Sir Rod Stewart celebrated his 80th birthday just yesterday on January 10 and yet he continues to captivate audiences worldwide with his energetic stage performances, a feat he largely attributes to his personal trainer Gary O’Connor. The fitness expert has been by the musician’s side for two decades and shared his insights with the Express.
Gary, who boasts an extensive background in the fitness industry, believes that every workout regimen should adhere to three key principles. He explained: “You have to look at what’s attainable, what is repeatable, in other words it has to be something you can do on a regular basis, and it’s got to be relevant to your lifestyle.”
Even Sir Rod’s fitness routine is tailored to these guidelines. Gary recalled how the rock legend’s love for football influenced their initial training sessions: “He wanted to keep playing football so I had to keep the program intense enough and relevant enough so that he could.”
Although Sir Rod no longer plays football, his need for stamina remains critical as he performs three two-hour shows weekly while touring. Talking about the star’s dynamic presence, Gary said: “He’s not someone who just stands in the middle of the stage.
“He’s a bit like Mick Jagger, the fittest of their age group in entertainment aren’t they.” Gary also revealed details about star’s atypical swimming exercises and emphasised the uniqueness of their pool sessions: “We don’t do normal swimming, we do crazy swimming.”
He illustrated the intensity of their routine by saying, “We have obstacles and he’s the kind of guy that says ‘time me’ and then tries to beat that time. We do some amazing pool workouts which aren’t just swimming up and down, they’re almost military-type workouts. Retrieving bricks from the bottom of the pool, tread water holding a brick above your head.”
Gary was quick to warn others, particularly those close to Rod’s age, from imitating such strenuous routines. Instead, he recommends a simple, more approachable form of exercise:
“That’s for everybody. If you don’t want to hammer in the gym, put your headphones on, pick your route and march around for 20 minutes and that’s great for your health.”
His principle for exercise is succinctly phrased as “Attainable, repeatable and relevant.”
Touching upon his own preparation for the demanding SAS Fan Dance challenge, undertaken to support Myeloma UK, he acknowled the necessity of specific, rather extraordinary training programs tailored to the objectives one aims to achieve.
Speaking about the challenge, he said it took “an inordinate amount of training but that’s realistic” adding that when such an event finishes, he does not “need that level of fitness anymore so therefore it’s not relevant beyond that.”
Gary also indicated that the pressure to maintain an ideal physique is not exclusive to the general public but affects fitness professionals too, due to the influence of social media standards.
He opened up and said: “We don’t all have to aspire to these high standards that people see on Instagram and in the media. Sometimes it’s even worse for the trainer because you have to look the part.
“I’m an old fossil now but I go down to the gym, looking at these young kids in there and thinking, ‘Wow, they’re in good shape’, but I wonder if they look at me and go, ‘Ah, look at him over there’.
“Everybody judges themselves harshly. The high expectations that people are shown cause us a lot of problems because we can’t and shouldn’t have to attain them.”
Gary cautioned people not to be disheartened, noting that online images don’t always tell the whole story: “You look at their physique and think, ‘Oh my god, look at that’, but what you don’t realise is the amount of work that’s gone in to keep that physique and the amount that’s needed to keep it.”
He acknowledged that wealth often correlates with health due to access to resources like personal trainers, but emphasised self-responsibility: “At the end of the day whatever the level of income you have, a trainer can’t do it for you. You can get advice and have a chef but you’ve still got to eat the food.”
Gary suggested alternatives for those with less disposable income: “For an ordinary person, personal training is an expensive luxury. Classes or fitness buddies are great if you’re advising someone with a lesser income. I myself have existed by having great training buddies.”