What is your approach to nutrition? “I’d be lying to you if I told you I’ve been super-strict the past six months with everything going on, but everything comes down to balance. I wouldn’t beat yourself up over eating bad or having an extra drink here and there. In regard to actual dieting, I’m a big fan of juicing, green juices, cleanses and things like that.”
What do you eat in a typical day? “I wake up, have oatmeal. I prepare my own coconut milk and almond milk, no type of dairy, no cow’s milk. Lunchtime, if I’m really doing clean, a grilled chicken salad. And then for dinner, it’s usually chicken or fish. Once in a while, I’ll do red meat, but I try not to eat a lot of it even though I do like it. I also try to sneak in pizza whenever I can. I have such a sweet tooth it’s a problem. I have a bakery by me that I love so I’m a sucker for chocolate and peanut butter and gluttonous cakes like that, so if I’m smashing that, you’ll definitely find me doing some more ab workouts and if not, then I’ll chill out a little bit.”
What is your workout routine? “Pre-Covid, I would try to be working out five times a week. The hardest part is getting going. Whether you’re a morning person or a nighttime person, find what works for you and start doing it and you’ll quickly realize after a week or two that your body will need that schedule and release. Working out in a gym for me is not just physical, it’s very much so mental and is my release and can kind of be a place of therapy.”
Your abs get a lot of play on camera. How do you keep them cut? “My cheat code for abs is weighted crunches. It’s like a rope workout above your head, but that really builds your top abs so you can kind of get away with eating a little bit more lax when you’re building your top abs because they fill out a little bit more. Lower abs is truly diet. I actually steal a lot of the workouts from P90X. Part of P90X in their last session is Ab Ripper X but the workout is really incredible. It’s sets of 25-second intervals and 10 seconds of rest and you can do it on your own at home. You will be sore and shredded by the end. It’s pretty badass.”
What equipment is worth investing in? “My go-to is these trusty iron dumbbells that I’ve literally had for 10 years. I have two 40-pound dumbbells — I’m not saying you’re going to grab 40-pound dumbbells — but those dumbbells made it on the truck when I moved to L.A. and those have been my sword in the stone for the past eight months. But other than having free weights, you can do a lot of stuff with bands. Bands are super-cheap and they’re super-versatile. You can do your entire body with a band workout, not to mention stretching, which is very important.”
Robert’s Top Three Tips
• “Hold yourself accountable. Don’t let yourself slack, even when it’s easy to in times like this.”
• “Find what makes you happy. Find workouts that work for you, find a diet that works for you and enjoy it.”
• “Try to get outside. Try to do your workouts in the sun. Try to get that Vitamin D and keep the immune system strong.”
