I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Phil Collen, the lead guitarist of legendary 80’s rock band Def Leppard. Phil is also a long time vegetarian, recent vegan, and fitness enthusiast extraordinaire! These days, he gets asked more often about his fit physique than his music. We chatted about his nutritious diet, his exercise routine, his music, and his health-conscious lifestyle while on the road.
Phil revealed that he first became vegetarian about 28 years ago. While those around him were destroying their lives with negative influences and vices, he started living life the “clean and healthy” way! He remains healthy and fit, defying the odds that the passage of time can take its toll on your body.
Even in his youth, he felt weird about eating meat. At a young age, his compassion for animals made him feel that torturing and consuming living creatures was just plain wrong! As the years progressed, he stopped eating other animal products such as eggs. Since last November he has eliminated dairy and eggs and has tried to remain vegan. He claims that living a life of nutritious eating and exercise allows you to wake up in the morning “feeling like Superman”!
Mr. Collen maintains his lifestyle of healthy eating and physical fitness while on the road. He brings his panini grill with him. On the tour bus, he dines on veggie burgers, tofu, grains, and healthy steamed greens such as kale or collard greens. For snacking during his travels, Phil brings trail mix and fruit . He even enjoys eating raw food whenever possible.
His personal trainer Jean Carillo joins him on tour, training him in Muay Thai boxing and kickboxing. He deservedly prides himself in the fact that as he is getting older, his strength has increased, as well as his ability to benchpress twice his bodyweight. His abs are incredibly tight, not only for a 53 year old, but for any man half his age!
Some of the exercises in which he faithfully participates while on tour, are ones that anyone can do while on holiday or in their hotel room. Push ups, pullups, crunches, jumping jacks, and jumping rope are just a few exercises that are part of his fitness routine. He suggests using an exercise band for a healthy exercise workout. Whenever a gym is unavailable while on tour, it is still possible to get a great workout consisting of cardio, weights, and focusing on different body parts using these exercises. He says that no one should feel intimidated by exercise. Anyone can do it. It is just a matter of consistency and building up to your desired exercise levels.
He mentions that it is really easy for him to find healthy, vegan food in southern California. However, he has also found that it has been getting easier and easier to find vegetarian and vegan meals anywhere..from the midwestern region of the United States to even remote parts of Ecuador where a little shack he found featured a sign that said “Vegetarian food here”! According to him, Asian countries such as Japan , on the other hand have been becoming more “westernized” and unhealthy meals such as burgers are becoming more commonplace. Phil is an advocate of portion control to maintain health and weight.
His health and stamina keep him in great shape for touring with his two bands, the ever popular “Def Leppard” and his newer band “Manraze”. His Def Leppard tour will commence this June 7th in Europe, followed by a national tour in the United States. The new Def Leppard album will be released on June 15th, containing 3 studio songs and 21 live cuts. Manraze will be available in August. He also keeps healthy foods backstage during his concerts.
Phil is enthusiastic about saying that the way you feel from this lifestyle is definitely worth it! “Walk the Talk” is his motto! Whether you are a rock legend on tour or a working class individual on holiday, it is possible to maintain a lifestyle of eating healthy vegan meals and participating in a regular workout regimen at home and while on the road!