Think it would be easier to make it to the gym if you were, say, a celebrity? Taye Diggs, star of TNT’s Murder in the First and cult favorites like Private Practice and Will & Grace, begs to differ.
“When I was younger, I was that dude who could easily spend three hours in the gym every day, no problem,” says Diggs, who recently appeared as a guest on Daily Burn 365. “Between the workout, basketball and the steam room, I truly used my gym thoroughly.”
But as life got busier, his hours at the gym got shorter and shorter. “Now I’ve got a six-year-old kid and a baby mama!” Diggs, author of children’s books Mixed Me and Chocolate Me, says. “So it went from six days a week to three days a week, if I’m lucky — and from three hour workouts to 45 minutes workouts!”
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Balancing Fitness and Fatherhood the Taye Diggs Way
To maximize his time, Diggs works out with a trainer who takes him through intense circuit workouts combining strength training, boxing (his favorite) and cardio. “I need to relieve stress and hit it hard, and feel like I’ve been to work afterwards. Or you know I’ll end up killing somebody!” Diggs laughs.
Like many parents, when it comes to mealtime, Diggs finds himself reaching for whatever his son doesn’t finish. He’ll supplement his breakfast with a protein shake and then will try to stick with chicken and salad for dinner. The one constant: “Definitely wine before bed,” Diggs says. (We feel ya, Taye.)
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Despite his hectic schedule, making time to eat healthy and stay fit helps him manage his stress — and maintain the physique he’s known for. “I’ve never been the type of person who’s thought he had to go to the gym and now I just have to or I can’t look the way I want to look,” Diggs acknowledges. “I’ve already made some compromises, but I will not let wine out of my diet!” Instead, he’s started swapping chips with nuts when snacking around the house, and tries to add a little extra cardio to his workout routine. “I’m very vain so that helps,” he jokes.
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