Patrick Mahomes' plan to be even better
The last five months of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ life have been an absolute whirlwind.
From chugging beer at the Stanley Cup Finals and striking historic endorsements, to establishing his own charity (the 15 and Mahomes Foundation) and becoming the new Madden coverman, it appears Mahomes — who became the NFL’s youngest MVP in 34 years — has been everywhere this offseason.
“It’s been amazing, honestly,” Mahomes told Yahoo Sports. “Getting to meet a ton of people, getting to build myself and my brand.
“With my foundation and everything that I do, it’s all about being around kids and providing them opportunities to get better and live out their dreams.”
And to that end, just last week Mahomes was in Los Angeles to speak to the youth attending the After School All-Stars Leadership Academy at UCLA, a week-long camp for students who are considered to be burgeoning leaders in their communities.
“I think the best advice I had for them is something I kind of live by, and it’s whatever I do, just do it to the best of my ability and give everything I have,” said Mahomes, who was there courtesy of Essentia Water (another new sponsor of his). “They should go out there and give all they have, knowing that that usually works out. And if it doesn’t, they know they did whatever they could to make it.”
But for all the exciting off-the-field opportunities he’s embraced this year, Mahomes has made it clear to everyone — from the Chiefs to his new sponsors — that football will always come first.
And proof of that is reflected in his improved physique, as Mahomes — who lit the NFL up to the tune of 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2018, his first year as a starter — is primed to come back as sculpted as he ever has before.
“For me, offseason-training wise, it’s all about trying to define [my body] ... trying to make sure I’m in the best shape possible, nutritionally and physically and mentally,” Mahomes told Yahoo Sports. “So the big thing for me this offseason going in was, I wanted to gain muscle but at the same time, cut weight. Kind of a mixture of both.”
To that end, Mahomes — who is listed at 6-3, 230 pounds — says he’s currently the same weight he’s always been. But as the picture above shows, he’s primed to report to training camp in July in better physical condition.
“I’ve gotten more muscular and [have] less baby fat, I guess you would say,” Mahomes said. “So that’s been the big thing for me — sculpting my body in the best way possible so I can go through the season and feel just as fresh at the end as I did at the beginning.”
Mahomes has worked hard this offseason — often as much as two hours a day running, lifting, etc. — in hopes of adding more muscle mass, particularly in his lower body, and shedding three to five percent body fat from his frame by the time training camp rolls around.
“The lowest I was last year after training camp was 12 percent, and that’s pretty good,” Mahomes told Yahoo Sports. “But now my goal is to be in the single digits, so I’m gonna try to get as low as I possibly can while still being healthy and still having the body to be able to take a full season.”
But Mahomes, who turns 24 in September, says the key for any good offseason program is diet, an area he’s steadily improved since the Chiefs made him the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
“I mean, I’ve always been someone who trains hard, someone who works out hard, someone who goes out there every single day and doesn’t feel complete until I get a workout in on any given day,” Mahomes explained. “I think the biggest thing for me [has been] learning how to eat better, learning how to take away the snacks, the candies, the desserts, all that stuff and just focus in on how I eat and how I take care of my body that way.”
Mahomes doesn’t count calories, but he does stick to three meals a day and is a big fan of fruit — especially strawberries, oranges and apples. He also credits Brittany Matthews, his girlfriend since the 10th grade, for being a positive influence in this area.
“Eating-wise, I’m blessed that my girlfriend is [big on] nutrition so she helps me out with that — she’s [about] fitness,” Mahomes said. “I just try to eliminate some of the bad meals, the fast food, the foods that aren’t great for your body and don’t help you get the most out of it. I’m a picky eater, but I still try to eat healthy stuff like chicken, salmon and all the [other] stuff I like a lot.”
Mahomes looks ripped in the photo above, but perhaps it should not be a surprise. Given the disappointing way last season ended — with the Chiefs barely missing out on a trip to the Super Bowl, and a clearly-annoyed Mahomes silently vowing to avoid ever feeling that way again — almost assured he would come back with a vengeance, despite the myriad assortment of off-the-field opportunities the offseason would present after his historical 2018 season.
“Obviously with my brand, football comes first,” Mahomes said. “And [so does], hopefully, winning a lot of football games.”
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