For some, training begins at home. Former NBA star Joe Alexander began training like a pro years before he even became one. Alexander shared his intense workout plan on Instagram on June 2.

What’s even more astounding is that Alexander began his training journey at the age of 12. He shares how he possibly had to work harder than most NBA players to get to his position, as he didn’t have a college scholarship. This just made him want to work even harder to chase his passion.

“When I was 10 years old, I set a workout quota for every day, working out two and a half hours a day,” admitted Alexander. “I wasn’t able to do it every day. I did it like four, maybe five days a week. I was 10 years old. By 12 years old, though, I was totally dialed in. I ramped those hours up to three hours a day with a ball in my hand.”

His intense training schedule consisted of dribbling, shooting, plyometrics, and strength training, which was bodyweight work at home.

“Now, from 12 years old until 21 years old, I never missed a single day of workouts," he shared. "It was an eight-year span of totally obsessive work.”

He admits that he was ”obsessed" with getting into the NBA, which fueled his energy and discipline. By the age of 13, Alexander decided to increase his training, adding an hour of plyometric work to an hour of strength training and conditioning.

Alexander further added how he was putting in three hours of ball work, all year round, without missing even a single day.

Finally, he spent 30 minutes on recovery work like mobility stretches, which he added were essential to his workout.

Why Joe Alexander Thought He Needed to Work Harder than the Average NBA Player

Alexander was selected 8th overall in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

He took to Reddit to share his feelings about his intense training regimen at such a young age. The post, published on the r/nba subreddit recently, was titled "How I made it to the NBA".

While he openly talks about his workout routine, he added a surprising comment to his post about why he thinks he had to work harder than other NBA players.

“Because as a teenager, I was not super athletic, couldn’t jump super high,” Alexander said. “But after doing one hour of plyometrics every day, I had a 42-inch vertical. I was a world-class sprinter. I had what I believe was the quickest first step in the world, is what allowed me to become a pro player."

After being traded from Milwaukee to Chicago in February 2010, Alexander played eight games for the Bulls before entering free agency. He signed with the New Orleans Pelicans later that year but was waived before the season.

He subsequently spent much of his career overseas, with short stints in the G League and a brief spell with the Golden State Warriors in 2013.

For Alexander, the road to NBA success was not easy, nor did it have any shortcuts. Years of relentless hard work and discipline helped him reach his true potential.

Share your thoughts on Joe Alexander's decade-long training routine.

Read more at Bodybuilding Bros.

Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar