Jamal Murray, star guard of the Denver Nuggets, spoke to DMARGE about his diet and workout routine during a trip to Australia for Sydney’s NBA Gallery exhibition.
Denver Nuggets’ star point guard, Jamal Murray, is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. In the middle of the pandemic, his incredible playoff form in the NBA bubble gave a lot of us a much-needed distraction from the brain-numbing boredom of lockdowns.
Since 2021, however, Murray has been recovering from an ACL tear, rehabbing himself back into peak fitness. He isn’t discouraged though. In fact, as Murray recently told foxsports.com.au, that memorable spell during the playoffs “wasn’t even my best though” claiming “there’s another level you guys haven’t seen yet.”
“I’m excited, I’ve just got to be out there.”
Jamal Murray
Speaking of getting back out there, Murray recently spoke to DMARGE about how he has been working out in order to hit the 2022-23 NBA season in prime condition (Denver Nuggets open their campaign in Salt Lake City on October the 19th, at which point it will have been just over 18 months since Murray tore his left ACL on a dribble to the basket against the Golden State Warriors).
Murray told DMARGE a typical training session for him involves a lot of stretching, recovery and shooting (something he does “every day, twice a day”). He also works on his ball handling to continue honing his skills. When it comes to the gym he does a lot of lower body work, focussing on the quads, hamstrings and glutes.
Exercises Murray does to build muscle in these areas range include trap bar deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, knee extensions and “a lot of single leg stuff” because that is “the point of attack for your jump.”
“For me honestly, since I’ve been rehabbing a lot, I’m not afraid to put on a lot of weight and increase my sets,” Murray told DMARGE. He then added, half-jokingly: “I like to leave the gym feeling like I’ve worked; I like to add weight. They always try to tell me, ‘no,’ but I’m like ‘this is good, I want to see my max.'”
“I’m always trying to test myself at the gym.”
Jamal Murray
In terms of his best tips for guys that want to put on muscle, Murray told DMARGE: “The better I eat the better I feel during training, the more weight I can cut and the better my body looks – it’s a big full circle.”
“When I’m in season, I eat pretty healthily. I don’t drink a lot of pop or eat candy. I’ve got a pretty high metabolism so my weight fluctuates pretty quickly. If I eat badly it shows once I start playing. But I can afford to put a couple of pounds on right now [in the off-season]; I know I can lose it in a few days.”
On how to build good habits, Murray told DMARGE it all comes down to practice, saying: “I have a big sweet tooth but I pick and choose when’s a good time. I think it’s just about habits. [To eat well] you’ve got to have bigger goals in mind.”
As for getting in the zone before a game or a training session, Murray told DMARGE he likes to meditate or try to close his eyes “and envision the game or practice I want to have – to think it into existence.”
“I get upset if I don’t shoot well, so I try to limit that with my preparation.”
Jamal Murray
Murray said it meant a lot to him to be part of the NBA gallery – as he not only got the chance to open it up, but it also gave him the opportunity to see Australia (“I’ve been able to meet all my favourite UFC fighters,” he told as, as well as enjoy checking out the food and Sydney harbour”).
“It’s been an amazing trip, I’ve had a lot of fun and I can’t wait to come back.”
Jamal Murray
The NBA Gallery in Sydney has been created in collaboration with local Australian and First Nations artists like Scott Marsh, Serwah Attafuah, Roman Jody, Noah Johnson, Sonny Day, Mini Swoosh, and Kris Andrew Small. It’s near Sydney’s Central Station and the pop up exhibition closes this Thursday, so get in quick if you want to see it before it’s too late.
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