Eight years after his last game in the NFL, Terrell Owens still makes headlines. Just a few days after he declared he was going to skip his own Pro Football Hall of Fame induction out of a frustration with being snubbed by voters in his first two years of eligibility, the wide receiver called M&F from the beach in Los Angeles. Owens, 44, is no stranger to controversy. He’s also no stranger to working out, and he’s still in elite shape—it’s a key part of his identity. We talked to him about his career, his gym routine, and the possibility of making an NFL comeback.
Terrell Owens Talks Fitness Tips, Comebacks, and His Training Routine
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Nikki & McCall Ryan Photography
You’re known as one of the fittest receivers in NFL history. How did you manage to stay in shape throughout your career? Obviously, you start to work smarter instead of harder. I started isolating muscle groups and got into position-specific workouts. Everybody wants to have the big arms, the chest, the legs, the calves—those are the things the girls like to see. But I got away from the benching and squatting and started targeting the smaller, intrinsic muscles.So what exercises did you do after adopting that approach? Coming out of college, I wasn’t known for my speed. My trainer saw how powerful I was coming from the hips, and there were certain things he didn’t want me to do—I stayed away from cycling and spin classes because he felt like I was going to overwork my hips. We worked on my fast-twitch fibers. He would put me on a leg press machine, but I would go three-quarters of the way down and then push up. I tell people, even when I speak to kids, that I’ve never been caught from behind on the field.Given your physique, you must have been working out conventionally at some level, too, though. Early in my career, I trained as a confidence booster. I got picked on, I got bullied, and a bully’s probably gonna think twice about approaching somebody with muscles. It helped me on the field and off the field. It could also psych out my defender or opponent.
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Nikki & McCall Ryan Photography
Recently, you said you could come back and play for the 49ers. Were you serious? No doubt. I just ran a 4.5 [40-yard dash] about a month ago. And that’s with me not even training for it. I still got that go in me. If the opportunity arises, I would entertain it. I’m not as muscular as I was when I played, but I still have that definition. And now guys have reached out to me to learn certain things. They’re always picking my brain as far as how I was able to maintain that level of productivity. And it really was a combination of lifting and nutrition, as well as position-specific training.At one point you said you thought the politics of the NFL were keeping you from making a comeback and likened your situation to that of Colin Kaepernick. Is that something you really feel? Why isn’t [Kaepernick] playing? It’s not like he can’t play. With the investigation of collusion going on, they’re going to find out something. You’ve got guys in the league who are nowhere near his playing capabilities, so it’s got to be that. With me, they said age is a factor. But Tom Brady is playing, and he says he can play longer. That’s because he knows how to play the game, and his skill set isn’t declining. As it pertains to me, I think they’re going to say, “Oh, we have younger receivers.” That’s what happened in Seattle. [Owens went to training camp with the Seahawks in 2012 at age 38 but was cut before the season.] I dropped a few balls, but who hasn’t dropped a few balls? I was a little rusty.Do you think the NFL shies away from strong personalities like yours? I have no idea. There’s no need for me to go off on a tangent and bring up something else with you. We’re already dealing with enough as it is, just as a country.
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Nikki & McCall Ryan Photography
Train Like T.O.: Owens’ Go-to Workout
DIRECTIONS: To train for explosive power, Owens does heavier strength exercises, supersetted with body-weight or band-resisted power moves done with speed. Try his go-to workout, designed by his trainer, Laurence Ng.Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets, 6 reps Superset with Plyometric Pushup – 4 sets, 6 repsWeighted Pullup – 3 sets, 6 reps Superset with Band Lat Pulldown – 3 sets, 6 repsTrap-bar Deadlift – 4 sets, 6 reps Superset with Broad Jump – 4 sets, 6 repsWeighted Plank Extension – 3 sets, 15 per side Band Pallof Press – 3 sets, 10 per side Ab Wheel Rollout – 3 sets, 15 reps
T.O.’s Weekly Training Split
Monday – Sprints and upper body Tuesday – Power and lower body Wednesday – Active recovery Thursday – Agility and upper body Friday – Power and lower body Saturday – Active recovery Sunday – Rest
You’re known as one of the fittest receivers in NFL history. How did you manage to stay in shape throughout your career? Obviously, you start to work smarter instead of harder. I started isolating muscle groups and got into position-specific workouts. Everybody wants to have the big arms, the chest, the legs, the calves—those are the things the girls like to see. But I got away from the benching and squatting and started targeting the smaller, intrinsic muscles.
So what exercises did you do after adopting that approach? Coming out of college, I wasn’t known for my speed. My trainer saw how powerful I was coming from the hips, and there were certain things he didn’t want me to do—I stayed away from cycling and spin classes because he felt like I was going to overwork my hips. We worked on my fast-twitch fibers. He would put me on a leg press machine, but I would go three-quarters of the way down and then push up. I tell people, even when I speak to kids, that I’ve never been caught from behind on the field.
Given your physique, you must have been working out conventionally at some level, too, though. Early in my career, I trained as a confidence booster. I got picked on, I got bullied, and a bully’s probably gonna think twice about approaching somebody with muscles. It helped me on the field and off the field. It could also psych out my defender or opponent.
Recently, you said you could come back and play for the 49ers. Were you serious? No doubt. I just ran a 4.5 [40-yard dash] about a month ago. And that’s with me not even training for it. I still got that go in me. If the opportunity arises, I would entertain it. I’m not as muscular as I was when I played, but I still have that definition. And now guys have reached out to me to learn certain things. They’re always picking my brain as far as how I was able to maintain that level of productivity. And it really was a combination of lifting and nutrition, as well as position-specific training.
At one point you said you thought the politics of the NFL were keeping you from making a comeback and likened your situation to that of Colin Kaepernick. Is that something you really feel? Why isn’t [Kaepernick] playing? It’s not like he can’t play. With the investigation of collusion going on, they’re going to find out something. You’ve got guys in the league who are nowhere near his playing capabilities, so it’s got to be that. With me, they said age is a factor. But Tom Brady is playing, and he says he can play longer. That’s because he knows how to play the game, and his skill set isn’t declining. As it pertains to me, I think they’re going to say, “Oh, we have younger receivers.” That’s what happened in Seattle. [Owens went to training camp with the Seahawks in 2012 at age 38 but was cut before the season.] I dropped a few balls, but who hasn’t dropped a few balls? I was a little rusty.
Do you think the NFL shies away from strong personalities like yours? I have no idea. There’s no need for me to go off on a tangent and bring up something else with you. We’re already dealing with enough as it is, just as a country.
Train Like T.O.: Owens’ Go-to Workout
DIRECTIONS: To train for explosive power, Owens does heavier strength exercises, supersetted with body-weight or band-resisted power moves done with speed. Try his go-to workout, designed by his trainer, Laurence Ng.
Weighted Plank Extension – 3 sets, 15 per side Band Pallof Press – 3 sets, 10 per side Ab Wheel Rollout – 3 sets, 15 reps
T.O.’s Weekly Training Split
Monday – Sprints and upper body Tuesday – Power and lower body Wednesday – Active recovery Thursday – Agility and upper body Friday – Power and lower body Saturday – Active recovery Sunday – Rest
