Luka Doncic’s physical transformation: “Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better”
The Lakers star reveals the strict training and diet regimen that’s reshaping his body, and his mindset.
Luka Doncic has heard it all before. He’s “out of shape,” he “doesn’t take care of his body,” he “doesn’t look like an NBA superstar.” Now, at 26 and standing 6-foot-6, the Slovenian point guard is on a mission to rewrite that narrative and this summer, he’s proving it’s not just talk.
Luka Doncic’s new mindset on and off the court
Doncic is the cover star of Men’s Health, where he details a radical overhaul of his training, diet, and lifestyle. The visible results speak for themselves: leaner, quicker, and more explosive, the former Mavericks star looks like a different athlete from the one who debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers back in February.
“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” says Doncic, who credits his evolution to a strict new regimen that spans far beyond the gym.
Doncic’s strict training and diet regime
He’s now following a gluten-free, low-sugar, low-carb diet built around at least 250 grams of protein per day, plus a daily almond milk shake. He also practices intermittent fasting, going from 8:30 p.m. to noon the next day without eating, aiming to maximize muscle recovery and fat burn. His first meal comes only after he’s completed a 90-minute morning workout.
That’s just part of his intense daily routine, which includes two training sessions focused on strength, agility, and shooting. It’s all part of a lifestyle transformation that began in 2023, when Doncic formed “Team Doncic,” a dedicated personal performance team including trainer Anze Macek, physical therapist Javier Barrio and nutritionist Lucía Almendros.
While last season ended in disappointment - missing the playoffs - the past few months have finally given Doncic the breathing room he needed to reset.
The rare luxury of time and rest
The difference this summer? Time. In 2023, he was wrapped up in FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself. The following year, a grueling Finals run with the Mavericks rolled straight into Olympic qualifiers. Rest was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
This year, though, both Doncic and the Lakers were eliminated by May, giving him a wide-open window until August, when he’ll rejoin Slovenia for EuroBasket. He used the early part of that break to rest, completely stepping away from basketball, at first reluctantly.
Barrio told him not to touch a basketball for a month, with Doncic instead playing paddle tennis and pickleball. “At the beginning, it was hard,” he revealed. “I can’t be without basketball. But when I was a little kid, I played a lot of sports.
The aim was to let his mind and body truly disconnect, and it worked. “My sleeping, my body, my everything…I felt more rested,” he says.
Doncic following MJ and Kobe Bryant
Before beginning his training ramp-up, Doncic underwent a battery of physical assessments to tailor the program to his strengths.
“His eccentric force is very good,” notes Barrio. “And his strength is off the charts, really; he has really incredibly strong legs. Also, his center of gravity is really very low. So when he’s in his position, when he gets low in his stance, it’s very difficult to move him, you know?”
Doncic himself doesn’t buy into the idea that athleticism is just about vertical leap. “I think I’m very athletic in other stuff. Balancing, controlling my body, what I do when I stop, slowing down.” he says.
The Slovenian picks out Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as examples of players who benefited from their brutal offseason training regimes, especially later in their careers. “MJ and Kobe, you know, they really did a lot in their careers. They sacrificed a lot.”
Luka Doncic’s future goal
That’s the bar Doncic is setting for himself. “Obviously, I want to be the best that I can be, take care of myself. This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step. But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop.”
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