Jump to the routine

The strength-building, time-crunch workouts of a veteran NBA referee

Longtime NBA ref Marc Davis uses these time-specific, CrossFit-style workouts to stay fit on the road—and to keep pace with athletic superstars like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant.

Jump to the Routine
  • 0

  • No

NBA referee Marc Davis
Thearon W. Henderson / Getty
NBA referee Marc Davis
Thearon W. Henderson / Getty

The life of an NBA referee doesn’t leave much time for working out.

Sure, they get plenty of cardio running up and down the basketball court each game—five miles of it, in fact—but to keep up with players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant, referees need to put in work off the court, too. But with new cities every night, long days of preparation, different timezones, hotels—it’s a grueling schedule that doesn’t leave much time to get into the gym.

“We can be up until 3 a.m., finishing the game from the night before, then be on the first flight in the morning,” 20-year veteran referee Marc Davis tells Men’s Fitness. “The days can morph into each other. Nobody really cares about how much sleep you got that night—you still need to call the game. It’s a physically demanding job, and our players are just so athletic, just incredibly talented. But you have to keep up.”

The tough schedule and limited free time is why Davis keeps a list of workouts broken down by length to make sure he always has something to do—no matter where he is, how much time he has, or what he has available—he has a way to get in a workout.

“I attack my workout based on the amount of the time that I have,” Davis says. “I keep a bunch of workouts in my phone, so whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour, I have something I can do. I focus on mobility in my training; I do a lot of bodyweight squats, and kettlebell workouts. KB’s are great because you can use it for a lot of different areas and in all kinds of routines.”

Davis works out year-round to stay in shape, and he thinks that the way he trains can be helpful to people with busy lives. Much like the way Davis deals with his grueling schedule as a referee, people also have jobs, travel, families, and other responsibilities that may limit the amount of time they have to get in a workout or go to the gym.

“Doing something daily, even a short workout, my advice is to just get moving,” Davis says. “Your body wants to move and the more it moves, the better it moves and feels. Consistency matters. Doing something five, six days a week is much better than doing a whole lot once or twice. Stay accurate every day. In our society now, there’s very little physical activity that’s required for many jobs, and that can create a somewhat sedentary lifestyle. If it’s just an hour walk—my crew, they make fun of me—but we always walk for an hour after lunch. It’s just…It’s cold, so what, we need some fresh air.”

Here’s a look at how Davis gets in his workouts when he’s working during the NBA season.

Routine

Want a copy on the go?
Print

The 50-Minute Burner Workout

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 1 of 0

Up-down plank pushup

Equipment
Sets
2
Reps
20
Rest
--
Davis does a 'Tiger' pushup.
Exercise 2 of 0

Renegade Row

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
2
Reps
12 (6 left, 6 right)
Rest
--
Davis does 4 rounds of 1a and 1b, alternating between the two.
Exercise 3 of 0

Double kettlebell squat press

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
--
Davis does a KB front squat and does it as heavy as possible (AHAP).
Exercise 4 of 0

Goblet Squat

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
--
Davis sometimes uses a Goblet Squat over the Double KB Front Squat.
Exercise 5 of 0

Kettlebell Swing

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
1
Reps
100
Rest
--
Rest shortly after 15 swings, 25 swings, and 50 swings.

The 40-Minute Kettlebell Workout

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 6 of 0

Kettlebell Snatch

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
6
Reps
15
Rest
--
Exercise 7 of 0

Kettlebell Swing

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
5
Reps
10
Rest
--

The 30-Minute Fat-Burning Workout

This an every minute on the minute (EMOM), but at 2-3 minutes per set. Do for 30 minutes.

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 8 of 0

Burpee

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
5
Rest
--
Exercise 9 of 0

Kettlebell Snatch

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
--
Exercise 10 of 0

Mountain Climber

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
--
Exercise 11 of 0

Kettlebell Swing

Equipment
Kettlebells
Sets
1
Reps
20
Rest
--

The 20-Minute EMOM Workout

Do these moves every minute on the minute.

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 12 of 0

Close-Grip Pushup

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
1
Reps
5
Rest
--
Exercise 14 of 0

Squat

Equipment
Squat Rack
Sets
1
Reps
15
Rest
--
Davis does a "Hindu Squat" for this move.

The 10-Minute Time-Crunch Workout

Alternate pushups and bodyweight squats in each set.

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 15 of 0

Pushup

Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
10
Rest
--
How to
For each subsequent pushup move, do one less rep in the next set.
Exercise 16 of 0

Bodyweight Squat

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
1
Rest
--
For each subsequent bodyweight move, do one more rep in the next set.
Exercise 18 of 0

Bodyweight Squat

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
2
Rest
--
Exercise 20 of 0

Bodyweight Squat

Equipment
No Equipment
Sets
1
Reps
3
Rest
--
Continue alternating until you reach 10 reps (or until you get tired).
See all of our tutorials