LeBron James on the Winning Mindset: “There’s No Shortcut in the Process”
By William Kang
“If we really want to get to our peak, whatever that may be, there's no shortcut in the process. Sometimes the hardest question is the simplest: What do you want for yourself?”
Four-time NBA champion. Four-time league MVP. Two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Across the entire sporting world, few athletes have reached the heights of accomplishment and acclaim scaled by LeBron James. Possessing not only generational athletic gifts but also an extraordinary basketball IQ, it may seem like he was always on a path destined for greatness.
But before the world knew his name, LeBron was just a kid from Akron. To get where he is today, he had to show up in the gym every day. He had to dedicate 100 percent of himself to his craft. And most of all, he had to perfect his process, fine-tuning everything from how he trains to what he puts in his body.
So when he realized there were no supplements that met his standards, LeBron committed to creating his own. With the help of his trainer, Mike Mancias, and an elite team of nutrition scientists, LADDER now provides LeBron and many other professional athletes the safe, quality supplementation they need to climb to the next level of training.
From seeing his star rise at St. Vincent–St. Mary High to becoming a global icon, LeBron has cemented his legacy as a superstar both on and off the court. Learn how, even in his 19th season, he's still refining his process and realizing his full potential — and how LADDER’s helping him get there.
Refine your process with LeBron's very own line of premium performance supplements.
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LADDER: What’s an important lesson you learned in your career?
LeBron: Everybody kind of wants instant oatmeal and they want to be able to just make it happen right away. But I don't think anything in life is worth having if it's not worth working for.
There's gonna be obstacles, there's going to be adversity, there’s gonna be uncomfortable situations that challenge you — and I think that's all part of it. So I am OK with being uncomfortable because I think it brings out the best in me.
How would you recommend people find their own process?
The best way to find your process is to find something that you like to do. Anything that feels like it stimulates your mind and body. When you find it and it works for you, the number one thing is to stick with it and keep challenging yourself. You continue to challenge yourself and then you can just build from that, and the process continues.
How is LADDER part of your process?
LADDER is a big part of my day-to-day. It started years ago. I've always been in tip-top shape and wanted to figure out how I can be a peak performer. It's not only what people see when I'm drinking it and when I'm playing ball, but it's also a part of my daily eating regimen — it's everything to help me be as great as I can be.
What does peak performance look like for you at this point in your career?
Peak for me is reaching my full potential. And even when I feel like I can get there, I have to see if I can break through another wall that I didn't even know I could get through. So I think that's why I'm at this point in my career — where I can go into year 19 and still feel like I'm 25 years old and still feel like I can run, jump, and compete with the twenty-something-year-old guys that say this is their prime.
And LADDER gets me to levels, like I said, sometimes I didn't even know I was capable of. With that extra boost of energy or that extra support after a long workout, LADDER definitely plays a huge part in helping me break through.
Do you think LADDER can still benefit people who aren’t athletes like you?
I think at the end of the day, an athlete is in every single person, and a want to feel great about yourself is in every single person. You don't have to work out or train as hard as I do, but LADDER's there to push you.
People want to know what they're putting into their body. They want to know, "Is this healthy? Is it benefiting me?" and that's exactly what LADDER is. We're giving you the supplements in the healthiest form possible. Personally, I wouldn't be taking it myself if it wasn't what I live by. What I put into my body is what I'm going to get out of it.
What do you think makes LADDER different from all the other supplements in the market?
I trust LADDER because I've been a part of the process since day one. I know what we're putting into the ingredients and have had conversations with scientists that were creating the product, the supplements and the powders, figuring out, "How can we make it better?”
I can attest to where it started years ago and where it is today. I'm not just sitting here and saying these things. I actually take the product, it works, and it's great.
What are your favorite LADDER supplements?
My favorite LADDER product is a toss-up between Pre-Workout — even though I have a ton of energy already, it gives me an extra boost— and the chocolate Plant Protein.
How do you feel about other pro athletes joining the LADDER family?
It is very humbling any time we can get professional athletes that believe in LADDER because when you talk about professional athletes, their body is their temple. And in order to be a peak performer, you have to be very serious about whatever you put into your body. To know that we have professional athletes that trust and believe in LADDER is big time.
What would you say to anyone who’s struggling to stay motivated?
We all hit roadblocks, we all have adversity, we all have trials and tribulations where we feel like, "I can't do this." I think that's just the man above testing us; testing our will, testing our mind, testing our body. But then you just push through, always living by being comfortable with being uncomfortable. When you can get to that point where you feel uncomfortable, I think that is the test between you staying exactly where you are and reaching the next level.
