Out of all the stories we’ve heard about how people started training, Tinie Tempah’s has to be the most improbable. Queuing up to meet King Charles – as one does – he was standing next to Tom Hardy – as one does. The actor turned to Tinie and asked, ‘Do you do jiu-jitsu? You should come and train with me, man.’ The rest, as they say, is history.
While his entry to jiu-jitsu raised the stakes for Tinie, staying fit was nothing new for the platinum-selling artist. Working within the music industry, Tinie recognised early on that health and fitness would give him not just an edge on his competition, but a key to his longevity in the game.
‘I just wanted to be the best version of myself,’ he says. ‘And, obviously, appearance counts, but I wasn’t as focused on the exterior. I was more focused on the internal and how I felt going from show to show, flying around all the time. I always wanted to make sure that I had optimum energy and I looked my best, especially at the start of my career – you’re running around, eating junk food, so I just wanted to make sure that I was as fit as possible.’
Safe to say the results have paid off. After a staggering 17 years in the business, Tinie has more UK number ones (seven) than any artist in the rap game – and is still going strong. After a brief hiatus, he returns this year with new music, including ‘Energy’, which is as much a club banger as it is a treatise on the importance of exercise, as well as his recent hit ‘Living Life’, with Daecolm.
Maintaining relevance across different eras is hard in any genre, but to do it in rap, a scene dominated by youth, is even more impressive. It is testament to Tinie’s impenetrable mindset, which was most likely forged on the mats of jiu-jitsu gyms.
‘It requires a completely different level of discipline and focus, and it’s transferable to various aspects of your life: family, business, music. For example, being able to go into the studio and concentrate for several hours when it comes to creating a song and not starting to lose focus. [Because] when you’re on the mat, if you lose focus for a second, someone’s going to break your arm or choke you unconscious. And so you can’t afford for that to happen.’ Just ask MH fitness director Andrew Tracey, who was choked out by Tinie in 24 seconds. (A rematch is on the way, we’re told.)
For Tinie, there is also a deeper reason for him to stay active. ‘The life of an artist, especially historically, kind of ends up quite tragically,’ he says. ‘And so to have something like jiu-jitsu, which keeps me focused, keeps me wanting to stay healthy and disciplined and at my best at all times, has been, I think, such a great addition to myself, my inner being and my career.’
Quick-Fire QuestionsWhat’s your typical morning routine?
I’ll get up about 6.30am, get the kids ready, get them in their school uniforms. I’ll have a nutritional breakfast and then I’ll drop them off at school. Then I’ll get my gi (training outfit) on and find whichever gym has a session on for that time.
What’s one thing that’s always in your gym bag?
My mouth guard.
What’s on your typical workout playlist?
A rapper called Young Dolph… a lot of EsDeekid as well.
What do you think’s going to be on everyone else’s playlist in 2026?
I’d like to think Energy, by Tinie Tempah with Alex Mills, is going to be on there, and Rude. You guys have to look out for that one.
What’s the one habit that’s made the biggest difference to your life?
Stretching.
If you could hit a workout or roll with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
I really want to have a roll with Mark Zuckerberg.
If you could only do one strength and conditioning move for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’d probably do burpees… they get you on the cardio. You’re working out your arms and your legs. They’re painful as hell, but I love them.
What’s your least favourite exercise?
My least favourite exercise is burpees. That’s how my mind works.
What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Everything’s going to be all right. And then, you know, just enjoy life. Be more present, get right with God and learn some different languages.
Which three celebrities would you want to roll with?
I was just on tour in Australia with Wiz Khalifa. A lot of his team do jiu-jitsu. I think he’s more of a mauy Thai guy, but I think he’s dabbled in it. I’d love to finally get that roll in with Big Narstie, too. We’ve been talking about it for years; we’re both purple belts. And Ashton Kutcher. He got his black belt in November.
Shot on location at ARMA Jiu Jitsu Club, Clapham
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Christopher Riley is the editor of Men’s Health UK.
With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.