Just because you are getting older doesn’t mean that you can’t still be in amazing shape. And when you live in Hollywood or have a career in the public eye, being fit is even more important. But having a six-pack like Patrick Stewart at age 79 or finding the stamina to sprint across a stage for four solid hours at 70, like Bruce Springsteen, does not come easy. It takes dedication, consistent exercise, a healthy diet, and discipline. One of the best ways to age gracefully—and be among the fittest men in Hollywood—is to continuously challenge your body with an array of exercise routines and to keep it fueled with nutrient-rich food. And as health consciousness becomes more and more the rage, many of Tinsel Town’s older gentlemen are hopping on board with this plan.
In no particular order, here are 22 of the fittest male celebs over 50. These guys are living proof that age really is “just a number.”
Bruce Springsteen
Age certainly hasn’t slowed down “The Boss.” At 70, Bruce Springsteen is still performing his marathon nearly 4-hour-long concerts. He even has the energy to hop off stage and crowd surf around in the audience, all the while maintaining the stamina to belt out vocals to hit tunes like “Hungry Heart.” To keep in shape, Springsteen reportedly alternates running 4 to 6 miles with strength training every other day, even when out on the road. The esteemed rocker is said to watch what he eats and follows a mostly vegetarian diet.
Brad Pitt
It’s hard to believe that Brad Pitt is already in his 50s. His physique sure doesn’t show it! Throughout his career, the actor has kept in great shape and has even amplified that at times in order to bulk up for roles in movies like Fight Club, Troy, Fury and Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. In fact, Pitt’s Fight Club workout has become an extremely popular program for shedding fat and building lean muscle. The regimen targets one muscle group per day and is mixed in with an array of cardio. And for films like Fury, Pitt has been known to work out for 90 minutes daily and perform a combination of compound and isolation exercises. The actor is said to eat a diet that is rich in salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds. He also drinks plenty of water, takes supplements, drinks collagen smoothies, and gets an occasional IV vitamin drip.
Lenny Kravitz
Kravitz doesn’t hit the stage without rocking a skintight shirt, which shows off his washboard abs, a vest over a bare chest, or a tank that reveals his bulging biceps. So whether he’s gallivanting across stage belting out the lyrics to “Let Love Rule” or hitting the big screen in films like The Hunger Games, the 55-year-old is always toned. Kravitz told USA Today that the secret to his killer abs is “Good genes, eat well, workout.” Diet-wise, he opts for organic and nutrient-dense foods and has even been known to hop on the raw food train. But how does Kravitz keep so fit on the road? “To stay fit, I always carry a jump rope with me,” he tells BlackDoctor.org “And I run. I like to be outdoors doing things that you can do with your body—pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, squats. Gyms are cool, but I find them boring. I prefer to run outside in nature—it’s far more inspiring.”
Tom Cruise
At 57, Tom Cruise is just as much of an action star as he was during the days of Top Gun. And that means staying in superior physical shape; he has to if he’s going to continue to perform his own crazy stunts such as scaling the side of the world’s tallest building (Dubai’s Burj Khalifa) and ditching his stunt driver to hop behind the wheel himself to act out a gritty car chase. To keep in Mission Impossible and Jack Reacher shape, Cruise does a mixture of weight training, bodyweight exercises, and HIIT intervals. He carries a portable gym with him everywhere he travels and follows a strict diet plan that eliminates processed foods, sweets, fried food, and refined carbs. The celebrated actor has worked with professional trainers such as Tom Dyer and has even looked to soccer superstar David Beckham for training inspiration.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is 64, but looking at him, you’d never know it. To maintain his sculpted body, the actor practices portion control and places an emphasis on a high protein, low carb diet. In recent years, he’s said to have cut down his meat consumption and in 2013, he said he’s a vegetarian. “But sometimes I’ll cheat and have chicken,” he said. The Training Day star works closely with personal trainers such as Kacy Duke. To prepare for his Oscar-nominated turn in Fences, Washington focused on boxing and interval training. The actor/director/producer works hard for his body.
Laird Hamilton
At 55, Laird Hamilton is still out there showing the ocean who is boss. And this requires grit, stamina, and a very strong core. In addition to being a big-wave surfing champ, the California native is known for developing an extensive program of underwater workouts that “increase strength, cardiovascular, endurance, and mental focus.” He launched the series alongside his athletic wife, Gabrielle Reece, and often partakes himself. The duo teams up to host fitness retreats such as the Laird Hamilton Lifestyle Weekend and make staying in impressive shape part of their daily lives. Diet wise, Hamilton stays away from sugar, embraces healthy fats, but avoids being too disciplined.
Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood recently turned 55, but he’s not letting his age slow him down. “Your idea of 50 and aging is a state of mind. We’re all aging, some faster than others, so I try to just slow down the whole process,” he tells AARP. The Deep Impact star’s version of this involves a regular fitness routine and proper recovery with the help of supplements such as Omega XL. He’s also admitted to hopping on diet crazes whenever he needs to quickly shed some pounds. He told Regis and Kelly, for instance, that he once attempted the Master Cleanse to get in shape for an upcoming season of The Event. Lately, Underwood reportedly woke up early and trained intensely for his stint as the lead CIA instructor on ABC’s Quantico.
Patrick Stewart
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is 79 and still has a six-pack! Several years ago, the esteemed actor posted a photo of himself in a bathing suit on the beach celebrating his 2016 Golden Globe nomination and the Internet went wild. “It wasn’t the abs I was thinking about showing. It was the pink shorts, the pink beach shoes, and the pink cocktail that I had in one hand,” he joked, during an interview with ET. The secret to his strong core? “Pushups,” he reveals. “It’s that simple.” In 2014, Stewart posted a photo of himself doing a one-arm push-up, a move that he incorporates into his fitness routine. Diet-wise, the X-Men actor is addicted to Marmite and loves to indulge with his wife’s signature white truffle risotto.
Sting
Being a rock star often involves hours of sitting on tour busses and planes and eating unhealthy takeout meals. That is not the regimen of Sting. The 67-year-old singer credits his youthful on-stage energy to his dedicated yoga practice. “I perform on stage in much the same way I did when I was in my 20s or teens, and I’m doing it just as efficiently. And I put that down to yoga. Two decades of yoga has given me two extra decades of this career. I wouldn’t be able to do it if I was out of shape,” he tells Energy Times. To keep his body fueled, Sting sticks to a strict macrobiotic diet and has a personal chef that makes him mock tuna wraps and nutrient-dense soup.
Anthony Kiedis
The Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman is often referred to as “the world’s healthiest frontman.” At 56, Anthony Kiedis is just as wild on stage as ever and still performs shirtless and proudly rocks his chiseled abs. The rock star attributes much of his strength and endurance to his recent hobby of surfing. He also frequents Equinox gym in Los Angeles and is often seen jogging. Kiedis follows a mainly vegan diet but says that he will occasionally “dabble in sustainable fish and dawdle in the consumption of eggs.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
It’s inevitable that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be one of the fittest men in the room; no matter what age he turns. And at 72, he’s still a fitness idol to many. The action star/former California governor live streamed 30 minutes of his daily workout in which he stressed the importance of doing full repetitions, exhaling as you exert yourself, and working out abdominal muscles every day. In a recent interview with The Daily Telegraph, Schwarzenegger says that his fitness goals have changed from his days of Pumping Iron. “When I was 20, I wanted to be a world champion in bodybuilding, so then it was five hours a day [in the gym], and lifting as heavy as I could,” he explains. “Today, it’s about how can I hold on to the body. Because, as you know, as you get older the muscles deteriorate, so what the weight training does is gives it the opportunity to keep and hold on as long as possible. My goal now is to just stay fit and strong.” His daily maintenance routine involves 90 minutes of exercise and doing a combination of cycling and weights.
David Duchovny
59 has got nothing on David Duchovny. The X-Files star still looks fantastic with a shirt off. The actor keeps himself in shape by doing Lagree Pilates at Los Angeles area Pilates Plus locations. He’s also competed in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon six times, is an avid runner, and follows an exercise routine of weightlifting and a variety of sports including basketball, swimming, boxing, and baseball. Duchnovy also considers himself to be a “very lazy vegetarian. I really don’t have any secrets to looking young; I just eat well. I exercise, take one-a-day vitamins,” he says. “On a health scale of 1 to 10, I’ll put my diet at a 9.”
Gordon Ramsay
Many of Gordon Ramsay’s colleagues have joked that he is “too fit to be a chef.” The 52-year-old celebrity cook has raced in over 15 marathons, three ultra marathons, four half Ironman events, and the world’s toughest Ironman competition in Hawaii. Working in the kitchen all day almost inevitably results in a chef packing on a few pounds but Ramsay seems to have found the secret to not falling victim to that. He eats healthy whenever he can, admitting to enjoying kale chips over the chocolate chip variety but tells Bon Appetit that he’s allergic to the words “paleo, vegan, and gluten free.”
John Stamos
At 56, Uncle Jesse has still got it. What does he credit his chiseled physique to? “I do Pilates,” he tells Star Magazine. “I go in and it’s all women except for me. And I know they make up these exercise like, ‘Hey John! Come over here and do the penguin!’ and I’m like, ‘The penguin? That’s a weird one.”’ And my legs are all over the place and it looks like I’m getting a PAP smear. I think they just do it to make me look silly but it keeps me in shape!” Stamos jokes that since he started attending regular Pilates classes, he is able to say that he is thankful for his “beautiful woman’s body.”
Rob Lowe
If you Google “Rob Lowe shirtless,” the images that pop up are still as impressive as they were 20 years ago. The man simply does not age. At 55, Lowe keeps himself trim by surfing and playing sports like tennis. He’s told People Magazine in the past that he works out every day during his lunch break on set. “I do it for my mental health, whatever I have time for,” he says. The self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie loves to do “anything physical” and is often seen hiking, biking, swimming in the ocean, or dropping down for a set of pushups on the beach.
Tony Goldwyn
President Fitzgerald was always shedding his clothes and hooking up with Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal. And aside from wanting to stay healthy, his many nearly naked television scenes are reason enough for the 59-year-old actor to keep in tip top shape. He jokes that it’s fear that motivates him to stay in ideal shape. “I have to stay in reasonably good shape so that I’m in striking distance of not being humiliated.” Diet-wise, Goldwyn likes to start out his day with strong black coffee, organic blueberries, Greek yogurt, and a lightly cooked egg white omelet with cremini mushrooms and gruyere cheese. He’s also a big fan of sushi.
Jon Bon Jovi
Touring the globe with Bon Jovi doesn’t keep Jon Bon Jovi from being one of the fittest rock stars of his era. The 57-year-old frontman stays in shape by running six days a week for an hour, as well as lifting weights and doing balancing/stability exercises. He also recently discovered a love of yoga. “I was doing workout 101 for years: treadmill, elliptical, weights. Now I’m going to do yoga and enjoy it. I’m a 21st-century man,” he says. When he hits the road, Bon Jovi brings a healthcare professional along with him who acts as his nutritionist, trainer, and chiropractor. The rocker is also into healthy foods and loves to snack on grilled fish and low-fat Greek yogurt, drinks plenty of water, and does acupuncture and cold laser therapy to ease inflammation.
Christopher Meloni
For years, 58-year-old Christopher Meloni chased criminals around the streets on Law & Order: SVU. And that, of course, required that he stay in Hollywood-worthy shape. The actor has been working out for as long as he can remember and has tried everything from the Arnold workout to the Navy SEAL workout and crossfit. Nowadays, he rotates between martial arts, basketball, football, yoga, and waterskiing with a weightlifting routine. Meloni likes to mix things up and keep his body on its toes because otherwise “the muscles lose their communication with one another,” he says.
Liam Neeson
If you’ve seen any of the Taken movies or pretty much anything else Liam Neeson has been in over the years, you know that he’s a lean killing machine. The 67-year-old has had to get into prime shape for almost every film role he’s ever taken on so it’s safe to say that his fitness routine is on point. “I keep a pretty fit life,” the actor tells Collider. “I mix it up. I do a lot of power walking. I use a lot of kettlebells.” Neeson also focuses on stamina-inducing workouts that allow him to be the action star that we see him as on screen. He credits his background as an amateur boxer with providing him with the foundation for the types of physically demanding roles that he has taken on over the years.
Dennis Quaid
At 65, Dennis Quaid is still able to ditch his shirt on the beach and draw a crowd. In 2011, he starred in the Bethany Hamilton biopic, Soul Surfer, and seems to have fallen in love with the sport as a result. In recent years, the Vantage Point actor has been spotted surfing around the beaches of Maui. He’s been working out throughout his entire life and stresses the importance of starting at an early age and keeping up with a fitness routine. “Start young. Because once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back,” he says. Quaid’s fitness routine involves cycling, yoga, and playing golf.
Patrick Dempsey
Grey’s Anatomy star and professional racecar driver Patrick Dempsey knows a thing or two about keeping in shape. At 53, he does a mixture of core exercises and cardio. He also loves bicycling, jogging, and weight lifting, which he does under the guidance of a personal trainer. “Cycling has done tremendous [things] for my psyche, to get out in nature, the speed of it and the agility and stamina needed. I do a lot of running and training,” he tells Shed Your Weight. The actor aims to shed 300 to 600 calories per cardio session and strives to eat a diet low in refined carbohydrates and high in protein and healthy fats like fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds. “Having children in my forties, I want to be healthy for them when I get older. So I’m making the right choices when it comes to food,” he reveals.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone is 73 years old and is still in the gym as often as he can be. Through he’s worked out throughout his career, he’s had to get in extreme shape for roles like Rocky, The Expendables, and Rambo. But nowadays, fitness is just as important to him. When he’s training for a film, the star reportedly works out six days a week and several times a day. In between jobs, Stallone has said that he cuts his gym time down to three 90-minute sessions per week in order to maintain his build and says that in his senior years, he feels “really good and much stronger” than he has ever felt. The action star eats a high protein, low carbohydrate diet and places an emphasis on resting in between workouts and taking supplements.
