In a league where the average career spans just over three years, Tom Brady’s 23-season run stands as a testament to his unparalleled commitment to health and performance. His longevity and success — including seven Super Bowl titles and three MVP awards — were fueled in large part by the TB12 Method, a holistic lifestyle approach co-developed with his former trainer, Alex Guerrero.
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This regimen emphasizes pliability, hydration, movement, and mental fitness, with a significant focus on nutrition. Specifically, a diet made up of 80% plant-based foods and 20% lean meats and fish. It’s the perfect balance to reduce inflammation, enhance recovery, and promote overall well-being.
But the benefits of the TB12 lifestyle weren’t limited to on-field success and fitness. According to Brady, one of its biggest impacts was on his bank account.
In his recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the former Patriot revealed how his curiosity towards improving his health was the main reason behind his longevity. Since he was rarely the highest-paid player in the league, playing for over two decades was the best way for him to maximize his wealth.
“I made more money in the last 10 years of my career… like, a ton of money,” Brady said with a grin. “Even though I never went for the most money in my contracts, I still ended up making way more than I ever thought—just because I played as long as I did.”
Kudos to the Patriots legend for keeping this discipline up for 23 seasons because his TB12 way of living is not for the weak-hearted. For context, a typical Brady diet starts with 20 ounces of water plus electrolytes, followed by a nutrient-packed smoothie with bananas, blueberries, nuts, and seeds.
His lunch and dinner? Mostly vegetables, whole grains, and a small piece of fish or chicken. Oh, and no strawberries—not for nutrition reasons. It’s because he just doesn’t like the smell. So yeah, Brady’s diet was as boring as it gets, but that’s the cost of greatness.
That said, in an ideal world, the seven-time Super Bowl winner should have enjoyed retirement, free from the pressure to maintain peak athleticism or chase greatness. But as Brady revealed, stepping away from the game left him feeling adrift most days, with no set routine to anchor him.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m a little bit in a washing machine right now—not quite sure where I’m going or what the schedule looks like,” he told Ryan Clark & Co. “That structure and those habits were really positive for me… When you don’t have that, you bounce around.”
Now, away from the field, Brady is still tweaking—this time, not his game, but his post-football life. “There’s plenty of things I mess up,” he admitted. “But I try to go forward… Success is never linear.”
So yes, Tom Brady played longer, won more, and earned more because of the TB12 lifestyle. But even now, the guy’s still chasing improvement. And maybe that’s the biggest lesson of all—health is wealth, as long as you consistently work on it.
