A time capsule of the ’80s would not be complete without a Tiger Beat cover of then-teen heartthrob Rob Lowe. Today, the face of such iconic films as St. Elmo’s Fire and Youngblood remains ageless, thanks to nearly three decades of clean living, healthy eating, and a high-octane lifestyle. Lowe, who stars in the CBS medical drama Code Black, talks fitness, cheat meals, and lifting with Sylvester Stallone.
M&F: You’re 54, yet you seem to defy age. What’s your secret?
Rob Lowe: I still wanna get better and do more. I was fortunate that I was able to—and had to—give up drinking and all that kind of party stuff 27 years ago. Because of that, I wake up every day already in the red zone. I’m also still curious and interested in life—to me, that’s the hallmark of youth.
So how do you channel your youthful energy?
I’m an adrenaline junkie—I love biking, skiing, surfing, scuba diving, glacier hiking. Even when I’m shooting a fflm, while others are taking their lunches, napping, or eating, I’ll be at the gym. People think I’m crazy, but it gives me more energy than eating and sitting in my trailer.
What is your gym routine?
I’m obsessed with Peloton. I love taking the Tour de France, last stage, climbing the Alps. But circuit training with big cardio spikes is really my go-to. If I’m in the weight room, I’ll work multiple body parts.
That’s something that’s hard for me—yoga, planks, core work. It’s because I grew up working out next to Sylvester Stallone when he was training for Rambo, and it’s hard to picture Stallone doing a plank or a downward dog.
What was it like training with Stallone in his prime?
Actually, I worked out with both Arnold and Sly in the mid-’80s—to me, that’s like saying you played baseball with Babe Ruth. It was just unbelievable. People would gather around and watch them at Santa Monica Bodybuilding. Nobody works out like that anymore. That’s old-school.
You’re also now an ambassador for Atkins. How does that figure into your lifestyle?
I’ve been eating high protein, low carbs for a long time, and Atkins were the ones who made it popular, like, 30 years ago. They called me up, and I realized that I’ve already been doing it.
Any cheat meals?
I’m not giving up my guilty pleasures. I will always have my New York pizza and a Häagen-Dazs milkshake. Life is too short to not have those things.
