Adam Burish
Photo: Lisa Predko

After a 10-year career that included four seasons with the Blackhawks, Burish retired from the NHL in 2016. Now he watches from the other side of the glass, as an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago. Here’s how the 36-year-old River North resident stays mentally focused, pain-free, and camera-ready.

Athletic transition

“When I got done playing, like most guys, I said: I’m never working out again. So for about eight months, I didn’t. Then I decided to do television, and I thought, I don’t want to be the guy that retired, got fat, and looked like a clown on TV. I started training again with Pat Gilles, who I grew up playing hockey with and who trained me in the second half of my career. I told him I didn’t want to suffer. But after a month or two, I got that itch again. I said, ‘OK, let’s crank it.’ ”

Active rehab

“I’ve had two massive herniations in my back and 13 surgeries. When I was being lazy, those injuries bothered me a lot more. Now I work on core strength, hip strength, and getting my glutes firing, and I feel better in my back and knees.”

Training routine

“I work out at the East Bank Club. I’m at it six days a week. I start with a 10-minute warm-up, shoulder presses, light goblet squats, and shoulder-rotating moves. Then I might do two-minute bike sprints with two minutes of recovery, followed by core work.”

Eating plan

“Before I work out, I eat steel-cut oats with cinnamon, almond milk, and MCT oil, which provides fats for fuel. I’ll usually have a protein shake with some spinach, almond butter, and more MCT oil mixed in. After, I’ll eat something like a chicken breast with a whole sweet potato, some broccoli, and some greens, then another protein shake. I get most of my carbs from vegetables.”

Life perspective

“I was at the music festival in Las Vegas where the shooting happened. I saw a lot of people shot – one guy was four feet behind me. I was lucky. I walked away fine. But I think about it a lot. When things get hard, I remember it could be worse.”