"Intimidation factor of more dominant physique" - Tim Grover on why Michael Jordan focused on growing his biceps

michael-jordan

Having never been the tallest or the strongest player on the court, Michael Jordan didn't have the natural physical traits to be the greatest of all time. However, despite playing in an era where physicality was at its peak, His Airness used his mentality and competitiveness to gain an advantage. This included growing his biceps to be more intimidating to his opponents.

Jordan worked tirelessly on his biceps

When MJ entered the NBA, his physique was lean rather than muscular. Despite averaging more than 30 points per game since his third year in the league, he was still vulnerable to physical defenders. As a result, in 1989, Mike teamed up with Tim Grover to improve his physical conditioning.

While their primary focus was preventing groin and ankle injuries, which Jordan was susceptible to, they also targeted his arms. Though Mike recognized that his biceps were just for show, he still worked on them tirelessly to gain the most minimal edge.

"Didn't really make someone a better basketball player, and that was probably true. But we were going for that 0.0001 percent, which included the intimidation factor of his biggest, stronger, more dominant physique," Grover wrote in his book 'Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness.' "What's the first thing you see on a basketball player when he takes off his warm-ups? Those arms. Details matter."

Mike focused on his nutrition as well

While the likes of LeBron James hire personal chefs to ensure they get proper meals, it was common in the '90s for NBA players to rely mainly on carbs for their nutrition. Most players ate a lot of rice and pasta, but Jordan realized this wasn't working for him. He felt bloated and noticed his energy levels dropping in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

To address this, Grover designed a new diet plan for Mike based on his body chemistry, minutes played, and schedule.

"The steak slowed down the digestion of everything else he was eating - the starches, vegetables, etc. - and kept his blood sugar consistent, so he had more energy throughout the entire game," Grover said, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.

Most of Mike's intimidation factor stemmed from his playing style. However, improving on the margins also added to his aura of the most fearsome guy on the court.