The healthiest any NFL player will be throughout the course of a season is the first day of training camp. Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is a firm believer in that assessment. Now, in his ninth season, his recovery work begins as soon as he steps out of bed.
“The body gets beat up,” said Lawrence, bluntly. “Being able to have those little things that you can have to calm down the [pain] sensations is golden. Some games are tougher than others, but you still want to stick to that routine of recovery. I think recovery is the biggest thing.”
Lawrence has battled injuries to both feet and his right knee so far for the 10-4 Cowboys. He credits his partnership with Hyperice for helping him be able to take care of his body away from the training facility. Across 14 appearances, the veteran defensive end is fifth on the team in tackles (55), third in sacks (6), and tied for second in forced fumbles (2). Dallas is currently the fifth-ranked overall defense and No. 2 against the pass in the league. The veteran defensive lineman spoke with Muscle and Fitness on his recovery routine and laid out some of the items that help aid in keeping his body ready to go on game days. Lawrence also shared the chain that serves as a reminder of his family as well as the track that helps lift his spirits.
DeMarcus Lawrence Is Always Geared For Recovery
Monday, I do cryo, stretching, and yoga. Tuesday is my off day, so I spend time with my kids, I’ll have my time with my wifey, or I’ll do a charity event. On Wednesday, I’m back at it with the team. In the afternoon, I’ll have some time to take my sons to baseball or basketball practice. Then I’ll have bible study at 7:30. On Thursday, after I’m done with the team around 5:30, I’ll do the D-Line dinner at 7:30. On Friday, after I’m done with the team at 1:30, I’ll pick my kids up and spend some time with them and then me and my wife will have dinner at 7:30. Saturday, I’m back at it getting ready for Sunday.
I have a lot of important people in my life that mean a lot to me, so I have to make sure I have that time set out for them.
Also, on Friday and Saturday, I’m back working with my trainer, doing the stretches, and having soft tissue massages. You deal with a lot of injuries but it’s all about keeping those smaller muscles strengthened, so you can keep your body as strong as possible.
I’ve been working with this [yoga] trainer since mid-season last year and she’s amazing. She has me all bent up like a pretzel. It’s been amazing. Even with dealing with small soft tissue injuries, I’m still able to be successful with my game plan week in and week out. Being able to have someone on the team that can help you fight through these ailments, and knows all these small movements that you can actually do to help strengthen those areas is very good for your career.
Postgame Routine
I’m going to keep it real. I have a non-alcoholic beer. I think having some carbs after putting your body through that kind of strain is good for you. It also expands the muscles and you can’t beat that it’s non-alcoholic. I travel in a Sprinter van and if I have the JetBoots with me, I’ll kick my legs up and I’ll have the Venom Back with me. The first thing I’m doing on Monday morning is going right into cryo. After that’s I’ll go right into doing some yoga.
Hyperice – Normatec Go & Venom Back
These items are not only great to use to maintain my performance during my work hours. But the fact that they can be used on the go makes it so I can use them even when I am doing my dad duties. The more I can do to keep my body right, the better. The partnership has been wonderful for me, especially with it being something that I can invest in and something I use on a daily basis. I feel like if you put your money into it then you actually believe in the company and the products they’re selling. I love the Venom Back. I use that every morning when I get out of bed to start my day. It’s my favorite product.
This helps make sure I stay hydrated and it also supports recovery
Buy H-Factor Water: 12-count for $26.99, at H-Factor
Apple Headphones
Whether it be to listen to my gospel music or a business podcast, headphones are always with me. My go-to is I Found You by Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music. That one gets me all the time. It uplifts my spirit and after listening to it, I’m ready to bless people.
A way to celebrate with a tasty beer without the repercussions of alcohol. I’m not a big alcohol guy. I’m a social drinker but at the end of the night, I’ll still question myself, “Man, why the hell did I do that to my body?” The space is so brand new that it’s basically like crypto. A lot of people are just like me. They’re social drinkers but they actually don’t want to drink, or they’re going through sobriety. Being able to provide a product where people can be in a social space and enjoy a drink without the alcohol and what comes on the backend is huge for society today. I love it.
