Most iconic rock Gods lead lives that leave them feeling – and looking – aged beyond their years. Decades of hard partying, drugs, alcohol and indulgence take their toll, and it’s a rare instance that we turn to rock icons for health inspiration. However that is certainly not the case with Grammy Award rocker Lenny Kravitz.
At 56, Kravitz has the energy, attitude and physique envied by men less than half his age; men who were most likely conceived to one of his most seductive earlier hits. And at an age when most men would be considering a slower pace of life, Kravitz insists that he hasn’t yet hit his peak.
“My best shape is not behind me. It’s in front of me right now,” Kravitz told US Men’s Health last month. And he’s probably right, if not for his workouts, then as a direct result of his lifestyle.
The last decade has seen Kravitz retreat from the breakneck pace of city life, creating a home in the suitably named Eden compound in Brazil, and now at home in the Bahamas for quarantine.
“I just dropped out of life, learned to ride horses from the cowboys, learned about farming, and reconnected with nature,” he told Architectural Digest last year. “I’d never felt more calm, peaceful, and closer to God. It was a magical time. I thought, I’m done with the hustle and the bustle. I’m going to be a farmer.”
Now Kravitz grows his own crops and credits his vegan, and oftentimes raw, diet to his unparalleled youth.
“I’m vegan, and primarily raw,” he told Men’s Health. “I’ve done extensive raw diets, where I eat raw for a year…There will be times when I don’t take any sugar…I’m very careful about what I put into my body.”
“It’s a combination of eating all these things and working out and keeping my muscles and joints in shape, so I can do what I do, which is get up on stage and play music, and have a body that feels free.”
As for those workouts, Lenny trains with Dodd Romera, a trainer he’s worked with since the 1990s… hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! The lads layer Lenny’s day, starting with fasted cardio, weights in the middle of the day, and then cardio before bed. At home in Eleuthera in the Bahamas, Lenny trail runs for his cardio, complimenting these trots with ‘jungle style’ strength straining.
The Kravitz-esque session below, shared with Men’s Health, may seem standard, but Kravitz being Kravitz, there are quirks. For starters, there’s the most bizarre rep scheme known to mankind. And in lieu of a bench, Kravitz performs his lifts using a horizontal palm tree. Just another constant reminder that despite your hardest efforts, it’s unlikely you’ll ever reach Kravitz levels of cool.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
5 Sets:
50 reps
35 reps
21 reps
14 reps
10 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press
5 Sets
50 reps
35 reps
21 reps
14 reps
10 reps
Bodyweight Squat
5 Sets
77 reps
50 reps
35 reps
21 reps
14 reps
Knee-Raises
4 Sets:
21 reps each set
The trick here is that these aren’t hanging knee-raises… They’re performed during a static pull-up hold. Pull your chest to the bar and hold, before completing the reps.