Geddy Lee and Joe Elliott Discuss Fitness Routines on ‘That Metal Show’
Anyone who's done any amount of traveling knows it's difficult to stay healthy on the road. For guys like Geddy Lee and Joe Elliott, that's a career drawback that requires constant care and attention.
The Rush bassist and Def Leppard frontman shared their touring fitness regimens during their appearances on the season premiere of That Metal Show, sitting down with co-host Jennifer Gottlieb, aka "Miss Box of Junk," for a segment (which you can watch above) that also included input from Dream Theater's John Petrucci. Lee professed to work out the least often of the three, saying he hits the gym four days a week — but he works with a trainer who "tortures" him. "We usually spend about 20 minutes doing all kinds of mobility, stretching," he explained. "I have certain chronic issues in my body from years of standing onstage and carrying a heavy bass."
As Petrucci pointed out, staying in shape in the States is one thing for American artists, but it can get a little trickier in Europe, where it's harder to check into a gym where you already have a membership — but Elliott, who routinely tours all over the world, said he manages to stay on top of his routine six days a week. "I take either the Saturday or Sunday off, depending on how much soccer's on TV. I get on my crosstrainer and put a DVD on," he said. "Watch, like, AC/DC live in France or something, and I just walk and run until the DVD is finished. Yeah, it works."
But even if he says he works out more times a week than the other guys, Elliott is just as appreciative of a little time off. Saying "you've got to be able to fall off the wagon now and again," he explained, "I spend a lot of time balancing it in a good way, and I think once a month to balance it the other way is also good for you — to remind you of your youth. It used to be six days a week doing the wrong thing and one day doing the right. Now it's the other way around."
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