Bobby Stroup has been Patrick Mahomes’ trainer since the NFL quarterback was 9 years old, and he trains the Kansas City Chiefs star in unconventional workouts, including gymnastics and javelin-based training. The trainer, who says he relies on methods, explains why Mahomes’ “dad physique” is beneficial, but “not from an unhealthy standpoint.”
Patrick Mahomes was just 9 years old when he started working with trainer Bobby Stroup. Now, 20 years later, the three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs is making firm decisions with his sports coach.
Stroup, founder and president of the Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC), recently talked about how he and Mahomes stay fit and, despite the jokes, what does the NFL star’s “dad body” actually have? He talked about why it’s good.
“In terms of our approach, I call it the cake system, because I’m really corny, but it basically has eight layers,” he explains. . “We focus on eight things: movement literacy, force absorption, force transfer, pattern stability, tissue elasticity, mobility, stability, and flexibility.”
Stroup and Mahomes try to train four to five days a week during the offseason. However, the 29-year-old has a family and a busy schedule, so he makes good use of his time. Stroup said some days he trains for more than four hours. Other workouts last 90 minutes.
“Things are different during the season because football takes priority. The big day for us is the day after the game,” he continued. “The day after a game, when most people are resting, we work really hard. We do about 100% of soft tissue training, mobility training, range of motion training, and general health work. It takes three to three-and-a-half hours. We have to make sure that all 26 bones, 640 muscles, and 12 fascial lines in the foot are working properly.”
Additionally, Stroup has relied on unconventional training methods along with Mahomes, including gymnastics, javelin-based workouts, and martial arts practice.
“There are some things you wouldn’t think an NFL quarterback would do, but we’ve found that Patrick responds very well to this system and approach,” he says.
Stroup said he’s aware of the recent jokes on social media — even from Mahomes himself — about the Chiefs star’s “dad body,” but he has long been concerned about his weight and body composition. He says he had it.
In fact, he says, a dad figure can actually be healthy for some people.
“First off, I think NFL quarterbacks should have at least 14 percent body fat,” Stroup said. “It’s not from an unhealthy standpoint, but from a power absorption standpoint. You have to stay in touch.”
“I know there aren’t that many Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have six-packs, and there’s a reason for that. We have to find that fine line between performance and health, and aesthetic… That part is a different story,” he explains. “He doesn’t need to look like a model because the plays he chooses to play require a certain physicality, and that physicality requires more body fat. That’s the core belief I have in him.”
Patrick Holmes.
David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire (via Getty)
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In addition to fitness, Stroup, who trains several NFL and MLB players, emphasizes the importance of diet and nutrition to his athletes. Nutrition, he says, can act as both an accelerator pedal and a brake, depending on how much you prioritize it.
“The quality and source of everything from food, drink, and caffeine sources can impact performance,” he points out.
Stroup said Mahomes is leaning heavily on Sloan Sports Coffee, which business owner Michael Fedele created in conjunction with the quarterback.
“Patrick was always the first person to drink coffee in the morning, but one of the challenges he had was that I would give him shakes and mix them with different amino acids and proteins and whatever else I felt was important. They wanted us to add something.”
Stroup said turning to the product would eliminate the “give-and-take” with Mahomes, allowing the NFL star to drink coffee while still receiving the nutritional benefits his trainer had hoped for. He says he is now able to do so. “It was a no-brainer for us,” he added.
Patrick Mahomes.
sloan sports coffee
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Mahomes is currently playing his eighth NFL season, and Stroup told PEOPLE that the star’s mantra is to “be the best version of himself” to prolong his football career.
“He’s one of the most unique athletes we’ve ever seen in any sport, and we have to focus on being Patrick,” Stroup said. “If he tried to emulate Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, we wouldn’t have the benefit of seeing a player like him play this game at this level.”
“And no matter how many rings he wins, no matter how many MVPs he wins, game by game we can find things he can improve on more,” he added. “The opportunities for improvement are endless.”
