The Real Rockstar Diet

The Real Rockstar Diet

Get the healthy tour bus secrets of 5 of-the-moment musicians.

By: Sarah St. Lifer, Q by Equinox

"Honestly, there is nothing very healthy about tour life—especially for a budding band," says Sasha Spielberg, the vocalist who makes up one half of the brother-sister folk duo Wardell. Although that hasn’t stopped plenty of musicians from trying. To counteract a schedule that includes late-night sets, early morning sound checks, and consistent inconsistency, here’s how some of our favorite performers keep it together on the road.

1. Sasha Spielberg of Wardell

"I snack on pistachios and do crunches in my hotel room. Plus, I consider dancing on stage to be a workout—I even wear my Nike Fuelband while performing. You burn a lot of calories up there!”

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2. Nancy Whang of The Juan MacLean and LCD Soundsystem

"Lately, my traveling involves popping in and out of cities long enough to eat a snack, DJ, and take a shower. If I am in one place for more than a day, I’ll try to find a yoga class nearby—there is usually at least one that I can walk into. If I’m lucky, I’ll be booked at a hotel with a pool and can swim a couple of laps. I’m also a big fan of the 7-Minute Workout. On paper it sounds like a fad, but those 7 minutes can feel quite long.”

3. Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells

"I’m an avid hiker and I love finding new hikes while on tour. The AllTrails app is a great resource for discovering outdoor adventures even when you’re not familiar with the local terrain. When it’s cold or rainy I love finding an indoor rock climbing gym with an auto-belay wall so I can practice top-roping even when I don’t have a belay partner. When I’m looking to build core strength I’ll spend some time bouldering as well."

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4. Lizzy Plapinger of MSMR

"I am in no way as healthy as my band-mate, Max, but I reap the benefits of his great and healthy Yelp choices (that’s if I can resist ordering mac and cheese!). The best I thing I do for my body is drink roughly 2 to 3 liters of water a day. Staying hydrated not only helps me feel better, but has drastically changed my metabolism for the better."

5. Max Hershenow of MSMR

"Our drummer and I constantly joke with each other about who is in better shape, and while we definitely spend more time talking about working out than actually doing so, it does motivate me to go to the gym whenever we have an hour or two off. I also have a lifting regimen that I do with resistance bands if there’s no gym around. We’ve learned to avoid McDonald’s unless we’re drunk or hungover; I Yelp healthy restaurants in the next city before we get there so we’re not tempted to eat unhealthy food.”

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