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INTERVIEW

Rory Gibson shares his fitness and nutrition tips

What do you eat  on a typical day? “I do intermittent fasting, so when I wake up in the morning, I have two glasses of water to get my day started. Depending on when I’m done at the studio, between 2 and 4 p.m. is usually when I have my first meal. I usually keep it small, so I like to get this salmon lettuce wrap that also has cucumber and radishes. It’s a super-healthy, quick meal. Both my girlfriend and I enjoy cooking, so later in the evening, we make our big meal. That always varies because my girlfriend is a vegetarian, while I’m a pescatarian, so I incorporate some kind of seafood for protein. We do a lot of curries, tofu dishes and rice dishes.”

Did you ever have a weight problem? “From second grade into high school, I was pretty overweight, so I was extremely self-conscious and insecure about my appearance. I would eat a lot, then felt shame afterward. I still deal with those feelings sometimes and that’s why I’ve become so fond of working out. It helps mentally and I feel better overall.”

What’s your workout routine? “I like to mix it up, so it keeps it fun. Throughout the week I’ll do a little bit of classic body building with weights, then kettlebell and a lot of Muay Thai [martial arts]. I mix in recovery days with yoga, so my whole week is always in flux. Sometimes I’ll focus on the weights or there may be a day where I don’t touch the weights and do Muay Thai every day or go a few rounds on the heavy bag.”

How do you eat healthy when you’re on the road or eating at restaurants? “When I go to a restaurant, I think, ‘Here’s what I really want, but what’s the best option?’ For instance, I really want fish and chips, so I look on the menu for a healthier option and, ‘Oh, I’ll get the seafood salad instead.’ The best way to eat healthy on the road is preparation. Bring granola bars and apples.”

Rory’s Top Three Tips

“Don’t be hard on yourself if you stray or make a mistake. Dieting and health in general should never come from a place of negativity. Always go into it with a positive mindset and if you mess up, it’s not the end of the world. Instead of being upset, take note of it and be a little more present the next time.”

“For working out at home I would recommend a fairly heavy kettlebell because there’s so much you can do, like compound lifts, curls and squats. You can get a decent kettlebell at Target for about 40 bucks. Also, a pull-up bar. If you can’t control the lifting of your own body weight, who cares if you can bench press 300 pounds. And just to keep the cardio interesting, get a jump rope because it’s lower impact than running.”

“I find Chris Hemsworth’s Centr to be a really good fitness app. The workouts are really well put together and really well explained. It’s pretty affordable; I think it’s only like 7 bucks a month.”

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