Fitness
Will Tom Bradys new TB12 sports facility in Boston turn you into an MVP? Probably not, but at least itll help you feel like one.
Illustration by Jeannie Phan
I have a confession: My affection for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots is lukewarm at best. For one, as a born-and-bred Ohio State football fan, Ive been groomed to be suspicious of anyone who played for the rival University of Michigan. Plus, I already have the Ohio bandwagon to rideI dont need to jump on another.
All rivalries aside, I cant help but admire Bradys robust fitness regimen, which has allowed him to remain dominant on the football fieldnot to mention given him plenty of lucrative business opportunities through his TB12 brand, including products for athletes as well as a sports-performance-and-recovery center in Foxborough. When the facility expanded to Boston this past summer, I wondered if I (and my tweaked knee) could benefit from face time with a GOAT-approved trainer.
Walking inside the meticulously sterile Back Bay location, I notice a juice bar to the left and TB12-branded T-shirts, whey protein bags, and vibrating spheres that claim to help with muscle pliability (thats the magic word in the TB12 training method) covering the entirety of the wall to the right. I try to count just how many times I see Toms face, but lose track.
After a few minutes, my body coachthats what TB12 calls its physical therapists and athletic trainersmaterializes, walking me through double doors to a large turf area littered with foam rollers and resistance bands. But more on those laterfirst, its time for a chat about my diet, injuries, and medical history in a private exam room. To help with digestion, my coach suggests eliminating dairy, gluten, and anything sweet after dinner, due to their inflammatory properties. Thats what Tom does, he assures mewhich becomes an integral part of the pitch. Tom doesnt lift weights, Tom sticks to plant-based foods, and Tom doesnt like strawberries. By the time its over, I feel like I know Bostons favorite QB personally.
From there, Im instructed to walk and then run on one of the facilitys special treadmills, to help my trainer analyze my gait. Afterward, I complete a series of exercises on the turf, including squats, planks, and bridges. Then comes the diagnosis: My knee pain, my coach says, is from weakness in my hip. An easy fix, he tells me confidently before whisking me back into the exam room for soft-tissue worklike a massage, he explains, but a little more intense (read: ouch!). We cap off the appointment by foam-rolling, an integral part of the TB12 method.
So after spending an afternoon at TB12, do I feel like a pro quarterback? Not exactly, though I did leave with more knowledge about my body and several more tools in my toolbox. But the truth is, you cant buy good geneseven for $240 per session. I have a strong feeling Tom Bradys parents blessed him with stellar ones, and thats something no amount of money, or vibrating pliability spheres, can change for the rest of us mere mortals.
Read the original:
Train Like the GOAT at His New Back Bay TB12 Location - bostonmagazine.com
