When he’s on the court, Stephen Curry makes basketball look effortless. Whether it’s draining 30 footers or pulling off circus passes, we consistently witness Steph do the impossible. But what we don’t get to see is the amount of work Curry puts into his craft. His intense work ethic has taken him from his small college of Davidson all the way to star point guard of the Golden State Warriors. His tenacity carries beyond basketball. He is also a devoted husband and father to two darling girls who certainly keep the superstar and his wife, Ayesha, busy. Due to Steph’s greatness, Ayesha’s supportiveness, and the cute post-game antics of their two daughters, the Curry’s have become known as the “First-Family” of the NBA. His success is the result of rigorous training and a disciplined lifestyle, optimized for peak performance and a balanced body clock.
Steph Curry’s Off-Day Schedule
- 8:00 AM – Wake-Up
- 8:15 AM – Play with Kids
- 8:30 AM – Breakfast
- 9:30 AM – Basketball training & practice
- 12:00 PM – Neurocognitive training
- 2:00 PM – Lunch
- 3:00 PM – Recovery Work
- 5:00 PM – Nap
- 6:30 PM – Dinner
- 8:00 PM – Family time
- 9:30 PM – Movies
- 10:30 PM – “No screen time”
- 11:00 PM – Bed
Training:
You don’t become the best shooter in NBA history by accident. Steph consistently puts up 300 shots after each practice during the season, and during the offseason Curry will ramp up his shooting to over 500 shots a day. Steph makes sure to shoot three types of shots. He’ll start by shooting spot-up 3’s where he shoots from the same spot on the floor over and over again. Next, Steph shoots dribble pull-ups. He focuses on transitioning as fast as possible from dribbling to shooting. This bolsters the “quick trigger” he is known for having. He finishes his shooting routine practicing his floaters which he uses to loft the ball up and over larger defenders when he gets to the basket.
Neurocognitive Training:
To improve his hand-eye coordination and decision making speed, Steph utilizes a light display system and special pair of goggles. Curry uses the goggles to distract his eyes while he dribbles. This builds his focus and mind-body connection.
When training with the light system, Curry dribbles a ball facing the display, and when a certain color flashes on the lights, he performs a corresponding move. Reacting quickly to the lights improves his decision making speed helping him react to defenders on the court.
Diet:
Ayesha Curry is a renowned cook with several cookbooks to her name, and will be hosting ABC’s new cooking show “Family Food Fight”. As you may expect, she cooks the majority of Steph’s meals. Curry says he watches his diet
“pretty closely. With how much we run during games, and how many games we play, I need as many calories as I can get. It’s not a very strict diet at all, but the more years I go, the more experience I have, the more that nutrition and eating the right foods is important for recovery and things like that. So I try to study that more, but I’m pretty much on the ‘eat whatever you can diet’ just to get those calories in.”
At breakfast time, Ayesha fixes Steph a quick smoothie full of antioxidants and protein. He’s normally in a rush in the morning, so the smoothie is a great portable option. At around 10:00 AM Ayesha begins to prep lunch. She tries to make 10 containers filled with vegetables, protein, and healthy starches like sweet potatoes. These containers normally last a few days around the house, and Steph will use them as snacks too. Typically, the family will sit down for dinner around 6:30-7:00 PM. One of the Curry family’s favorite meals is pasta. Ayesha makes her famous pasta sauce and normally serves chicken alongside it.
On game days, Steph has also been known to stray a bit from his healthier diet and eats PB & J for his pre-game meal. Who would’ve guessed the world’s best shooter runs on a childhood staple?
Sleep:
Like his rival LeBron James, Steph prioritizes sleep, trying to get at least 8 hours of rest every night. He tries his best to keep the 8 hours consistent to help his sleep clock, which is part of our natural circadian rhythm. After seeing performance enhancing sleep specialist Cheri Mah, Curry has also begun to cut out screens before bed. Mah maintains that being on your phone or watching Netflix before bed adversely affects sleep.
Steph believes his sleeping habits help him get an edge on the competition. Many other NBA players sacrifice hours of sleep to pursue fun nightlife activities. Curry seems to be more interested in making it to Championships than nightclubs.
Recovery:
Steph performs plenty of standard recovery activities like stretching and soft-tissue restoration, but he also swears by a newer form of recovery: sensory-deprivation tanks. The tanks contain body temperature water saturated with Epsom salts and magnesium. The minerals help relax and repair Steph’s muscles as he floats in the tank.
He also told Business Insider the tanks help with disconnecting from his busy life saying: “It’s one of the only places where you can really get unplugged from all the noise and distractions that go on with daily life.”
Family Time:
Even with his jam-packed schedule, Steph ensures he still makes time for the family. After a Christmas Day game that Steph missed due to injury, the family gathered to open presents and spend some pajama time together. His two daughters Riley (5) and Ryan (2) love getting to spend time with their Dad.
Riley reportedly sees her father as two different people. At home he’s Dad, but when he suits up on game-day she calls him by his full name “Stephen Curry” and knows Dad means business.
She has also been known to steal the spotlight from her Dad on occasion. At a couple of post-game interviews, Riley stole the mic and even told her Dad to “be quiet”.
We’d like to congratulate Steph and the Warriors on winning their fourth championship, continuing their incredible run. Steph’s dedication to optimizing his body clock has undoubtedly enhanced his performance throughout the playoffs.
Stephen Curry is a four-time NBA Champion and two-time MVP. For more tips from Stephen follow him on: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.