Sports demand relentless commitment, unwavering passion, and a strong work ethic. Athletes spend countless hours training and conditioning just to make it to the professional level—and once they get there, the grind doesn’t stop. Staying at the top takes just as much effort, if not more. This is especially true in physically demanding sports like football. Julian Edelman is a prime example of that kind of dedication.
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The former Patriots wide receiver built his reputation on a tireless work ethic, consistently pushing himself through intense drills to stay in peak shape—even after retirement. But there’s one workout he’s happy to leave in the past: the infamous “Bout Runs.”
On the latest episode of the Games with Names podcast, Edelman took some time to answer fan questions and ended up explaining exactly what Bout Runs are—and why he never wants to do them again.
As Edelman described, “Bout run is where you have to start at one goal line and you run to the other goal line for three straight minutes and you have to get 785 yards.”
Since a football field is 100 yards long, that means sprinting nearly eight full lengths without a break. To complete the drill successfully, players need to maintain a consistent speed of around 16 miles per hour—no easy feat. So its no surprise that the former WR said:
“I’m never doing Bout Runs again…Sometimes, guys who aren’t in conditioning or don’t make the conditioning test, you have to wake up at 5 A.M and do conditioning before the day starts and until you pass the conditioning test.”
These runs are typically done during the offseason as part of a player’s conditioning program. And there’s real pressure to complete them. Failing the drill doesn’t just bruise your ego—it comes with consequences.
As Edelman revealed, Coaches assign extra conditioning sessions—often early in the morning—to players who don’t meet the standard, and they continue until the player satisfies them that he is in game shape.
While most players focused on conditioning tests and coach-mandated workouts, Jules’s best friend—and the GOAT—Tom Brady, followed his own unique routine. With the help of his personal body coach, Alex Guerrero, Brady stuck to the high-intensity TB12 method: a series of nine exercises designed to build functional strength and enhance conditioning.
Instead of traditional weight training, the TB12 workouts relied on resistance bands to minimize muscle inflammation and improve pliability. Brady performed each movement at high speed, repeating the sets until fatigue began to affect his form—only then would he stop. It was a training philosophy built around longevity, efficiency, and peak performance.
