Julius Randle: Daily Routine

After being challenged by Magic Johnson to get in the best shape of his life, Julius Randle transformed his body—and his game.

At the end of the 2016–17 NBA season, Julis Randle, who was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, had a conversation with the management team. In the exit interview, they told Randle that he should return like “a beast” and “come back in incredible shape.” Magic Johnson, the president of basketball operations for the LA Lakers, sent the team a very clear message: he wanted them in the best physical conditions of their lives.

“We don’t want anybody over seven, eight percent body fat anymore, and basically all but one or two players were in double-figures in body fat, we can’t have that,” Johnson told Spectrum SportsNet. “We told them that this is all about excellence now and so you’ve got to be disciplined, you’ve got to put the work in.”

Randle took those words to heart and committed to transforming himself during the offseason. With the help of his personal trainer Amolia Cesar, he set himself the goal of trimming down from 14% body fat to 6%, cutting down his weight by 20 lbs, and improving his overall speed, explosiveness and athleticism.