WNBA star Kelsey Plum is giving fans a look at the typical low-impact workout she swears by. Plum, 29, shared a video of herself wearing her Las Vegas Aces kit of black shorts and a red jersey, going through a functional training mat workout at the gym. “Chop wood 🪵 Carry Water 🪣,” she captioned the post, referencing a Zen proverb. “Love this!” a fan commented. Plum works hard to stay fit and focused—here’s how the athlete prioritizes her health and strength through diet and exercise.
Plum’s workout regimen is focused on lower-to-no-impact exercises. “I’m just doing a lot more non-impact training,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “A legit swimming workout is as hard as any workout that you’ll do. Those moments definitely improve my cardiovascular system in the off-season and I’ve also just started boxing. I really enjoy that, and I think the cardio element is there in boxing as well. And then I’m really big into Pilates and yoga and that’s not just off-season. In the season I think Pilates and yoga helps you to stay strong and also nimble and flexible.”
Plum knows how important good nutrition is for her game. “I changed my diet significantly from when I entered college,” she told 2aDays. “I went from eating everything to being a pescatarian. I would advise young players to watch their sugar intake, especially refined sugars. It has a huge negative impact on your body. Also, I would suggest eating for recovery after hard practices. I love chocolate almond milk, with some protein to help your body recover.”
Plum approaches her training focusing on both inner and outer performance. “In basketball, there’s a lot of different elements that you need,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “You need strength, you need speed, but you need mobility. You need to be able to change direction and so working on those things has helped me to become a better athlete… When I think about being motivated or passionate about things, I really just try to stay present. I try to stay in the moment and whatever is in front of me, whether it’s a workout or whether it’s a game, a lift, I just try to be great in that workout.”
Plum has been lifting weights since she was a teenager, gradually increasing her workouts with age and athleticism. While it might sound too intense, experts say strength training is perfectly safe for younger people. “I started in middle school; I think I was 13 and lifted three days a week,” she told 2aDays. “Nothing crazy (no squatting or heavy weights), all functional movements, and core strength.”
Plum broke away from her family’s traditional favorite sport to become a basketball superstar. “Everyone in my family played volleyball,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “But I just didn’t have that passion for it. I just kinda wanted to do something different, so my dad took me to play pick-up when I was a kid, so I just started playing, and I loved it.”