4:30 AM is just Tuesday

Colin Kaepernick wakes before dawn five days a week for plyometrics, sprints, skill work and heavy lifts. He's been out of the NFL for nearly a decade but stays in game shape.

“We'll hit the ground running. We do all of our training to make sure that we are prepared for that.”

He still wants back in

Kaepernick doesn't watch NFL games anymore, but he checks box scores and stat lines regularly. He's looking for teams that need a quarterback.

Discipline started at age eight

His youth football coach made the team run laps and do pushups together, starting over if anyone made a mistake. That taught Kaepernick to push past his perceived limits.

“What I learned through that process is the ability to push the bounds of what you're capable of.”

A new memoir tells his story

The Perilous Fight covers Kaepernick's early life, football career, and the protest that became his civil rights work. He discussed it on Men's Health's Strong Talk podcast.

Fighting complacency every day

Kaepernick constantly battles the temptation to settle. He questions whether he's doing too much, then keeps pushing anyway in both physical and mental training.

“I look at all of it, in everything that we do in training, whether it's physical or whether it's mental, as how you show up.”

Control what you can control

At 38, Kaepernick focuses on preparation and making the right calls. He wants to show up at his best in everything within his power, regardless of external factors.

“To me, I have to do everything that is in my control to make sure that I'm prepared.”

He misses the team environment

Kaepernick loves football for the camaraderie. He recalls challenging his offensive line to push harder, creating an environment where everyone drives each other toward the same goal.

“You build this environment where everyone is constantly pushing and leaning on each other, but you know it's towards that same goal.”

Today's work pays off tomorrow

Daily preparation isn't for immediate results. When opportunities finally arrive, they reveal all the past work you've done, not just your present effort.

“The work and preparation that you do on the day-to-day, that benefit, you're not doing that for today. You're doing that for the future opportunities.”