It seems like Terry Crews has done it all. The former NFL player has starred in blockbuster movies, won a Golden Globe for his role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and now the Hollywood funnyman is hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But as famous as Crews is for his tireless work, he’s equally famous for his muscle-bound frame – and for popping his pecs.
But you don’t do all that pectoral dancing without lots of work in the gym. In his cover story in the November issue of Men’s Fitness, Crews gave Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-star Andy Samberg, who wrote the piece, some great advice on how anyone can start getting fit. It’s all about creating a habit, Crews says.
“I say just go to the gym for 21 days straight,” he told Samberg. "Don’t even work out if you don’t want to. Go there, look around, spend some time, read a magazine, sit down on the recumbent bike, and just read a magazine and watch everybody work out. And then, you know what? When you’re done, go home.”
The Terry Crews Action-Hero Arm Workout>>>
Of course, Crews doesn’t do much sitting around at the gym. At 6'3", 245 pounds, he says he spends “an hour or two lifting” four times a week and runs four miles on the treadmill after each lifting session. The running settles his mind and keeps him from looking like some other former pro ballers.
“When you look at retired NFL players, they gain, like, 300 pounds,” Crews says. “Basketball players get to be 450.”
Crews also explained how he works out his mind along with his body when he's in the gym. The actor listens to audio books – everything from fitness to history to self-help. But he’s sure to throw in some Public Enemy and a little Rick Ross. “I like to run angry,” he says.
Whatever your workout plan, Crews advises that it simply fits your life. Not everyone is built to train like a pro athlete. You just need to fully commit. “If you do Zumba and you love Zumba – you want to be the badass Zumba chick or Zumba guy – it’s going to keep you in shape. I know bicycle guys who are in better shape than NFL players. You’ve just got to find out what you do, man.”