When I got on the phone with Russell Wilson earlier this month, he was very prepared to discuss food: The Seahawks quarterback was in the kitchen talking shop with his personal chef, Andrea Witton. Witton is just one member of his recently-assembled personal performance squad of sorts, which includes everything from personal trainers to movement specialists to masseuses to a mental coach. We asked Wilson, now in his 7th NFL season, about all the little things he does to get an edge on the field, from taking Epsom salt baths to sitting in hyperbaric chambers to, uh, flying helicopters.

GQ: What does a typical day look like for you?

Russell Wilson: I usually get up pretty early in the morning—during the season, I typically wake up around 5 A.M. By 5:30 or so, I'm doing a hot-and-cold-tub contrast situation, and by 6:30 I’ve got mobility work and yoga with my movement specialist. I have a quick breakfast around 7:00 A.M. and sometimes do a light lift after that.

We’re in meetings from 8:00 A.M. until the middle of the day. I’ll hit up some more shoulder activation before practice, which goes from 1:00 to 3:30 P.M. I’ll watch film afterward, and then head home around 7. I‘ll spend about an hour and a half with my family, and then get a massage—a deep tissue massage for stress release and all that—with my specialist. And then finally, there’s sleep.

Do you get enough of it, you think?

Sleep is the thing that I'm working on the most. When you have two kids, it’s tough. In the past, I used to get five hours and I would be good. It’s not like that anymore.

My thought process is that if I can get something like five to six quality hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then between nine and ten hours on Saturday and Sunday, that balances out. I recently started sleeping on a Molecule, with which I have a partnership. I know Tom Brady does too. It’s a difference-maker.

It sounds cheesy, but at 29 years old, I feel younger than ever. That’s because I've been really investing in the body and movement and sleep parts—having a movement specialist, a massage therapist, and a trainer. Putting the team in place is like having an Formula One car. You have to make sure that everything's tuned up and ready to roll. I want my car to be driving like Lewis Hamilton, and flying around those corners.

And a big part of that involves how you eat.

Chef Andrea is the best. I'm from the South, so I love eating good food. I’m trying to eat organic, whole nutrition-type foods to help me fuel and repair. That’s really critical for me.

What does a typical day of eating look like for you?

I look for an adequate balance of protein and carbs. I stay away from sugar. I’m not an “I never eat gluten” type of person, but I try to be smart about what I'm doing.

I think one of the biggest things is hydration. Just tons and tons of water. God created our bodies with 70 percent water, so it’s critical to drink up to make sure you're feeling right. [Ed. note: Close.] Andrea makes everything from scratch, and she uses really clean, fresh, nutritionally-dense ingredients.

Breakfast may look like oatmeal and almond butter. Maybe a protein shake as a mid-morning snack, with some fruit—a one-to-one ratio of carbs and protein. Lunch consists of chicken, rice, and a green vegetable. After practice, I try to have another protein shake. For dinner, good proteins: salmon or steak or chicken, and vegetables. If I get really hungry at night, I’m in luck, because Andrea cuts up some great fruits for us.

Having a personal chef sounds wonderful.

I just want to throw it out there that I grew up with nothing. I remember searching inside the couches for quarters at my friend’s houses and trying to find enough to go get something of the dollar menu with my brother. I was grateful for the struggle at times, and we ate well in spite of it: My dad always made a great spaghetti. My mom made the best mac and cheese. Mac and cheese is my favorite comfort food for sure.

Today, I’m trying to be the best in the world. I think that having a performance team—from the movement specialists to the physical therapists to the mental coach—is a game-changer. It makes it easy on us. As athletes, as people, we will always focus on the body and what to eat. But the thing we don't know is how to prepare your mind for adversity. That's one of the big components as well.

Do you feel like you are the person that puts the most pressure on yourself?

Oh, 100 percent. You’ve got to be your biggest critic. You have to be willing to go the extra mile. In the past year or so, we went to London and China, Japan and Africa. The whole team comes with me. As much as Ciara and I travel, it’s critical that we stay on the cutting edge of being prepared.

I want to play until I’m 45 years old. So how do I optimize all of that? When I was 26, I really started investing in all of this, because I knew I wanted to be even better 20 years later.

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What’s in your protein shake?

It’s paleo protein, a pure beef protein isolate, with almond milk and half a banana. I also put in a fruits and greens powder that has something like 20-plus servings of fruits and vegetables in it. [Ed. note: Here, Emily suggests that Wilson try a greens powder she uses at home. He tells Chef Andrea, who promptly adds it to his Amazon cart.]

Aside from your support squad, what other things do you use that help you get an extra edge?

I use the hyperbaric chamber. I'll get it a couple times a week, so that's really big for me. I do blood flow restriction. It’s really good to breathe. I also take an Epsom salt bath a couple times a week to relax my body.

I believe that prehab is critical. Think about it: When somebody gets hurt, they do a whole bunch of work to get stronger again. But why don't we do that before, to prevent a lot of those injuries? That’s where the performance team really comes into the picture.

On my off days, I go to Seattle Children's Hospital. A lot of things every day are about me, you know what I mean? I’m a quarterback, so if I go somewhere, everyone wants to interview me, talk to me, do something that revolves around me. In reality, I pray every day that I can make it about somebody else. Which is why Tuesdays are the best day of the week for me, since I get to see the kids. I'm praying for a glimpse of hope for them.

Also, sometimes I fly helicopters. I'm probably going to get up in the air tomorrow or tonight. It's just a great thing for your peace of mind.

What’s your regular workout routine look like?

I lift three times a week during the season. But I make my body move in some way every single day. Swimming is a big part of it, and working to be as mobile as possible. It’s important for me to make sure my trunk is moving right. And I can’t forget the Peloton bike. It’s me and Ciara’s favorite thing.

I also do a lot of boxing, heavy deadlifts, box jumps, explosive medicine ball tosses, and a ton of agility work. Shoulder exercises, too, to keep my arm as strong as it could possibly be so I can throw the ball further.

Do you ever get tired of all of this?

No. It’s a lifestyle. You either commit to the lifestyle or you don't. I want to be great. I want to be the best. This is my norm. This is who I am.

This interview had been edited and condensed.

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