{"id":200152,"date":"2025-12-19T13:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/200152\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T13:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T13:09:10","slug":"ed-sheerans-6-training-rules-for-getting-fit-in-your-30s-without-giving-up-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/200152\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Sheeran\u2019s 6 Training Rules for Getting Fit in Your 30s \u2013 Without Giving Up Beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past five years, Ed Sheeran<\/a> has transformed his body \u2013 and his life. At 34, the singer-songwriter is down 14kg, performing two-and-a-half-hour shows with ease, and finally feeling in control of his health. But this wasn\u2019t a sprint. It was slow, sustainable, and \u2013 crucially \u2013 never all or nothing.
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\u2018I think, underneath it all, I am a pizza-eating, beer-guzzling smoker,\u2019 he tells Men\u2019s Health. \u2018But that\u2019s just not my reality as a parent in my thirties. I think that you have to make good decisions.\u2019<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what those decisions look like in practice.<\/p>\n

1. Start Where You Are \u2013 Even if That\u2019s in Your Basement<\/p>\n

Sheeran\u2019s fitness journey began not with a PT or a macro-tracked diet, but with a cross trainer<\/a> and a backlog of emails.<\/p>\n

\u2018I went down in my basement and I answered my emails for two hours and just plodded,\u2019 he says. \u2018In my mind I was like, that\u2019s fine, I\u2019m not on a treadmill<\/a>, I\u2019m not killing myself. I\u2019m getting to do something I\u2019d be doing anyway, but I\u2019m keeping active.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t Train Like You\u2019re 20<\/p>\n

The shift happened as his lifestyle \u2013 and body \u2013 caught up with him. \u2018I would say I lived a pretty unhealthy life from 20 to 30,\u2019 he admits. \u2018I always felt like shit within myself; I\u2019d wake up and look in the mirror and just feel gross.\u2019<\/p>\n

Becoming a dad was the wake-up call. \u2018I wanted to pick my kid up and not have my back fucked,\u2019 he says. \u2018You\u2019re less resilient in your thirties. I was losing my voice more. I would pull muscles… I wanted to feel superhuman on stage.\u2019<\/p>\n

Related Story3. Mix Your Training \u2013 But Make Recovery Non-Negotiable<\/p>\n

Today, Sheeran\u2019s week includes weights, running<\/a>, swimming<\/a>, and reformer Pilates<\/a>. The latter is a non-negotiable during tours, where recovery matters as much as output.<\/p>\n

\u2018After the show last night, the last thing I want to do today is bench press<\/a> and deadlift<\/a>,\u2019 he says. \u2018So this is a really gentle way to still have the same level of exercise and feel like I\u2019ve burnt calories, but I\u2019ve also stretched.\u2019<\/p>\n

4. Keep Food Simple and Realistic<\/p>\n

Yes, Sheeran has a chef while on tour. But his nutrition isn\u2019t dialled up to obsessive levels. His meals are built on whole food staples \u2013 eggs, veg, protein<\/a> \u2013 with space for the odd burrito.<\/p>\n

\u2018We kept it to real food, shakes when needed,\u2019 says Matt Kendrick, his PT. \u2018If he wanted a burrito \u2013 have a burrito.\u2019<\/p>\n

5. Make Fitness Work for Your Lifestyle, Not the Other Way Around<\/p>\n

Reformer Pilates. Basement cardio. Bodyweight circuits<\/a> in hotel gyms. Sheeran\u2019s fitness has always been about consistency and doing what he can.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think that in my thirties, that\u2019s where I\u2019m at,\u2019 he says. \u2018I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m done with enjoying myself. I still drink. I love red wine, I love a nice meal, but it\u2019s not every day.\u2019<\/p>\n

6. Stay Consistent \u2013 But Don\u2019t be Afraid to Pull Back<\/p>\n

At one point, Sheeran was training five to six days a week because he genuinely wanted to. But with Kendrick\u2019s help, he\u2019s learned that more isn\u2019t always better.<\/p>\n

\u2018After a bit it was like, \u201cYou know what, we\u2019re just going to pull you back a little and reduce the volume<\/a>\u201d \u2013 being aware of how much he was doing outside of the training.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"ed<\/a>\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Isaac Williams is Multiplatform Editor for both Women\u2019s Health UK and Men\u2019s Health UK, guiding and supporting the content teams to create content across all platforms. Isaac\u2019s love of health and fitness began at Loughborough University, where he graduated with a History and English degree in 2014. His first job was at Men\u2019s Running magazine, where he progressed from Staff Writer to Editor. Among his highlights of those four years include completing a 24-hour track race (never again), just about finishing a multi-day ultramarathon in the Azores, and chugging his way around a \u2018beer mile\u2019. Isaac ventured into the world of freelance journalism in 2018, interviewing some of the biggest names in sport \u2013 like Anthony Joshua and Ben Stokes \u2013 and writing features for the likes of The Guardian, Red Bull, ShortList and BBC Countryfile. He was also a regular contributor to an adventure series called \u2018The Man Who\u2019: speaking to some of the world\u2019s most extreme explorers from the wilds of Caff\u00e8 Nero. In late-2019, Isaac became Editor of Men\u2019s Fitness UK. In his five years there, Isaac was responsible for editing the monthly magazine and managing website content, ultimately helping the brand transition to a \u2018digital-first\u2019 approach. He joined Hearst UK as Multiplatform Editor in December 2024, where he manages day-to-day digital output, edits content and writes articles on all things health and fitness. When he\u2019s not hammering at his keyboard, Isaac enjoys exercise and trying \u2013 \u00a0unsuccessfully, so far \u2013 to teach his baby son to kick a football. You can follow Isaac on Instagram @isaacw1993<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n