Chris Daughtry’s Transformation From ‘Skinny Fats’ to Shredded

4 Oct

Chris Daughtry’s Transformation From ‘Skinny Fats’ to Shredded


M&F first checked in with rock frontman Chris Daughtry again in 2013. The Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rock artist was already deeply immersed in fitness center tradition, proudly showcasing a chiseled physique after shedding his self-proclaimed “skinny fats” part from a number of years prior. At 33, he was in one of the best form of his life, and his band, Daughtry, was gearing as much as launch their fourth studio album, “Baptized.” He was dwelling the dream.

Eleven years on, Daughtry, now 44, nonetheless thrives as a musician and health fanatic. The band has amassed seven studio albums, plus the six-track EP “Shock to the System (Half One)” launched in September. Prior to now 12 months, two songs—”Synthetic” and “Items”—have reached No. 1 on the Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The band is at the moment rocking levels throughout the U.S. on tour with Breaking Benjamin and Staind. And there’s one other achievement to have a good time: Chris Daughtry is in even higher form at 44.

Chris Daughtry training at The Strength Club, NYC
Erica Schultz

Keep Motivated and Maintain Your self Accountable

How? Name it maturity. Name it the motivation that comes from figuring out 1000’s of individuals might be watching you on stage, so that you higher look your greatest. Moreover, the chance of harm on stage provides one other layer of motivation. Name it accountability.

“Clearly, I hope to encourage others,” says Daughtry. “Now that I’ve put that on the market [on social media], it retains me accountable for positive.”

Frank Sepe, Chris Daughtry and Zack Zeigler at The Strength Club, NYC
Erica Schultz

Chris Daughtry Surrounds Himself With The Proper Folks

Chris Daughtry’s Instagram feed is equal components music and muscle. One submit reveals him deadlifting with a hex bar. In one other, he’s coaching at Zoo Tradition fitness center in Encino, California, with people much more muscular than him—together with biohacker and coach Fraser Bayley and actual property investor Austin Hancock.

His band photographs additional showcase his physique. His signature look on stage is a tank high or cut-off t-shirt, skinny reduce denims, half-sleeve tattoos, and a chrome steel chain. He’s fingers down one of many fittest males in music proper now.

Chris Daughtry in the gym
Joel Espejel

How Chris Daughtry Retains Coaching Whereas Touring

This physique is the results of relentless dedication. Daughtry trains actually day by day, “even when it’s for under 10 or quarter-hour,” he says, whether or not he’s at house in Nashville along with his spouse Deanna and their youngsters, or on the highway. “Particularly on the highway,” he emphasizes. “In arenas, I’ll run the steps. I’ve a set of resistance bands that I carry all over the place with me. I at all times do one thing. There’s by no means a day the place I can’t determine some approach to get in a exercise and break a sweat. It’s wonderful what you are able to do with physique weight. I used to be doing handstand push-ups in my lodge room this morning. I can’t present up with flat shoulders. I get in a exercise simply to get blood within the muscle tissues—push-ups, planks, explosive squats, no matter I can do.”

Frank Sepe and Chris Daughtry training at The Strength Club, NYC
Erica Schultz

Hold a Legit Exercise Ethic

M&F’s Director of Media Growth, Frank Sepe, met Daughtry on social media, resulting in a friendship via their shared love for health. When the band’s schedule allowed, they promised to attach for a exercise in New York Metropolis. Sepe’s intensive background as a Grasp Coach, former aggressive bodybuilder, profitable health mannequin with lots of of journal covers, and the founding father of Sepe Vitamin provides him a deep understanding of the health life-style. Having educated quite a few athletes and celebrities, Sepe is especially impressed by Daughtry’s unwavering dedication.

“Chris isn’t just a few rockstar who goes in and hits biceps and nothing else to ensure he seems good in a t-shirt onstage,” says Sepe. “His coaching is legit, and he’s in wonderful form—not only for a musician or for his age, however by any customary.”

Final summer time, when Daughtry was in New York, he met up with Sepe and M&F’s Chief Content material Officer Zack Zeigler at The Power Membership for a high-volume upper-body-focused exercise, with some sled pushes and tire flips for a full-body conditioning stimulus.

Sepe designed the exercise on the fly, protecting the amount and depth excessive to get Daughtry out of his consolation zone. “It began out like, ‘that is acquainted,’” says the singer, “after which it obtained into harmful territory. However I cherished each minute of it.”

Chris Daughtry training at The Strength Club, NYC
Erica Schultz

Be Pumped Up for the Gymnasium and Stage

Daughtry’s coaching is clearly a key a part of his id, but it surely additionally serves a practical objective. It helps him really feel assured and energized whereas performing. There is no such thing as a hesitation when requested whether or not he goes on stage pumped or unpumped. “At all times pumped,” he says. “I’m doing push-ups. I’m doing the [resistance] bands—holding the bands, getting the blood in. I can’t be going out [on stage] trying flat and never vascular.”

There’s a easy cause why a 44-year-old Daughtry seems even leaner than his early-30s self: weight-reduction plan. Together with his journey schedule, it took him years to dial in his diet and keep away from the pitfalls of booze, quick meals, and late-night snacking that plague different musicians and artists with unorthodox work hours.

“I reduce out all alcohol. I used to eat pizza and burgers incessantly, and now it’s restricted to about as soon as per week,” he says. To ensure he at all times has wholesome meals readily available whereas on the highway, Daughtry will get meals delivered by the meal prep service MegaFit Meals. “I don’t ever need to guess. I’ve my lean protein, my fibrous greens, my starch, and I don’t have to consider it. It’s change into clockwork for me. And actually, this isn’t a shameless plug.”

Chris Daughtry training at The Strength Club, NYC
Erica Schultz

Reside With No Regrets

None of this occurs by chance, and Daughtry isn’t some robotic who jumps off the bed each morning, prepared to coach. He’s human. Generally he doesn’t really feel like coaching, however he goes anyway. Not solely is he motivated by feeling and searching his greatest—however he’s additionally pushed by a worry of returning to his former life-style and a physique he wasn’t pleased with.

“I’ve nightmares about going backward,” he says. “I used to have numerous unhealthy habits. I spotted it needed to be a way of life, not only a flash within the pan like, ‘I’m going to get in form for this photograph shoot.’ I’ve made it a everlasting a part of my life.