When the New England Patriots took the field to play the Miami Dolphins, they did so without tight end Rob Gronkowski. The big man and fan-favorite had retired following the victory in Super Bowl LIII and has been away from football ever since. There is a belief that he will ultimately rejoin his former team later in the season, especially if another Super Bowl is within reach, but that may not be a simple task.
Gronk was recently a guest on Pardon My Take, a podcast is presented by Barstool Sports. During this conversation, he explained just how much weight has been lost since retiring from the NFL and how he switched up his training regimen. Gronk was always a massive human being, but he has been noticeably smaller since walking away from the NFL.
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“I’m 245 (pounds) right now,” Gronkowski said. “I’m 245, I’m ripped, it feels good. … My heaviest, I’ve hit 270 before. I’ve never hit 270 during the season, I was like 268 some games. I always range from 260 to 268, in between that throughout my whole career.”
Being smaller than his playing weight makes it appear less likely that Gronk will make a return to his former team, but that isn’t out of the question. He even jokingly threw out a return date following the discussion on Pardon My Take. If the former Patriots tight end was being truthful, he will be back in action at the end of the regular season.
It’s official. @RobGronkowski will be back on the @Patriots week 14. His words. Not mine. pic.twitter.com/uPxzoTLZsv
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) September 9, 2019
Of course, Gronk is known for being a bigger man, but what changed to make him lose this weight? Obviously, changing the diet is one specific reason, but the four-time All-Pro tight end also made adjustments to his training regimen. In fact, he stopped lifting weights on a regular basis.
“I haven’t really lifted weights in like a year and a half,” Gronkowski said. “I do weights, like, once every two weeks now.”
“No, no, I wasn’t,” Gronk continued when asked about lifting weights in 2018. “I was just doing more bodyweight, band stuff, you know? … You’ve got to make adjustments. The heavy weightlifting was just keeping me a little stiff, and I didn’t like it. I felt like I was getting stiff and I felt like I needed to adjust a little bit. I still lift weights, but I don’t do as much anymore. … Majority of it is (the TB12 Method).”
The method that he references is all about pliability and being able to function without stiffness. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is known for using resistance bands, vibrating foam rollers, and other tools to increase flexibility and better approach each year of his career. The TB12 Method has allegedly helped Brady extend his career far beyond what was expected, especially after he stopped lifting weights, and it has helped Gronkowski better approach his retirement.
