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Stormzy eats food he hates and works out so he can appear “superhuman” on stage.
The ‘Shut Up’ rapper, 31, has spent years flashing his abs during shows – but insists he isn’t a fitness fanatic as he doesn’t naturally have discipline.
He told Men’s Health January/February issue, which he guest-edited: “Waking up this morning, going to the gym, I’d much rather not do that.
“I’d rather scroll on TikTok or have a fry-up. I’m not naturally disciplined, so I need structure.
“My breakfast today was a spinach and egg skillet. I don’t want to eat that. But there’s something I do want and that is to be in shape, and have great shows. So that’s what I eat.”
He added: “I want to be someone who is able to deliver a live set for 90 minutes with full energy and not stutter on my vocal, not be out of breath, not need to take a break, just be almost like a superhuman on stage.”
Stormzy also cited Beyoncé for inspiring him when it came to getting fit for gigs, and said he was still battling to be on top form when he headlined Glastonbury in 2019 – making history as the first black British solo artist to do so.
He added: “I was trying to get into a shape I’ve never been in in my life.
“I’m not someone who grew up super fit. I’ve always just been kind of bog standard.
“I was taking my body and my nutrition to this entirely new place, while also trying to create this flipping iconic, legendary set.
“I had headlined Wireless, but this was a whole new beast. This was pulling all the stops out.
“I remember I would do performances and in those days, I didn’t have my soul music, my gospel music, my R and B.
“So it might have been a 30-minute set of straight grime, giving it all my energy… there’d be times on stage where I was thinking, ‘I ain’t got nothing left in the tank’.”