{"id":13885,"date":"2025-04-07T23:17:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T16:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13885"},"modified":"2025-04-07T23:17:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T16:17:59","slug":"how-terron-armstead-tackled-his-health-to-weigh-up-new-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13885","title":{"rendered":"How Terron Armstead Tackled His Health to Weigh Up New Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Terron Armstead had a spring in his step as he announced his retirement from football over the weekend. That\u2019s because the five-time Pro Bowl selection has been intently focusing on his health, dropping as much as 57 pounds since his freshman year of college.<\/p>\n<p>In an exclusive interview with M&amp;F, the 6\u2019 5\u201d tackle explains why he decided to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/life\/10-lifestyle-changes-make-get-fitter-and-healthier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make some positive lifestyle changes<\/a> during this off-season and, excitingly, what\u2019s next for this unstoppable force at just 33 years of age.<\/p>\n<p>The signs that Terron Armstead would go on to become an exceptional athlete were impossible to miss. Born in Cahokia, Illinois, he towered above most of his peers and displayed exceptional power. During his time at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, he was a mainstay on the football field while also competing in track as a shot putter, discus, and hammer thrower.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Armstead had such a good arm that he hit a shot-put personal record of 18.73 meters during the 2012 NCAA West Regional competition. He also had a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Terron_Armstead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">career-high discus throw of 50.37 meters<\/a>. \u201cIt was time-consuming, for sure, while trying to keep up with my academics\u201d reflects the player of juggling both sports and an education. \u201cBut thankfully, my head football coach and my head track coach worked extremely well together, and they made it possible for me to be fully invested in both. I was only able to do three years [of track], though. I ended up leaving school after my senior football season, so that I could train and get ready for the draft. But I strongly feel like I had a chance to win the National Championship at shot put if I had been able to stay with track for that last season.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Terron Armstead Is a Record-Breaking Offensive Lineman<\/h2>\n<p>Rather than throwing shot puts or the discus, the decision to throw himself into the NFL Combine in 2013 would pay dividends. The big man shocked scouts when he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballnetwork.com\/fastest-offensive-linemen-40-yard-dash-times-in-nfl-combine-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">made a 40-yard dash in just 4.71 seconds<\/a>, earning the fastest time of any offensive lineman \u2014 a proud record that still stands as of this writing. Armstead points out that there are plenty of players with longer arms or bigger hands, but the key to his progress was always owed to honing his best attributes. \u201cI don\u2019t have the biggest measurables, but explosion\u2026 I got that,\u201d he confirms. \u201cBeing quick across the field, having that power and that pop is what I have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With such power and breakneck speed, it\u2019s little wonder that Armstead was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. There, he made a huge impact on the team and continued to be a regular fixture despite the challenges of concussions and knee issues. Injuries would follow Armstead on a regular basis during his football career, but they would always struggle to keep up. In 2017, he tore his labrum in training but returned quicker than doctors predicted. Pushing through his knee problems, Armstead secured three Pro Bowls while with the Saints, but he also learned that his immense power had a flip side.<\/p>\n<h2>Terron Armstead Never Stopped Evolving as a Football Player<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhat goes up, must come down,\u201d jokes the baller, and he\u2019s right. Football fans love to see 300-pound-plus players running, jumping, and tackling, but they don\u2019t always focus on the toll that this takes on a player\u2019s body. \u201cI\u2019ve been through it, that\u2019s a fact,\u201d says Armstead. \u201cA lot of injuries, a lot of tough times, a lot of adversity. I\u2019ve been knocked down quite a bit and persevered. \u2018Perseverance\u2019 is a word that I try to embody\u2026 never quit. Keep getting up. Keep going. I\u2019ve had situations where injuries have come in at the worst possible time, just terrible. Whether it\u2019s big games or playoffs coming up, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his own words, Armstead inspired his teammates and fans by always \u201ctaking each injury on the chin.\u201d The passionate player always found a way to come back as a major threat to any lineup. Armstead\u2019s epic power was responsible for scoring critical points and making for exciting action. He would throw himself into the mix with the same type of intensity he\u2019d throw the shot puts. Fortunately, during his latter days with the Saints, he also began to understand, under the advice of team trainer and therapist, Beau Lowery, that his epic force required some harnessing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d just go, and carrying so much weight, and put out so much explosion,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI picked up a lot of soft tissue injuries. My muscles wouldn\u2019t be able to sustain the force, so I tore a lot of things.\u201d Despite his uncompromising physical style, Armstead points out that he never broke a bone in his career, but to control his torque, he shares that Lowery helped him to understand the \u201cother side of it\u201d by focusing on deceleration work and knowing when to \u201cthrottle down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, injuries are an inevitable reality on the gridiron. In 2022, Armstead suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle while playing his first season for the Miami Dolphins. Despite the significant injury, he returned that season and earned a Pro Bowl selection. He then followed that effort with his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nfl\/player\/terron-armstead-552\/bio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fifth Pro Bowl in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:55.36519386835%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Terron-Armstead-working-out-in-the-gym.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" alt=\"Terron Armstead working out in the gym\" width=\"1109\" height=\"614\" data-fallback-img=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Terron-Armstead-working-out-in-the-gym.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">@t_armstead72\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Terron Armstead Used the 2025 Off-Season to Tackle His Bodyfat Level<\/h2>\n<p>As the popular player began the 2025 off-season, Armstead decided to drastically change his body composition. He tells M&amp;F that he\u2019d hit his heaviest while still a freshman in college. \u201cThe largest number I\u2019ve ever seen on a scale was 327 pounds,\u201d he shares. \u201cI was still around 320 pounds when I was with the Saints.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the last couple of years with the Dolphins, however, Armstead had been tentatively tackling his bodyfat, dropping down to somewhere between 300 to 310 pounds in recent games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I was getting older, I wanted to keep taking weight off and take some pressure off my joints. I feel like it helped me in the latter part of my career,\u201d says Armstead, noting that once the numbers on the scales began to fall, he wanted to keep going by making more of a concerted effort.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, he now stands before us today at around 270 pounds. \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve seen two-hundred-and-anything on a scale, since probably junior high school,\u201d he laughs. The benefits have been serious, however. \u201cMy knee has been a really big issue for me the last couple years, so I just wanted to take some weight off that, and my back, just dealing with taking bull rushes for so long, so much impact and pounding with those collisions. So, it\u2019s been about taking the pressure off my back and honestly, it\u2019s been a huge difference, a drastic difference\u2026 I feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Armstead tells M&amp;F that he kicked off his serious weight-loss journey by starting a three-day water-only fast with the aim of resetting his digestive system and reviving his cellular balance. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s42255-024-01008-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It\u2019s an approach that has been backed by scientific studies<\/a>, too \u201cI didn\u2019t make the full third day,\u201d he admits. \u201cI folded and ate a salad for my dinner because I was working really hard at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After his fasting period, Armstead says he went \u201ccold turkey\u201d This past New Year\u2019s on processed foods and chips. The celebrated athlete also talked to experts like Dolphins\u2019 nutritionist <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Parent_I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Paranti<\/a> and the team\u2019s strength coach and Director of Player Performance, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamidolphins.com\/team\/coaches-roster\/dave-puloka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dave Puloka<\/a> to learn more about developing a better relationship with food.<\/p>\n<p>Armstead explains that they both told him to make sure his eating regime remained sustainable. \u201cJust don\u2019t go fasting and starving yourself, and lose weight too fast, or you\u2019ll lose muscle,\u201d he says, sharing the sensible advice that he received. \u201cI didn\u2019t want that. I wanted to get fit and to be more healthy, take some weight off, and some pressure off the joints. That was my goal.\u201d Now, 57 pounds lighter than during those freshman days, Armstead feels fresher than ever, concentrating on high protein, low carbohydrate meals, with lots of vegetables.<\/p>\n<p>Armstead has worked with his chef, Ronnie King, to become more observant about everything that he eats\u2014from those horrendous hidden calories in salad dressings, to the vastly different nutritional values in various types of breads, and he\u2019s also swapping out his beloved chips for some nutrient-packed fruit instead, meaning that his salt intake has been significantly reduced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019ve got to choose between this and that, now I\u2019m going to turn the package around and see the ingredients,\u201d he says of his new-found mindfulness around mealtimes. \u201cI love food. I want to have fun with it, and I want to try different things. So, I\u2019ve expanded my palate \u2014 eating a lot more sushi now, and nigiri, and sashimi than I ever have before. \u201cI\u2019m not necessarily counting calories or making it a tough job\u2026 I\u2019m having fun with. I still eat a lot, I\u2019m just eating a lot more super-lean items!\u201d Another calorie crusher has been boxing training. It\u2019s awesome to see that Armstead is embarking on retirement with such a healthy outlook. And he appears to be tackling his longevity with the same gusto that earned him all of those athletic accolades.<\/p>\n<h2>Terron Armstead\u2019s Athletic Highlights<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Illinois State Champion, Shot Put\u00a0(2009)<\/li>\n<li>4.71-second record breaking 40-yard dash for an offensive lineman (2013)<\/li>\n<li>Highest draft choice for a player from Arkansas-Pine Bluff (75th overall pick)<\/li>\n<li>5 Pro Bowl selections (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023)<\/li>\n<li>6-time team captain <a href=\"https:\/\/media.miamidolphins.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Armstead-Terron-36.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(2018-2023)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pound for pound, Terron Armstead will be looked back on as one the greatest athletes in the history of the NFL. But with this new-found spring in his step, anyone who thinks he is saying goodbye to football can think again. As an observer and as a mentor, Armstead still wants to give back to the sport that has provided so much for him and his family.<\/p>\n<h3>Terron Armstead Is Excited for the Future After Announcing His Retirement<\/h3>\n<p>With his well-established <a href=\"https:\/\/terronarmstead.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Team Armstead Foundation<\/a>, the inspiring athlete is keen to continue giving a leg-up to members of our youth who have fallen into the opportunity gap. He also tells M&amp;F that he is excited about a number of other possibilities that will open up now that he has some additional time on his plate. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve already had my hands in so many different avenues of life,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m busy in business, and as an investor, as a philanthropist, and with my foundation, the community center. I\u2019m busy as a father. I love my three kids: Triniti, Tatiana, and Tristan. They are athletes. My twin girls play basketball and my son plays basketball and football. So, we\u2019re super busy with that alone and traveling and all those good things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, don\u2019t be shocked if you one day see Armstead in the broadcast booth. \u201cBut for me, I think career-wise, I\u2019m getting into this this media and broadcasting space that I enjoy. I love talking the game and not just football, either. It could be basketball. It could be business and finance, tech, whatever, you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With his thirst for fitness knowledge, perhaps Armstead could continue to share what he\u2019s learned in the fitness space too. \u201cMuscle &amp; Fitness, we could do that, absolutely,\u201d he enthuses. \u201cI believe that I\u2019m able to explain things where it\u2019s easily digestible. So, when I\u2019m explaining football, I want to get a chance to break down the details of the game. Especially O-Line play and D-Line play that people don\u2019t really know or understand. I want to be able to be a voice. Most importantly, I\u2019ll be able to spend more time with the kids. I\u2019ll be able to go to all the games and go to practices and see their development, their growth. And as they continue to go up with their level of competition, I\u2019ll be there. I\u2019m super excited for that part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For all his blood, sweat, and tears, Armstead looks back on his football career with great fondness. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t change a moment,\u201d he shares. \u201cWouldn\u2019t change a play, wouldn\u2019t change a second. I would not. It\u2019s made me who I am, and it\u2019s all been a part of my journey and my story. I wouldn\u2019t change one second. I\u2019m blessed!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/t_armstead72\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">To follow Terron Armstead on Instagram, click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/athletes-celebrities\/interviews\/how-terron-armstead-tackled-his-health-to-weigh-up-new-opportunities\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Terron Armstead had a spring in his step as he announced his retirement from football over the weekend. That\u2019s because the five-time Pro Bowl selection has been intently focusing on his health, dropping as much as 57 pounds since his freshman year of college. In an exclusive interview with M&amp;F, the &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13885\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}