Zak Bagans is a ghost hunter. His job takes him into some of the most haunted locales on the planet in search of proof of the paranormal. It’s a demanding job, one that leaves little room for anything else. Like any true M&Fer, though, he makes sure to get his workouts in, one way or another.
“We were filming at this mental asylum, and we were at this shit motel—the gym consisted of a treadmill from 1982,” Bagans says. “So I started doing curls and delt raises with the TV, handstand pushups, lifting luggage—whatever I could find. It’s just dedication. If I miss a day of training, I feel like crap.”
But there’s more to Bagans than just physical strength, especially when he’s on the job. “Your mental strength is what matters most when you’re dealing with spirits and ghosts,” Bagans says. “I think I get a lot of that mental strength from the gym, though. There are days when you don’t want to lift, but you power through it. You have to stay tough mentally, go in, and do your job.”
Bagans has been working out for decades. “I was a victim of bullying when I was younger, and I decided one day I didn’t want to take it—so I started doing pushups,” he says. “I remember being laughed at when I was 14 because I was this skinny kid with Arnold’s pecs.”
When it comes to Bagans’ diet, he’s just as focused, sticking to organic foods whenever possible and even cooking his meals on the road—something unheard of in Hollywood. He’s going to be ghost hunting for as long as he can, so he’s going to need to keep his body—and his mind—in shape. “I didn’t believe in ghosts,” he says. “But then I had a profound experience that shook me to my core. It drove me to where I am today. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
