Ross Lynch first gained notice for his roles on Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally and Teen Beach Movie, and is arguably best well-known for his portrayal of Harvey Kinkle, the heartthrob boyfriend to Sabrina Spellman in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. But these days, Lynch has been making headlines for jumping on stage sans shirt while touring with his band The Driver Era. The pop group, which is comprised of Ross and his older brother, Rocky Lynch, is currently on tour across the United States and Canada, and their third studio album, Summer Mixtape, is out on September 16th.
The kind of (shirtless!) high-energy performance Ross puts on stage demands a lot of stamina, and, as you might expect, it’s made possible with a consistent exercise regimen supported by a balanced diet. In between shows, GQ caught up with Ross to discuss saunas, intermittent fasting, and how eating on tour is different from eating at home.
GQ: What type of training have you been doing to achieve this physique?
Ross Lynch: Over the past few years I’ve been really into biohacking. Which is exactly as it sounds. It’s about essentially doing little tricks and hacks for your body that are really good for you. For instance, I really love to do ice baths. Especially after an infrared sauna, if it’s possible. Most of the time I’ll just buy like $40 worth of ice and I’ll throw it in the tub. And I’ll just jump in for about five minutes, depending on the temperature.
There’s other things that I like to do, like intermittent fasting, which essentially means that you eat your food in a specific window. My favorite window to do is 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. I’ll usually eat lunch at two and then I’ll eat dinner at like, seven. And then I won’t eat from 8 p.m. until 2 p.m. the next day. Coffee’s okay, but no calories in there. One of the main things that I like about fasting is autophagy, which is essentially the process of your weakest cells dying off, being replaced by brand new cells. It really improves your sleep when your body’s not digesting food, and sleeping is a very important factor for physical wellness. Especially for muscle regeneration, mental clarity and burning fat.
How long have you been doing intermittent fasting for?
Some years now, but I’m not perfect: There will be months sometimes where I just won’t do it. Usually when I’m at home it’s easier to be regimented. On tour, our schedules are always changing and we’re always in new time zones. Sometimes you just gotta eat when you can eat because your body needs fuel. But I’ve been doing it for years now and I really like the mental clarity that it brings me. I like the energy. You feel really strong, focused, and clean. It’s kind of an addictive feeling. I think probably almost everyone eats too frequently.
Walk me through an average workout during your day.
As far as physical activity goes, consistency is more important than intensity. At least once a day I’ll try to do some calisthenics. Whether it’s pullups, pushups, body weight squats, pistol squats, or the horse stance, where you literally just sit in a low squat for as long as you can.
What about cardio? Are you a fan of cardio?
I do cardio on stage every night. I feel like a lot of people overlook the physical exertion that I output when I perform, because not everyone performs the same. I tend to perform with a lot of energy. I like to have as much fun as possible on stage. It looks like a lot of jumping, a lot of running around. I’m constantly focusing on my diaphragm because I’m singing the whole show. I think that has a lot to do with my physique as well, because if you’re concentrating on your abdomen, compressing, and doing that night after night after night, that definitely has an effect on those muscles.