There may not be a Super Bowl ring in your future, but you can still get a body worthy of multi-million dollar contract. Although they have the best trainers money can buy, some of the biggest stars in the NFL get lean and strong with surprisingly simple workouts.

  • Tom Brady

    It’s hard to believe the three-time Super Bowl champion wasn’t the star of his high school football team, but back then no one thought he’d ever make it to the NFL. “I realized that I couldn’t compete with all the other guys who were much more athletic if I didn’t start training in the weight room, running, and trying to master the techniques of playing quarterback,” Brady said in an interview with NikeGridiron.com. His secret weapon? A jump rope. The New England Patriot quarterback uses the elementary training tool for his metabolic conditioning to improve his speed and endurance.

  • Eli Manning

    For the New York Giants quarterback, fitness runs in the family. He credits his father, former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, for teaching him the importance of stretching. He uses a foam roller (a long foam tube you’ve probably seen at the gym) to stretch his muscles. When it comes to running, Manning likes to mix up his training. His speed work routine consists of sprint repeats where he’ll run 100 yards, take a 30 second rest and repeat the 100-yard sprint.

  • Michael Vick

    “The majority of the time I just like to run. I think a big part of my game is my speed and my running ability,” Vick told NikeGridiron.com. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback also focuses on swimming, cycling, and interval training to build up endurance. Cardio is such a key component of Vick’s regimen that he begins his lifting days with 10-15 minutes of running to warm up his muscles for the strength training ahead.

  • Drew Brees

    With direction from pro athlete trainer Todd Durkin, Brees has abs of steel. His workout is focused around his core. Since the core links the lower and upper body, it’s vital when trying to generate strength and power. The New Orleans Saints quarterback uses TRX ropes to add another dimension to calisthenics such as the plank, push-up, and calf-raises.

  • Tim Tebow

    The Denver Broncos quarterback sums up in secret workout weapon in two words: Squat Jumps. Tebow credits the plyometric movement for helping him improve his speed and explosiveness. The full-body exercise, which is a squat with a jump, helps build leg strength, increases endurance, and burns body fat. He doesn’t say how many squat jumps he does at a time, but the number is probably around 316.

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