During his prime, Michael Jordan, the legendary name in the world of basketball, consistently scored between 30 and 40 points per game. However, he often struggled against much stronger opponents.

As a result, Jordan hired a personal trainer named Tim Grover for a 30-day trial. However, that trial became a 15-year relationship.

“I spent 15 years with MJ, but ironically we have very few photos together. We just didn’t do that back then. We still wouldn’t do it now. We didn’t need photos. We were creating an unforgettable, timeless image for the ages. You can talk about history, or you can define it,” stated the caption of a July 26 post by Tim Grover.

Interestingly, that Instagram post caught the attention of 7-time Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath.

“Best of the best,” commented Heath.

Heath worked and consulted with Grover during his professional career, primarily as a mental toughness and motivational advisor.

After getting his degrees in exercise science and kinesiology from the University of Illinois-Chicago, Grover was hired by Jordan in 1989. Jordan was Grover's first pro client.

As Jordan's dominance grew, other athletes noticed. They wanted Grover too

In his book “Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness,” Grover discussed Jordan's work ethic and mindset.

He said that people like Jordan are true gamechangers—they don't think outside the box because they don't see one.

According to Grover, those people “see possibilities. They use their decisions, successes, and failures as a springboard to elevate their thinking and results.

So, what method did Tim Grover adopt to train Michael Jordan?

Tim Grover’s approach of training Michael Jordan

On April 16, 2025, the Facebook account of Sports Bio Corner posted a short clip of an interview featuring Grover discussing how he trained Jordan.

“It would be either 5:00 AM in the morning, 6:00 AM or 7:00 AM. That was our time that we wanted to get the workout," said Grover. "I was doing back stuff where people are just discovering now. I mean, we did the craziest things”.

According to the former trainer, he made Jordan train his fingers, wrists, and even ankles. This is because, in basketball, players' fingers often get jammed.

Grover’s dedication was so intense that he often watched the game again and again after a game to count Jordan's steps and many other things.

“If one side is being used more than the other, well, we can't train him the same way," Grover said. "So I would hand him weights, and one hand would be completely different than the weights on the other. The reps on one side would be completely different than the other, just different things”.

That was not the end. Grover also trained Jordan's eyes by creating numerous distractions.

He said, “If I do what everybody else is doing, I'm gonna be like everybody else.”

Do you think this approach is what made Jordan so great?

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi