A former NFL champion shares his daily routine to stay fit at 37 — with open water swimming and 200 grams of protein a day

Business Insider

23-07-2025

When James Develin retired from the NFL in 2020 after seven seasons (and three Super Bowl wins) with the New England Patriots, it wasn't long before he started looking for the next big challenge.
To stay in elite athlete shape after retirement, Develin knew he needed some structure to replace the typical training cycle of the NFL and giving him something to work toward.
That meant a marathon and, most recently, a Navy SEAL-style open water swim — grueling events to inspire his multiple workouts a day.
"I didn't have a season to start preparing for, so it was a little bit harder to put myself through two-a-days and three-a-days," Develin told Business Insider.
As a 37-year-old father of four, Develin is conscious about retaining his strength in a sustainable way. He shared his daily routine with Business Insider — a regimen of running, swimming, and lifting, along with a high-protein diet worthy of his NFL days.
From NFL training to Navy SEAL swims
Less than a year after retiring from pro football, Develin took on distance running, completing his first Boston Marathon in 2021.
In 2023, Develin met an even more ambitious match for his athletic aspirations when his father-in-law signed up for the Navy SEAL Foundation NYC SEAL Swim. The annual fundraiser is held honor of veterans and lives lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"I can run, I can lift, I can do all that stuff, but swimming was not my forte and it still isn't. It's been fun to push my own personal limits," he said.
The event combines strenuous open water swimming through the turbulent waters of the Hudson with multiple rounds of push-ups and pull-ups, scenic views of the Statue of Liberty, and a race to the finish at the World Trade Center.
The SEAL Swim requires grit, endurance, and discipline to complete. Develin decided to join in, despite limited swimming experience and only a month to prepare.
"It's such a great patriotic event, but it's also a great test of one's physical prowess, so it checks a lot of boxes for me," Develin said.
There's no secret to training for the SEAL swim besides hours and hours of work in the water, according to Develin.
"I just started swimming as much as I could every single day. Through the soreness, through the rain days, the day I don't want to do it," he said.
Develin, who lives on the Jersey Shore with his wife and four kids, practices in a pool as well as the nearby bay to get experience managing the unpredictability of open water.
Develin works out daily for around two or three hours a day, split between shorter sessions of cardio, swimming, and weightlifting to allow him to spend time with his family, too.
"I need to sweat before I can really get on with the rest of my day," he said. "I don't really feel like a day was productive unless I get some sort of workout in."
Here's a typical day in his routine.
Wake up around 5:30 a.m.
Hydrate first thing in the morning with a tall glass of water.
Supplements: Develin said he goes through phases of trying supplements to find what works, and currently takes amino acids and NAD+ which help with energy and recovery.
A morning smoothie provides some protein first thing in the morning.
A cardio workout is first on the agenda, typically a long run.
After his workout, Develin wakes up his kids and gets them ready for the day before sitting down to breakfast of high-protein staples such as eggs.
For a midday workout Develin hits the gym to lift weights for 45 minutes, sometime between 11 am and 2 p.m.
Lunch is often a casual, on-the-go option like sandwiches.
Often Develin fits in an evening workout to practice swimming, if he can find the time
For dinner, Develin gets to sit down and "live a little" since his wife is Italian and loves to cook. The evening meal is often pasta with homemade sauce and more protein (like chicken or beef).
Develin is in bed by 10:30 p.m. most nights to get a solid s even hours of sleep.
In total, he aims to eat more than 200 grams of protein daily, about a gram of protein per pound of body weight, to help maintain muscle and strength.
In the NFL, Develin's job was to absorb and deliver tremendous amounts of force as a fullback.
"You have to go out there and be ready for impact constantly," he said.
He's kept the same mindset of pushing himself ever since, aiming to stave off aging with constant movement and new challenges, even when his body is a little slower to bounce back than it used to be.
"I recover eventually. It just might take a little bit longer now than it did when I was 30, but I just keep grinding," Develin said. "It's good for your endurance, it's good for your mental fortitude, and that's what works for me."