How a 62-year-old holds five to six sessions a week — by deleting the changing step
In short
Holding training frequency is less about willpower than about how many preconditions stand between you and the start of a session. The musician filmed working out in leather trousers and a mesh shirt in 2024 is now 62 and says he keeps 45- to 60-minute sessions five to six times a week. His stated reason was practical rather than aesthetic: the clothes he performs in are the clothes he trains in, so he can fit a session in anywhere. Remove the changing and the travelling, and you remove the places where a session gets cancelled.
A clip went round in 2024 — notable not for the weights but for the outfit: leather trousers, a mesh shirt and sunglasses. Most of the reaction was bafflement. That musician is now 62, has trained with the same coach for close to 30 years, and still works out dressed the same way.
The reason he gave in a recent interview is the interesting part. He performs on stage in leather and denim, so those are the trousers he trains in — and that means he can fit a workout in anytime, anywhere. Across a two-year world tour and work on a new album, he says he keeps 45- to 60-minute sessions five to six times a week.
Why would clothing change training frequency?
Count the steps that stand before a session starts. Change clothes, pack a bag, travel, arrive, change again. Each step is a point at which the session can be cancelled, and the cancellation probability compounds as steps accumulate. A number like five to six times a week comes less from the difficulty of one session than from a structure that does not get cancelled.
That removing decisions beats trying to enjoy exercise is the argument in treating exercise like brushing your teeth. Not changing clothes at all is the most extreme version of that family.
It is also a form of specificity
If performing is his competition, then training in what he performs in is exactly the specificity principle. Lifters know this one already — the belt, shoes and knee sleeves you compete in are not items you unpack the night before. Training in that combination is what removes surprises on the platform.
Does this mean the gym is unnecessary?
No. Nothing substitutes for a barbell and a rack. The point is not to abandon the gym but to have the minimum version ready before the week you cannot get there. What runs while travelling is covered in band training on the road, and how many rest days to build in is in how many rest days.
This matters from fairlift's angle for the same reason. What raises a muscle index is not one best-ever session but a log of weeks that were not missed. When the log stays unbroken, the next attempt does not start from further back.
- Delete preconditions one at a time — start with whichever of clothing, travel and equipment can go.
- Five to six times a week is not a question of session length — 45 to 60 minutes is a repeatable duration.
- Decide the travel version in advance — improvised in the moment, that week simply goes empty.
- Use competition gear in ordinary training — the belt and shoes should not come out for the first time on the day.
This is one person's routine, not a controlled study. Five to six sessions a week is not right for everyone, and the appropriate frequency shifts with recovery capacity and training intensity. What transfers here is the design principle of removing preconditions, not the number.
Frequently asked questions
Is training five or six times a week too much?
Session intensity and recovery decide that more than frequency does. The routine described uses 45- to 60-minute sessions repeated five to six times a week — a repeatable duration rather than a maximal one. Filling five to six weekly sessions with hard resistance work alone is a different proposition.
Can you train in ordinary clothes?
Generally yes, as long as they do not restrict range of motion or slip. The reason given in the interview was accessibility rather than aesthetics: training in stage clothes removes the changing step, so a session can start anywhere.
What does removing preconditions actually mean?
It means cutting the number of steps you must clear before a session begins. Changing, packing, travelling and setting up on arrival are each a point where the session can be cancelled, and the odds of cancellation compound as steps accumulate.
Will this approach build strength?
Maintaining frequency and programming for strength operate on different layers. Training that needs a barbell and a rack needs that equipment, and what transfers from this case is the design that keeps sessions from being cancelled, not the exercise selection.
What do you do in a week when the gym is out of reach?
Deciding in the moment usually means the week goes empty, so it is better to fix a minimum version in advance. Low-equipment formats such as bands or bodyweight work fill that slot.
Source: Men's Health