Damian Lillard is back at it with another intense offseason regimen. As he prepares to enter his age-34 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, the eight-time All-Star believes he is entering the 2024-2025 season more prepared than he was for the last.
During the offseason ahead of his 13th season in the NBA, Lillard spent considerable time training with retired Navy SEAL and infamous motivational influencer David Goggins. Lillard recalled undergoing rigorous training sessions with Goggins that he believes prepared him mentally as much as it did physically.
“As much as it was a challenge for me as far as conditioning, it was more of a mental challenge than anything else,” Lillard said, via The Athletic. “And I think my greatest takeaway from it was the mental strength and realizing it’s a lot more in there than you think when you’re tired and when you’re kind of just dying in the middle of it. So to come out the other end of it after spending that time with him, it really did something for me mentally.”
Goggins’ unique training style includes all-day strength and conditioning routines that Lillard claimed involved “700 push-ups in 45 minutes” and “1,000 lunges” just to name a few. The 49-year-old retired veteran is known for his cut-throat training environment and straightforward approach. He has worked with numerous athletes before Lillard including former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson, who became the first person to complete his “Hell Week” program.
Lillard was determined to enter his second season with the Bucks in better shape than he did in 2023-2024. Former head coach Doc Rivers revealed on The Bill Simmons Podcast in June that the veteran admitted to him he had not trained at all during the 2023 offseason while he awaited a trade.
Bucks guard Damian Lillard’s offseason training habits
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The 2023 offseason was a weird one for Lillard and likely had a lot to do with his lack of training, a decision that is not typical for him. Lillard is typically known within the NBA for his commitment to offseason training long before he joined the Bucks.
When not in season, Lillard tends to put his focus on his strength and conditioning. The guard is known for honing his boxing skills during most summers, a passion he picked up during his early days with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 2024 offseason was Lillard’s first time working out with Goggins but he noted that he has been familiar and in contact with the coach for several years.
Jaren Kawada is a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media.
