are what you repeatedly do.”
This quote is quick and to the point. It is the way Shaquille O’Neal began this interview before going into his eating habits while he was in the NBA. Shaq admitted that this diet is difficult and it was more fun when he was playing. O’Neal’s pregame meals consisted of two club sandwiches, French fries, and a pineapple soda. The incredible shape that O’Neal was able to stay in was because of his level of activity. Once he retired from basketball, it was difficult to keep up with these eating habits.
Now, Shaq has a go-to meal of salmon with lemon. For breakfast, he enjoys scrambled eggs, cheese, and turkey sausage. For lunch, it is either fish, chicken, or meatloaf. The reason for the change came after a visit to the doctor.
“I did something I never did before. I went to the doctor. The doctor used that three-letter word that you never want to hear. He said, ‘Do you want to die?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want to die.’ He said, ‘ You’ve gotta change some things up’,” Shaq said.
Shaquille O’Neal has also added protein shakes into his routine. O’Neal adds peanut butter, bananas, and blueberries. In the gym, Shaq does not follow a specific structure. Instead, he is in the gym for an hour each day, where he trains cardio and weights. O’Neal did admit that biceps was his favorite workout because of the pump that he feels. His least favorite part — running. O’Neal played a long career and it took a toll on his knees.
As for a fitness goal, Shaquille O’Neal kept it simple.
“The most challenging part about staying fit is – sometimes when you work as hard as I do, it gives you time to procrastinate and say I’ll do it tomorrow,” Shaq said.
“Fitness goal is just to have a flat belly. Right now I’ve got a 4.9-pack. I’ll probably bring it up to an eight-pack by March.”
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
